Military Families Reconnect and Find Strength with their Families in Olympic National Park

In the last days of March, Olympic Park Institute, a campus of NatureBridge, proudly hosted more than 50 military kids and their families during an Operation Purple® Family Retreat, a program of the National Military Family Association and funded by the Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation.

Military children and families – like service members themselves – "serve too" by making daily personal sacrifices. Deployment of a parent can be exceptionally stressful, but the time after that father, mother, husband or wife returns home is often the most challenging of all. In 2004, the Operation Purple program was created as a way to help military children struggling with the stresses of war. By using nature's classroom, families have opportunities to strengthen and renew relationships, explore their natural surroundings and participate in fun family-focused activities.

"This is a truly American moment," said Tom Sanford, Olympic Park Institute director. "We're right in the middle of Olympic National Park, an amazing natural treasure set aside to serve our nation as a place of inspiration and pride. It’s so appropriate that this place now plays host to the people who give the greatest service to our country."

This free four-day retreat paired participants with highly specialized field science educators who guided families through bonding activities and exercises that promote strength, resilience and family growth. Families shared stories with each other while canoeing and hiking in the national park and during arts and crafts workshops, and they worked together through challenge activities designed to foster a sense of community. Counselors from National Military Family Association helped families to communicate, set goals, work as a team, and reconnect while exploring and learning about the environment.

"It was really moving and powerful to watch families come together during the event, and to see them relax and have fun together," said Emily Carraux, a field science educator at Olympic Park Institute. "On the first day my group went canoeing. At first it was raining and I wondered how they would react to the weather, but we got about halfway across Lake Crescent and the rain turned into snow. Everyone stopped rowing and just sat quietly in awe of their surroundings. It was magical and I know they'll remember that moment together."

The repeated long deployment of service members and frequent family relocations significantly impacts military families. During deployment, nonmilitary spouses become the sole caretakers for their families, balancing their professional lives with family obligations, and children can experience behavioral problems, have trouble sleeping and become depressed while their parents are away. Olympic Park Institute views the Operation Purple Family Retreat as a privilege, a golden opportunity to help engage families in a lasting, healing, and transformative experience with each other.

There is no better setting to inspire such growth, connection, and celebration of family - among individuals, families, and the natural world - than through family-based education amid the spectacular scenery of our National Park.

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About the National Military Family Association
The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of military families. Our 40 years of service and accomplishments have made us a trusted resource for families and the Nation's leaders. As the only non profit organization that represents the families of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Association protects benefits vital to all families, including those of the deployed, wounded, and fallen. For more information, visit www.nmfa.org.

About Sierra Club™
The Sierra Club's mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the planet. The Sierra Club's members and supporters are more than 1.3 million of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Sierra Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. We are committed to connecting military families with the healing powers of our natural heritage. Visit www.sierraclub.org/military for more information.