Guard Families to Support Children Library

Knight Ridder/Tribune

BRATTLEBORO -- A plan to start a lending library for the children of military families received support at a special event held Sunday at the VFW on Black Mountain Road.

A group of family members who have had their spouses serve in past deployments want to set up the lending library at the National Guard armory in Westminster.

More than 80 books were adopted at the gathering Sunday, allowing organizers to start the library as local National Guard men and women prepare to deploy to Afghanistan in the largest deployment in Vermont history since World War II.

"We mostly want children to know that they are not alone," said Karen Campbell, who raised her children while her husband served during three different deployments. "We thought a library would be a good way to bring families together while their parents are serving."

Campbell wants to establish the lending library using books that deal with military family issues and international families.

She said about 100 children in Windham County will have a family member serving in the Middle East in the coming year.

The library will give families an outlet to talk about issues while reading books, but she said the Dragon's Den Lending Library will also be a place to interact with other people who are going through the same experience.

"Families can feel isolated down here," said Campbell. "There are other resources at Camp Johnson but we thought starting this down here would be a

way to bring families together."

The library will be housed at the Westminster Armory, though it will not be an official service of the U.S. National Guard.

Any military family, whether they drill in Westminster or not, will be allowed to use the library.

Mary Blow, a contract employee with the Vermont National Guard, said initiatives like the one in Westminster are an important part of making sure families have support while their spouses are overseas.

"This has been phenomenal," Blow said at the VFW in Brattleboro Sunday. "We couldn't do the work they do and this brings support to families."

Blow works out of Camp Johnson, and she said while there has been growing support over the past few years for children and spouses while the National Guard serves, local events help bring the families together.

"The local families know more about what is needed in their communities," said Blow. "And this helps the community be a part of the work as well."

The event at the VFW in Brattleboro was busy through the day.

The organizers raised money, and Becky Cleveland, who is also helping open the library, said more events will be held in the coming year to remind people of the thousands of Vermonters who are serving in Afghanistan.

"This is a tough time for families and they need to know they have support," said Cleveland. "We want to raise the community awareness and we think this library is one way to do that."

Donations for the Dragon's Den can be sent to, The Dragon's Den Lending Library c/o Karen Campbell, 140 Sherwood Circle, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

----

More book reviews

More book news

Copyright 2012 by Knight Ridder/Tribune