STOMP-ing clear paths

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Ashley J. Thum
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  More than 30 members of Team Ellsworth and local professionals met at the Rapid City Public Library East for a two-day Specialized Training of Military Parents workshop, June 13 and 14.

Hosted by two members of Pave - STOMP's parent organization - the class is designed to teach parents of children with disabilities or special needs how to advocate for their child in the midst of a hectic, and often unpredictable, military lifestyle.

Heather Hebdon, Pave STOMP director, developed STOMP nearly 30 years ago while working for Pave.

"I noticed military families were not being effectively served," Hebdon said. "I talked to Pave and they told me to write a grant for military families. We want the best for military families and the best for our kids."

Now, with a staff of six and a wealth of volunteers, the program serves military families across the U.S.

"We provide information and training to parents and professionals," Hebdon explained. "We cover everything from educational rights to records keeping and wills."

Linda, who asked that her real name not be used to protect her family's privacy, is the spouse of an Ellsworth Airman and parent to a child with special needs. She said she came to the class because her child is new to the Exceptional Family Member Program.

"I wanted to learn how to be a better advocate for my child," she said. "It helped me to not feel so overwhelmed."

Frank Bowers, Ellsworth's EFMP coordinator, said workshops like this are important because current information is crucial to families with disabled children.

"With deployments, PCSing (permanent change of station), different schools, et cetera, the whole process can be overwhelming," Bowers noted. "Hopefully, the families and professionals that attend STOMP will learn how to make these situations easier and more comfortable - taking away some life and communication skills in order to be a strong advocate for themselves and their children."

Jennifer Beaudoin, Ellsworth's EFMP special needs coordinator, attended the class so she could be a better resource for Ellsworth families.

"There was a wealth of knowledge shared here that could be utilized by families to better their experiences," Beaudoin said. "Knowledge is power."

Bowers added he is grateful for the opportunities the STOMP class gives Airmen and their families.

"Any time we can bring best practices and new knowledge to the Ellsworth community, in order to take care of our families, we are accomplishing great things," Bowers said.

Beaudoin encourages families to also take advantage of services provided by the EFMP.

"Most people probably don't even know about everything that's out there for them," Beaudoin added. "We try to be a hub of information for families."

Having been a military wife for more than 20 years and a mother to three children - including her oldest son, Ian, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome - she said assisting military parents who have children that need special consideration is a cause that is near and dear to her heart.

"All of us make sacrifices and believe in our country and what it stands for," Hebdon said.

She added the program's success is measured in the number of helping hands along the way.

"I couldn't have done it without other people and our amazing network of volunteers," Hebdon said. "I'm excited, because much more is going to happen. Military families deserve the very best."

For more information about the Pave STOMP program, call (800) 572-7368, or visit www.stompproject.org.

For more information about Ellsworth's EFMP, call Bowers at (605) 385-4663.