By Sarah Kim
I remember one of the biggest things that made me anxious about going away for college was the idea of being away from my family and friends for an extended amount of time. Before college, the longest time I had been away from home was when I went to a sleep-away camp for a month.
However, even though there were many miles between my dorm and my home, my family and friends would always be a phone call, a text, or a video chat away. I was able to FaceTime my baby sister on the morning of her first day of first grade, call my grandpa when he was sick in the hospital, and text my dad whenever I felt homesick.
I was very lucky to have the ability to stay connected with my family throughout college with the help of technology. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case for our military service members. They often don’t have the luxury of calling their loved ones when they are in service.
Our military service members make huge sacrifices every day, one of which is spending long periods of time away from home. On average, service members spend eight months of the year away from their families and friends. It can be hard to stay connected, and too often they miss out on important events, such as weddings, holidays, graduations, or even the birth of a child.
That is why DoSomething.org teamed up with Johnson & Johnson and USO to launch Steps for Soldiers. A movement of 27,419 young Americans have already signed up to walk, jog, and bike around their neighborhoods to unlock donations that enable service members to call and video chat loved ones back home.
Many DoSomething members either have or had loved ones serve our country, so they know what it’s like to not see family members or friends for such a long time.
Ashley, 20, has multiple family members who are veterans, and says, “My uncle, my grandfather, my great grandma and my dad are all veterans so my patriotism is strong. Our soldiers deserve to be appreciated and supported for their hard work.”
Hadiya, 20, currently has a loved one active in duty.
“My best friend has been gone for active duty military service for three years and we barely get to speak” she says, “so I can only imagine what other families and friends are going through. They sacrifice so much so the least I can do is walk.”
Melissa, 13, feels like this campaign has given her the agency to make a difference in someone’s life.
“As a thirteen year old, my opinion isn't heard or respected as much as others but instead is shrugged off and so my opportunities to help others are limited,” she says. “Supporting a campaign like this, not only gives me joy for helping out but also gives me the satisfaction that something I'm doing is helping make some sort of change -- like these servicemen being able to call back home and connect with their loved ones.”
Sign up for the Steps for Soldiers campaign and start moving with purpose! You’ll have an easy, fun way to make a difference for our service members and enter for the chance to win a $5,000 scholarship! Plus, Johnson & Johnson will select 11 Youth Champions of Care, members who explain why the cause is particularly meaningful to them. These 11 members will win a trip for two to a U.S. Women’s Soccer Team match and have a special meet-and-greet with soccer star Carli Lloyd! Let’s Do This!
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Sarah Kim is a writer at DoSomething.org. She is a recent graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, and she will pursue a master’s degree at Columbia Journalism School this fall.