Dear Friends,
Welcome to HomeFront Strong’s very first newsletter! Our quarterly newsletter will be a place to share with you about recent updates in the program, highlight HomeFront Strong strategies and skills, cover news about where we've been traveling for outreach, and feature information about interesting resources. We hope you find this newsletter useful and informative!
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Spring is a time of warm weather, blossoming flowers, and renewed hope. Joining HomeFront Strong, either through the website or in a community group, is a sign of the things that you hope for and the changes you are making in your family. In HomeFront Strong's first newsletter, we invite you to reflect on the hope and the change that you were looking
for when you first signed up for HomeFront Strong.
Warmly,
Jodi, Jennifer, Rebecca, and Michelle
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Skills Reminder:
Gratitude Practice
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Gratitude practice is a Grounding Strategy in HomeFront Strong, and is a skill we recommend practicing every day. Looking for "What Went Well" is a way to highlight the positive things happening each and every day. These might be big things – a job promotion – or little things – a good cup of hot coffee. Are you taking inventory of the good things happening in your day? If you are using WWW, great! Keep it up! If not, grab a notebook, think about what’s going well for you today, and write it down. Keep hunting the good stuff!
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Remember, the online component of HomeFront Strong (available to you whether you participated online or in person) can continue to track your What Went Wells.
If you've not yet set up your online access or have questions about it, email Jennifer at
lambjm@med.umich.edu
and she can help you.
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Our Outreach Coordinator, Rebecca, has been busy! Here are a few places she’s visited recently to recruit new families into HomeFront Strong:
- Veteran Community Action Team (VCAT) meetings in Caro, Detroit, Allegan, Plymouth, and Gladwin
- Michigan National Guard Yellow Ribbon events in Dearborn and Battle Creek
- Michigan National Guard and Reserve units in Grand Ledge and Wyoming
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- Veteran Appreciation Hockey Game in Plymouth
- Ann Arbor VA Walk to End Homelessness
- Michigan National Guard Strong Bonds weekend in Bellaire
Would you like HomeFront Strong to be a part of your next event? Reach out to us! Contact Rebecca at (734) 998-5849 or
rligon@umich.edu
.
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Fireworks-Free Fourth of July
Looking for a quieter Fourth of July camping experience this year? Several Michigan state parks offer a “Fireworks-Free Fourth of July” for veterans, pet owners and other visitors who want quieter camping options farther away from community firework displays. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency have worked together for the fourth year to coordinate this opportunity. To learn more and see a list of participating parks, visit the
DNR website
.
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Summer Fun
Many of your local summer destinations might offer Veteran/Service Member discounts. Make sure you ask! Some of our favorites include:
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Changes in HomeFront Strong!
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We wish Jodi a fond farewell and best wishes! Jodi has been our Program Coordinator and Child Team Leader for more than 4 years, and she’s leaving HomeFront Strong for a new career direction. We wish her all the very best!
In the next month, our team will be growing and there will be new names and faces joining Jennifer, Rebecca, and Michelle. Stay tuned!
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HomeFront Strong is looking for new participants to join the program! Do you know a military or veteran spouse/partner who could benefit from HomeFront Strong? Have you told them about us
?
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Rebecca Couch, HFS Outreach Coordinator, with
Buddy-to-Buddy Program
Social Worker Adam Jando at the USA Hockey Veteran Appreciation game in Plymouth.
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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.
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HomeFront Strong
2025 Traverwood Dr., Suite C | Ann Arbor | MI | 48105
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