Hearts Apart brings military families together

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kaleb Snay
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  Deployments can be a rough process; not just on the military member but on the families involved as well.

When Uncle Sam says a service member is needed elsewhere, it leaves an absence without replacement while they are gone. That is where the Airman and Family Readiness Center steps in with Hearts Apart.

Hearts Apart is a monthly social event for families of deployed family members to come together and bond. It also allows for spouses and children to build a support network with each other.

"We have found that a lot of spouses will open up to each other more than they will to someone in uniform like me," said Tech. Sgt. Theresa Booth, Airman and Family Readiness Center NCO. "We do a variety of things. Some are as simple as just getting together at the A&FRC, others as big as doing the Country Pumpkins event."

The event is a gathering for families of deployed members, remote personnel, or personnel that are on temporary duty for 30 days or more. Although the intention of the event is to bring together a group of individuals with this common interest, attendance for the event often depends on the month and season.

"On holidays we often get 40 to 50 attendees, while other events we get one or two families," Booth said. "We often try to do a different theme every month to make it more interesting for everyone."

The most recent Hearts Apart event was held at Country Pumpkin in Caledonia, Mississippi.

"This was our third year going there I believe," Booth said. "The owners of Country Pumpkin allow our Hearts Apart group to go in and enjoy the area and facilities for free [other than the pumpkins]. So the children get to play on the playground equipment for free, everyone gets a free hay-ride, and food is even provided from the A&FRC."

Booth also mentioned the event is a way for families to get away from the base so people tend to feel more relaxed when not in the military environment.
"The kids enjoy the big open space with many options to enjoy," Booth said. "Adults get to have fun to be outside and enjoy nature. It's one of our more popular events. This year we had 41 participants including adults and children."

All-in-all, Hearts Apart is a successful event that helps bring together military families.
"We love the support," Booth said. "If you know of a spouse or family member that is alone because of a deployment, feel free to bring them. If you are curious and would like to volunteer we really appreciate the help. We are here to help support you, feel free to contact us and we will help any way we can."

The next Hearts Apart Social event will be a Holiday Dinner at Hunt Housing held from 5 - 7 p.m. Nov. 6. A headcount of attendance prior to event is critical for planning and preparation so please RSVP ahead of time. For more information please call the A&FRC at 434-2790.