Together We Stand marks Military Family Appreciation Day with first-of-its-kind greeting card line

TORONTO, ON – September 12, 2023 – On Friday, September 15, Canadians will celebrate the 5th annual Military Family Appreciation Day (MFAD): a day dedicated to giving military families the recognition they deserve. Military families serve our country with pride. They make sacrifices so millions of other families don’t have to. That’s why, Together We Stand is shining a light on the unique experiences of military families with a limited edition greeting card line that paints a picture of their challenges and service. Illustrated by Canadian artist and Canadian Veteran Chrissy Schram, the cards were inspired by the stories and realities of military families across the country. 

“According to Hallmark, more than 1.3 billion cards are sent annually in North America for occasions like Christmas, Easter and Mother’s Day, yet none of them capture the sentiment of what Canadian military families endure,” says Rick Seymour CEO of Together We Stand.  “From celebrating Christmas without key family members to moving across the country for the 14th time, The Military Family Appreciation Day greeting card line was illustrated to educate Canadians about their tremendous selflessness and the impact they have on our country each day.”

There are more than 80,000 active military families and more than 460,000 veteran families living in Canada, including 81,000 children under 18. Every year in Canada, 10,000+ families move away from their loved ones due to postings and 41 per cent of military personnel average four months away on deployment. Not to mention, military families have unique mental health challenges, struggling to find secure housing, are separated from their support systems, have challenges finding spousal employment, and live in the uncertainty of when, or if, they will see their loved ones next.

For military families, celebrating birthdays, holidays or anything at all, can be complicated,“ says Eleanor Millar, working military mother and Military Family Advisory Committee Vice-Chair at Together We Stand. “With frequent deployments, we experience isolation and separation from the people we love, often having to celebrate Father’s Day without Dad, or Mother’s Day without Mom. Championing MFAD as a nation is one small action we can take to honour the families who keep everything together back at home while our Moms, Dads, Sons or Daughters are on the front lines.”

As a not-for-profit organization that puts military families first, Together We Stand worked closely with Members of Parliament from every Federal political party to establish a vor Canadian military families. Now, the third Friday in September is known annually as Military Family Appreciation Day across Canada – the first and only day in Canada dedicated to military families. This year, the organization calls on Canadians to show their support by making a donation or downloading the digital greeting cards to send to a loved one in the military, along with sharing their thanks on social media using the hashtag #MFAD. Afterall, sometimes even the strongest need our support. 

To learn more about MFAD and how to get involved, visit www.twsfoundation.ca. 

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