In 2010, Judith Miller's husband was reading the paper and caught word of the Bethlehem branch of Blue Star Mothers, a volunteer group that aims to support active-duty military, veterans and their families. The organization's message resonated with them. With two children of her own—one a veteran and one active duty—Miller felt compelled to join. Shortly after, the president of the organization retired, and Miller rose to the occasion. “I stepped up, because I didn't want to see this organization fold,” she says.
Blue Star Mothers does many things for the families of service members, and the service members themselves that reside within the Lehigh Valley. They participate in Memorial Day parades, attend the welcoming home celebrations of local troops, partake in ceremonies that honor the passing of soldiers and veterans, send care packages to active-duty military deployed overseas and, above all, they aim to spread kindness and appreciation toward the men and women who risk their lives for us. “We just want them to know we're here if they need us. Without service members, we wouldn't have the freedoms that we do in the United States,” Miller says.
Blue Star Mothers also functions as a support group for those who have or have had family members in the military. While Blue Star Mothers as a group does largely appeal to mothers, stepmothers and grandmothers of service members, anyone can join and support the organization. The local branch of the organization is small, but their event turnout is steadily increasing and they are gaining more awareness. For the past five years, they've done a basket raffle fundraiser, and Miller says, “It's incredibly rewarding to see how much our membership and fundraiser attendance has grown, and to have been a part of that. We want people to see who we are and what we're doing.”
