Hearts Apart uses fun, support to ease separation hardships

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jasmine Reif
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Deployments are hard on families and a program called Hearts Apart works to offer people with deployed family members an opportunity to have fun and relax in an understanding environment.

"The purpose of the Hearts Apart program is to bring families together who are facing the hardship of separation," said Tech. Sgt. Nicole Eisenbarth, 56th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family Readiness Center. "One activity is planned for each month and they are all free."

In an effort to involve people from across the wing, Sergeant Eisenbarth has started co-hosting the events with key spouses groups. The March event, co-hosted with the 56th Medical Group key spouses, was a trip to the Phoenix Children's Museum. Twenty families attended and the key spouses made a picnic lunch of pizza and homemade desserts.

"We all enjoyed talking and creating relationships that will help us survive during the military member's deployment," Sergeant Eisenbarth said. "The key spouses are committed to taking care of the deployed member's families."

The key spouses select the location for the event using information provided by the AFRC about children's ages and interests.

"We looked at the sign-up sheet and polled some of our family members and based on the ages of the children the museum was our first choice," said Kathy Holland, wife of Col. Mark Holland, 56th Medical Group commander. "The event was a huge success. It is important for spouses to have someone to call when they have questions, issues or just need to talk. Key Spouses play a vital role in keeping deployed spouses connected to the base, providing information to families and offering support when needed."

While the focus of the events is to help families connect with others and have fun, another important element is offering new experiences. The April event, which took place Sunday, gave 37 children and their parents the opportunity to go horseback riding in Buckeye and North Phoenix.

Fighter wing staff agency key spouse Michelle Weed, wife of Col. Jeff Weed, 56th Fighter Wing vice commander, works at Horses Help, a therapeutic riding facility, as the program director, and a year ago offered Sergeant Eisenbarth a program for deployed children at no cost. The first time there were only four children who participated, but its popularity grew quickly and the last event was expanded to two locations to accommodate more children.

"We were able to get all instructors to donate their time, plus a contingent of about 30 volunteers. The children spent the day at the ranch learning basic riding, grooming and tacking," Mrs. Weed said. "They also enjoyed crafts and a barbecue. At the end of each program I can see that the volunteers and staff had as much fun as the riders."

Mrs. Weed, who has 11 years of experience as a therapeutic riding instructor, understands the importance and positive impact of "paying it forward."

"I think the fighter wing and staff agency support for this event demonstrates our commitment to the families," Mrs. Weed said. "As Air Education and Training Command's most heavily tasked wing, we generally have 250 people continuously deployed. Each and every one of us is affected by the deployments, but none more so than our families. These types of no- or low-cost events give our families bonding time before, during and post-deployment. The message is 'we care about our families.'"

In addition to hosting events for Hearts Apart, Horses Help offers scholarships for military children with special needs to ride on a weekly basis. For more information, email info@horseshelp.org.

The next Hearts Apart event is 8 a.m. to noon April 17. The American Legion Unit 62 is hosting the event, which includes a pancake breakfast, laser tag, bounce houses, miniature golf and games.

The deadline to sign up is Sunday. There are limited slots available and deployed families take precedence. To sign up or for more information, call Sergeant Eisenbarth at (623) 856-6834.