With a presidential election on the horizon, it’s easy to get caught up in the political drama of which we’re all constantly bombarded. The stakes feel higher than ever, as they have for every single election of the last couple of decades. Arguments will break out over family dinners and shocking news stories will be shared on social media. America will seem more divided than it ever has been. And yet, if there is any single subject on which everyone, left, right and center can agree, it’s that our military veterans and active service members deserve our respect and care.

Blue Star Mothers of America is dedicated to making that happen. Made up of mothers, grandmothers and legal guardians with children serving in the armed forces, Blue Star Mothers is a national organization with more than 200 chapters and 6,000 members across the United States. Founded in 1946 during World War II, the group has worked for more than a century to provide support for our armed forces via various volunteer efforts aimed at serving active service members and veterans. They take their name from the flags that were originally displayed in the windows of soldiers’ families during World War I, with each blue star representing a member of the household currently serving.

Blue Star Mothers remains as active as ever, fundraising throughout the year to raise money and support the troops. In fact, their Oregon chapter is planning to hold an event in late June to raise funds for care packages to be sent to sixty local soldiers who will soon be sent out on their first deployments. Blue Star Mothers’ Oregon chapter has worked frequently in the past with other groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and several local churches to raise money for these care packages, which they send twice a year: once during the summer and another around Christmas. They’ve previously held fundraising events at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Vancouver, Washington, and Pomeroy Living History Farm in Yacolt; they are still finalizing where this summer’s fundraising event will take place.

The fundraiser will be open to the public, and volunteers are welcome. If you have a loved one serving in the military, Blue Star Mothers would be happy to have you. Even if you don’t, the organization is happy to take on associate members. With three to four thousand soldiers from the tri-state area alone expected to be deployed during 2024, Blue Star Mothers is grateful for all the help it can get in making sure local troops are cared for and supported from home.

If you’d like to learn more about Blue Star Mothers, you can find their website at bluestarmothers.org. If you’re interested in learning more about the Oregon chapter or their upcoming fundraising events, you can contact Vice President Geri Stuart at one4maus@gmail.com. bluestarmothersoforegon.org