Fort Bragg is one of the largest military installations in the Army. It is home to over 50,000 service members and many of their families. With a base this large comes an abundance of resources and for that, we are very lucky here to have so much support. On the flip side of that, it can sometimes be overwhelming to navigate through everything.
In light of the recent rapid deployment out of Fort Bragg, I figured this would be an opportune time to put together a list of local as well as national support resources for the family members here on the home front.
Counseling Services:
Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Cape Fear Valley– This, currently no cost, mental health counseling service is for veterans and family members of active duty military members. Call to set up an appointment at 910-615-3737.
Military OneSource-Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week to support military families in areas such as; mental health, career, child care, spouse education, PCS moves, and financial counseling. 1-800-342-9647.
Pregnant and New Mom Support:
Army Community Services-New Parent Support Program-Call to get set up with a case manager who will conduct visits and offer support to you in your home. These home visitors are trained professionals in pregnancy, birth, post-partum, and child development. They help educate you on local resources and all the topics mentioned above. My home visitor has been a God send during and after my pregnancy. To get started with this free service, call 910-396-7951.
La Leche League This is a breastfeeding and new mom support group that has monthly meetings.
The Fayetteville Doulas & Aida Algarin Birth Services. These two local doula agencies provide support during pregnancy, birth, and post-partum. There are many more doula services in the area, but I have experience with these two specifically and know of their amazing reputation.
Religious Support:
MOPS groups (Moms of Preschoolers)-Check with local churches to see if they have this program.
PWOC-Protestant Women of Chapel-This group provides religious support and guidance on the installation and offers special events, workshops, and ongoing group Bible studies.
Support for Military Kids:
Armed Services YMCA of Fort Bragg-This nonprofit organization provides many special programs for military families to include; Before and After School Care, Operation Little Learners for parents and children ages 18 months-5 years old, Summer Camps, Operation Hero, Children’s Waiting Room, Operation Kid Comfort, Food Pantry, Bragg Worthy Gown rentals for $10.00, Baby Bundles, and Operation Ride Home.
Partnership for Children of Cumberland County-They have many programs to support local families such as; the monthly partnership with the Diaper Bank, play dates each month in their learning library, and more.
The Comfort Crew-Provides programs and kits to help military kids through many transitions faced in military life. Check out the “With You All the Way! Dealing with Deployment Program.
The Rick Herrema Foundation-Rick’s place is located on 50 acres and provides a free place for military families to connect through outdoor activities.
Daddy Dolls-The “Hug a Hero” dolls help children ease through deployments with a doll made from the service member’s picture.
USO of NC-Fort Bragg/Sandhills Chapter-This organization provides monthly story time for military kids and special events for families such as the Family Reset throughout the year.
United through Reading-This organization works with units before or during deployment to connect service members and their children through reading. According to Jessica Hall, the Director of Marketing and communication, “Service members can participate with our free and secure app available on Android and iOS. They download the app and use Troop ID to login, then grab a book to read or request one to be sent to them for free through our website. The same form can be used to request a book to be sent to the child to read along with the service member anytime. They then record the story and send to the caregiver of the child to watch anytime they’d like.” To get started with United Through Reading or to request information, please contact military@utr.org. For any help with using the app please email appsupport@utr.org
Support for Service Members:
NC Packs for Patriots-This nonprofit sends care packages and support to service members.
USO of NC-Fort Bragg/Sandhills Chapter-The USO of NC at Fort Bragg offers many programs for service members such as; transitional programs in the Pathways Program, an open computer lab, monthly lunches, and other special events.
Support for Spouses:
Deployed Love-This nonprofit organization provides free professional photos for the families of those deployed. While this organization typically has one event per year at Fort Bragg prior to Thanksgiving, they will be expanding to other bases in 2020 and offer a Spring photo session for Fort Bragg families.
Support Military Families-This nonprofit organization makes stops through North Carolina twice per year to uplift the community by delivering care packages along with love to spouses and children.
USO of NC-Fort Bragg/Sandhills Chapter-This nonprofit schedules ongoing events such as spouse reset, expectant spouse rest, special delivery baby shower, monthly coffee chats, and more to support military spouses.
Seasoned Spouse-Lizann is the deployment expert and provides resources all about deployment on her website, along with her book “The Ultimate Deployment Guide,” and a “Deployment Masterclass” to help make deployments easier on the home front.
Brave Crate-This countdown subscription box is designed for spouses on the home front during deployment. Each month has a theme, unique products, and a challenge for military spouses. Free access to a private Facebook group with special guests and support is included with subscriptions.
Deployments are tough for military families regardless of when they happen, but rapid deployments without much warning are extremely stressful. The above mentioned local and national resources provide services to help military families build resilience, support systems, and strength when facing the ups and downs of military life, most especially separation due to a deployment.
© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2020.
