Our Military Kids, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports children (ages 5 – 12th grade) of deployed National Guard and Reserve service members, as well as those of wounded veterans from all service branches, with grants that provide up to $300 for a chosen activity. Participation in these extracurricular activities has proven to help military children cope with stress and anxiety, as well as foster a sense of self-confidence, while their parents are recovering or serving overseas.
Our Military Kids grants pay fees for athletic, fine arts, and tutoring programs. Events that are not eligible include child care, school tuition, and religious trips.
Since its founding in 2004, Our Military Kids has given out $26 million, through 65,000 grants, to military children in all U.S. states and territories.
Annual surveys consistently show nearly 100% of grant recipient families are satisfied with our programs. Children’s mental health and academic performance improve. Respondents also note improvements in family well-being, service member morale, and veteran recovery time.
Our Military Kids is currently gathering more data to determine long-term impacts for grant recipients and their families.
In early 2005, we started small, with a pilot program focused on a National Guard unit from Winchester, Va. The pilot program was extremely successful, and we expanded to help all deployed Reserve and National Guard families living throughout Virginia.
Calls from deploying citizen soldiers were sometimes heartbreaking. Feeling the need to help more children cope with the challenges brought on by lengthy separations, we began covering families living in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
In 2008, Our Military Kids expanded its program once again, this time to include children of active-duty, reserve, and National Guard service members who were severely injured in combat, and whose families were struggling to deal with financial and emotional hardships.
Today, Our Military Kids, is a national organization. With the help of generous donors and volunteers, we have empowered more than 65,000 children.
Our Military Kids has never turned away an eligible family.
Volunteers are the backbone of Our Military Kids. The hard work and commitment of our volunteers translates into more grant money available to children of deployed National Guardsmen and Reservists, as well as wounded veterans.
We are always looking for volunteers to help in several areas in our McLean, Virginia office. Opportunities include grant processing, development and fundraising, special events, marketing and public relations, graphics design, and general administration. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities, please contact OMKInquiry@ourmilitarykids.org or call (703) 734-6654.
If you are not in the McLean area, still feel free to contact us about ways to volunteer. We are a nationwide program.