Dear Friends,

It’s almost summer! After a long winter and a rainy spring, these early days of sunshine have felt all that more special. Summer is a big transition time for many of us – end of school, vacations, camping, moving, or finding time to do those projects that have been waiting on our to do list. This can also be a time of rejuvenation for you, maybe taking a moment to pause and give yourself some extra attention.
We hope you are enjoying HomeFront Strong's quarterly newsletters. For those of you who have completed the program, the newsletter can be a nice reminder of things you learned in HomeFront Strong. For those of you thinking about joining or waiting for your group to start, take a look through the tips and resources, and feel free to reach out to us with any questions. 

Warmly,

The HomeFront Strong Team
Skills Reminder: Looking at Things from a Different Perspective
Perspective means a lot to military/veteran families. How you look at a situation can greatly influence what you see. We did a number of perspective exercises in HomeFront Strong. Has your perspective on anything changed since you started your HomeFront Strong journey? Who knows this change? If it's only you, is there someone else who you can share that with?  
Photo by  Anika Huizinga   on  Unsplash
Where in the Mitten?
Where We've Been: We've been busy! Here are a few places we've visited recently to share information about HomeFront Strong:
 
  • HomeFront Strong in-person group, Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton, Ingham Counties, Lansing

  • Training community providers in military family resilience, St. Clair County Community Mental Health, Port Huron
  • Star Behavioral Health Provider Training, Lansing

  • Air National Guard Yellow Ribbon, Battle Creek

  • National Guard Yellow Ribbon, Detroit

  • Strong Bonds Event, Crystal Mountain

  • Michigan National Guard State Volunteer Workshop, Grand Rapids

  • Traverse City Vet Center, Traverse City

  • Army Reserve Armory, Ann Arbor

  • Marine Corps Reserve Armory, Grand Rapids

  • National Guard Armory, Traverse City

  • Coast Guard Stations, Manistee and Traverse City

  • Meeting of the Minds, Dearborn

  • Hockey for Heroes, Plymouth

  • VCATs 6, 9, 4, Motor City VCAT, and Macomb Veteran Action Collaborative Meeting, Macomb
Where We're Going: Over the next few months HomeFront Strong will be at many events throughout the state. If you get a picture of our booth or with us, send it in and we might feature it in our next newsletter! Here are a few events we'll be at:

  • Strong Bonds, Kalahari Resort, Sandusky

  • Navy Ops Family Day, Selfridge

  • Vet Center Open House, Saginaw

Would you like HomeFront Strong to be a part of your next event? Reach out to us! Contact Ali at (734) 998-5827 or HomeFrontStrong@umich.edu .
Resource Corner

Spring and summer offer many military and veteran-specific events and special deals. Below are a few of interest:
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is hosting the Women Veterans 5K Run/Walk in Lansing on Saturday, June 22. This event is aimed at increasing awareness about the large number of women who serve and have served. You do not need to be a woman veteran to sign up! Click here for more information. 
The Region 5 VCAT is hosting its annual Veteran Expo on the Dow Diamond Concourse in Midland on Wednesday, July 3 from 11 am to 2 pm. This “day at the ball park” event is for service members and veterans to learn more about resources and employment opportunities. Click here to learn about this free event and register.
From now until September 2, admission to all 44 of the Michigan Blue Star museums is free for military families ! Click here to learn more.
Are you part of a military or veteran organization with an event planned for this summer? Email us at HomeFrontStrong@umich.edu if you would like us to share information about your event on our Facebook page. And if you’re part of a military/veteran family, follow us on Facebook to get updates about upcoming events throughout the state. 
Welcome to Our New Staff!
Our team is growing! HomeFront Strong is happy to welcome Holly Lubzik as our Child Team Coordinator and Outreach Specialist. As a self-declared "military brat," Holly understands the special needs and pride of military children. She will be coordinating the parallel children's program for all in-person HomeFront Strong groups. You will also see her at military and veteran events across the state!

We also welcome Emma Czajka and Iris Hadziegric as research assistants on our team. Emma and Iris both joined our team as students from the University of Michigan.You can learn more about our staff by visiting our website's Team page .
Holly Lubzik
Emma Czajka (left) and
Iris Hadziegric (right)
Join Us
We are currently recruiting for in-person HomeFront Strong groups all across Michigan. This summer, we are focusing on Flint, Pontiac, Lansing, Ann Arbor, Southfield, and Port Huron. We are also always signing people up for the on-line version of HomeFront Strong that you can complete weekly for eight weeks in the comfort of your own home.
Do you know an area that would be great for a group? Let us know! 
Program Pics
The HomeFrong Strong team at a community mental health provider training. L-R: Jennifer Lamb, Ali Thompson, Holly Lubzik, Michelle Kees, and Iris Hadziegric.
Jennifer Lamb and Michelle Kees at a community mental health provider training.
Ali Thompson at the Hockey for Heroes event in Plymouth.
HomeFront Strong is part of Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN) , a collection of military mental health programs within the University of Michigan Depression Center .
HomeFront Strong
2025 Traverwood Dr., Suite C | Ann Arbor | MI | 48105