Volunteer says military families 'don't speak up about their hardship'

For this season of Veterans' Voices, WYSO is partnering with the southwest Ohio chapter of Blue Star Families, a national nonprofit supporting military families. The theme of this season is the unique challenges faced by family members of those who serve.

Carol Robinson from Centerville, Ohio, volunteers with Blue Star Families. She said that by volunteering with the local organization, she has combined her love for supporting families with her gratitude for those who serve our country.

The following transcript is lightly edited for length and clarity.

Carol Robinson: When I grew up, there was not such a thing as a volunteer. They did not call it that. You helped one another.

I grew up in a small town close to a railroad track. And my grandmother did not let...at that time they were called 'hobos'...anybody that got off that train that was hungry, she fed them. But not only that, when I grew up, you went to people's houses to help them with their babysitting, cleaning the house. Someone was sick, you took them food. It wasn't about volunteering. It just came natural. That's what I did.

I believe in giving back to the community, but I also believe in giving back to our military families, whether they're active duty or veterans. Think about it. They gave up themselves for this country, and they need assistance. Do you know how many veterans or active duty military today are on benefits because they don't have enough money? Do you know how many are homeless?

They lost so much to serve for this country. And then, when they come back, they have nothing. We've got to help them because if it wasn't for them, I don't think this country would be here.

Some families don't like to speak up about their hardship. They're very proud, and they don't like to speak up. So you have to be very careful how you approach them. You know, you don't want to just 'I can see that you're having a hard time, and I'm here.' No, that's not the way to do that. You just have to build that relationship because they're very proud people.

When I researched Blue Star families, I became interested in how they want to connect military families with the resources in the community. And I said, 'Well, I think maybe I like to volunteer with that.'

The other week, one of the National Guard unit members, his house burned to the ground. He, the little baby, I think was two, and the wife are safe. They reached out. I put my feelers out there. You will not believe the overwhelming amount of money and items that we got for this family because they lost everything. Everything. So it was it was really good. In fact, I'm still getting notices from people that say, 'how are they doing? Do they still do they need more'?

What I can tell you about me is I'm very passionate about our military families. I am an advocate out there for them. Somebody tells me something, and I'm like, 'how can I help them'?

So I can't say that I have done wonders. I don't know that. I'm not doing it for acknowledgment, you know? I'm doing that because I care. And I'm sure that my mom, who has passed on, and my grandma they would be very proud because that's the way they raised me.

Veterans' Voices is supported by Wright-Patt Credit Union and the Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission.