In this episode we talk with Rocio Galarza, Vice President of US Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, about partnerships with the military community, DoD, and content experts, that create the energy behind our beloved "service-monsters" and their own families. Rocio began overseeing international social impact 18 years ago. In the Post-9/11 era, military families were needless to say bearing the brunt at home and overseas, with trauma and transition challenges, so she found a new mission to help kids and families navigate through these times.
At Home Base, the team has cared for more than 25,000 veterans, and we know that connected to each veteran is a family who also serves. Change and injury affect everyone, and the kids, no matter how resilient, can benefit from our support and care. April is a special month, Month of the Military Child, initiated in 1986 by the DOD - a legacy of the Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Military children are connected through all branches of the military… and all with their own culture and color - With Air Force blue, Army green, Navy blue, Marine red, and Coast Guard blue— these colors combine as a Total Force to form purple. And this week, remember to wear Purple on April 15th for Purple Up day to recognize our military families and to thank all the kids for their sacrifice and service to us all.
As the times and needs change, content has grown, benefitting kids, adults and all caregivers. In 2019, the USAA along with the Bob Woodruff Foundation partnered to create Sesame Street for Military Families: Caregiving. It’s a hub for kids and families, with games, videos and educational material for both children and adults. And of course featuring two of our military kids, Rosita and Elmo. Rosita’s dad is Ricardo, a US veteran who was injured while deployed in 2008 and is wheel chair user and a TBI survivor. Her good pal Elmo’s dad Louie is a fellow “service-monster.” They get through tough times and have fun times together, and the same with their own families on “sunny days, cloudy days, and the stormy days…”
Thank you very much to Rocio Galarza for this conversation and for all you do for our service members, veterans and their families, and go to: https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org for everything offered to both military and civilian families going through challenging times. Many thanks to Brit Edwards, and the team at Sesame Street Workshop for all you do!
Thank you to Home Base's own Betsy Hart of the family outreach team for your personal and family perspectives, and a very special thanks to the Hart family for your service.
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The Home Base Family Outreach team is ready and available to connect, offering support and treatment kids and families. For military connected children and family needs or any questions, please connect at www.homebase.org, or 617-724-5202.
To learn more and connect with us at Home Base Nation:
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Home Base Nation Team: Steve Monaco, Marine Veteran Brendan McCaffrey, Maureen Roderick, Charlotte Luckey, Karianne Kraus, with COO Michael Allard and Brigadier General Jack Hammond
Producer and Host: Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Music: The Butler Frogs
Home Base Media Lab Chairman: Peter Smyth
Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation.
The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.