Redefining Support for Military Kids

By: Julie Kirchner

With April being the Month of the Military Child, it feels significant to raise awareness of an incredible volunteer-run nonprofit organization providing experiences to help change military kids’ lives in a positive way.

Several Powerhouse team members recently had the privilege of meeting Sommer Houser, founder of Salute the Kids, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and supporting military kids through free weekend camping adventures.

What truly captivated our hearts was learning the story that inspired Sommer—a civilian—to begin a nonprofit journey that would impact so many military lives to come.

So often, we hear stories of incredible veterans and military spouses working in support of the military community. It is rarer that we take a moment to recognize civilian heroes who reach beyond the limits of their own experiences to help support and uplift military children and families.

What’s the inspiration behind Salute the Kids? What inspired your focus on military kids and families?

Since 1998, I worked in the nonprofit field focusing my efforts on issues including domestic violence, child abuse, mentorship, and youth leadership. In all of these efforts, I had the opportunity to work with the military community.

While working for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Fairbanks, Alaska, I had the opportunity to mentor a military child. While I had developed an appreciation for the military community through my work and personal friendships, this was the first time I personally got to know a military child and see life from her perspective. As a dual military family, her parents’ deployments overlapped by three months, and she was referred to the program for mentor support while her grandmother stepped in as her and her siblings’ primary caregiver.

As a civilian myself, with limited knowledge about the intricacies of military life, I was shocked to learn that both parents of a military family could deploy at the same time. I was inspired by this family’s grit, resiliency, and openness to reach out to their community for support, but I was mostly inspired by this incredible military kid. This sweet, brave girl was navigating middle school, enduring both her parent’s deployments, and preparing for an upcoming PCS (permanent change of station—or move to a new location) in the near future. Her load was heavy. She carried a lot at the tender age of 13. I wondered, does the civilian community know these kids exist and how they are truly serving our country too? Do people know what these kids and their families do for all of us? Do people know what they go through? From that point on, a passion and interest in military kids and the connection between the military and civilian community continued to grow in my heart, and Salute the Kids was born.

Share a little organization history: Who, how, where, and when was Salute the Kids launched?

 Salute the Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free weekend camping adventures for children of United States military service members. Salute the Kids believes it’s important to recognize military children for their service to our country and to support them by providing a fun-filled and therapeutic camping experience that will change their lives in a positive way, help them develop coping skills, and increase resiliency and self-confidence while embracing the beauty and healing components of nature.

 Salute the Kids provides Family Camps for military kids and their families. Our vision behind Family Camp is one where military families come together for a weekend of reconnection and togetherness while focusing on the kids and appreciating their efforts and sacrifices for our country.

Family Camp is designed to disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect as a family in a beautiful camp setting. It’s a time for the family to try new things together, be brave, relax, enjoy the healing of nature, and create unforgettable memories that will help carry them through deployments, relocations, and other challenges military life might bring. Most of all, Salute the Kids Family Camp is a time for military kids to feel appreciated and supported. It’s a special weekend just for them and their families.

Family Camp is full of amazing opportunities that promote independence and team building, risk taking, bravery, communication, and a sense of adventure. Kids have the chance to ride a horse for the first time, brave the zip line, or run the obstacle course with their family! Our camp program offers unique arts and crafts for the kids who love glitter, glue, and mess. We also offer basketball, Gaga Ball, ping-pong, frisbee golf, campfires, and a family movie night filled with popcorn, candy, and laughter!

Each camp session includes a therapeutic component presented by a certified therapist. The activities are child-focused and help in reducing stress, increasing resiliency skills and self-esteem, and coping positively with the challenging aspects of military life. Salute the Kids’ therapeutic goal is to provide each child with a tool to take home from camp that will improve and affect their life in a positive way.

Salute the Kids, based in Rockwall, Texas, was launched in 2015 with a focus on introducing ourselves to the military community at Fort Hood. After a welcoming reception as civilians in the military community, our volunteer team of ten civilians and six civilian kids hosted our first family camp in Texas in 2016. We have held camps every year since, even including a virtual camp during the pandemic in 2020.

Can you tell us about any proud moments or achievements for your organization?

My proudest moments always come directly from the kids and families. When a kid tells me that they just had the best day ever or when a parent contacts me after camp to tell me that camp saved their relationship with their child—I know our program is doing something meaningful and profound, and I’m so lucky to be a part of it.

What are some ways the community can help support your impact?

There are so many ways for the community, both civilian and military, to be a part of Salute the Kids. Interact with us on social media; help us spread the word about Salute the Kids and create more awareness about our program and military families. Give your support as a volunteer. Our camp weekends are primarily volunteer run, and we need support to make them successful for our military families. Finally, get your company or organization involved as a camp sponsor. We appreciate collaborating with local businesses to support our military community.

Is there a tip you can share for someone like you, a nonprofit leader, who is just getting started on their nonprofit journey?

Purposefully cultivate relationships. Relationships are essential in the nonprofit world—relationships with the community you serve and the community that supports your mission. It goes beyond establishing a donor base or volunteer base. Intentional networking, collaboration, and genuine relationships must be part of a nonprofit leader’s role.

The Family Camps you facilitate are really a big and special event! Do you have any tips you can share about how you plan and manage the events?

We facilitate camps across the country, which involves working with various military installations; multiple time zones; civilian, military, and camp communities; and both adults and kids. This type of event planning requires organization and communication. Start your planning process early. Anticipate unexpected issues to arise and be prepared to pivot. Be flexible and know that when you’re organizing an event for people—in Salute the Kids’ case, kids and families—life comes up, and you have to be prepared to roll with it so your event is successful.

Is there something you wish people knew about Salute the Kids, or you personally, that they might not already?

Most people assume that my husband and I are military, but actually we’re civilians. My husband and I have never served in the military but believe in the importance of “serving those who serve” at Salute the Kids. My dad served in Vietnam, previous to my birth, and my mom was an Army brat, along with several grandfathers generations back, so my family has a military history, but not myself personally. I want the military community to know that our civilian-run organization values the importance of supporting and recognizing military kids and families for their service.

Do you have a favorite quote or motivational statement that guides you?

Empathy is at the heart of our organization, and this poem has always inspired me.

EMPATHY:
LET ME HOLD THE DOOR FOR YOU.
I MAY HAVE NEVER WALKED
A MILE IN YOUR SHOES,
BUT I CAN SEE THAT
YOUR SOLES ARE WORN
AND YOUR STRENGTH IS TORN
UNDER THE WEIGHT OF A STORY
I HAVE NEVER LIVED BEFORE.
SO, LET ME HOLD THE DOOR FOR YOU.
AFTER ALL YOU’VE WALKED THROUGH,
IT’S THE LEAST I CAN DO.

– MORGAN HARPER NICHOLS

You can learn more about Salute the Kids by visiting salutethekids.org and following the organization on Facebook and Instagram.

Powerhouse is passionate about sharing the goodness that nonprofit organizations create in our communities and cheering them on as they grow their impact. We aim to highlight an incredible organization in each quarterly newsletter to inspire ideas and share encouragement with leaders like you who are shining a light out into our world.

Are you connected with a nonprofit organization that deserves to be highlighted? We would love to hear from you! Connect with us via email, Facebook, or LinkedIn.