By Heather Kotelniski
The Family Networks are part of a Canadian Military Family Resource Centre program that connects Military families with each other, the Member’s unit, and community resources, which helps families deal with the challenges associated with mobility, separation and risk.
The family Network includes a Unit Liaison Representative and a Volunteer Family Representative, who work with the KMFRC to offer social, informational, care-taking, networking, and morale-building activities. Together, the Unit Rep, Family Rep and KMFRC help families to successfully deal with their unique stressors, while reinforcing overall resilience in navigating the military lifestyle.
This month’s volunteer spotlight focuses on a KMFRC Family Rep who is an amazing event planner and a strong advocate for military families: April Roberts.
Tell us about yourself: where you’re from originally, how long you’ve been associated with the Military community…married, kids, pets, number of postings…tell us anything you’d like to share!
My name is April and I am originally from a small town in Newfoundland & Labrador. I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 17 years, and we have 2 children, 2 cats and 1 dog. I was a nurse for 10 years before I decided to stay at home and take care of my babies. I have been part of the Military world since I was 7 years old, when my oldest brother joined, and I have been a proud Military spouse for the past 12 years. We have had 4 postings, which include Petawawa, St. John’s, and Kingston twice. We are loving Kingston and making it our home away from home!
What do you do when you aren’t volunteering?
I thoroughly enjoy photography, volunteering, travelling with my family, blogging…I was a gestational carrier for 2 babies, I love anything Disney, and making memories is at the top of my list. Family is everything to me!
What is your personal philosophy on life?
My personal philosophy on life is to teach others that if you have the power to make someone happy, do it! The world needs more of that. Live for today, stay humble and kind, smile, and make memories – adventure is out there!
What made you decide to volunteer with the KMFRC Family Networks?
I decided to volunteer with the KMFRC Family Networks, because over the years, the KMFRC has been simply amazing to my family and myself. I always felt a strong connection with my Military family, and I wanted to give back. I love helping others and meeting new people. I thought this would be a great opportunity to do that.
You finish these questions, step outside your office, and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do?
If I stepped outside today and found a winning lotto ticket for $10 million, I would call my husband and my travel agent, and tell her to plan our trip to Thailand, to volunteer at my Aunt’s orphanage.
If you could only choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?
“Good to be Alive” by Andy Grammer.
Remembrance Day is fast approaching. What is the significance of the day for you?
I always tell everyone that Remembrance Day is not only on November 11th, but every day. I attend a ceremony every year with my family, and reflect on the past, the present and the future. After going through a long deployment – and going through another one right now – I often wonder how families years ago felt, with no communication for months. I am thankful every day that communication with our loved ones has evolved. On Remembrance Day and every day, please remember the sacrifices that our soldiers and their families faced, and are still facing today.
How do you think military spouses can promote resilience within our families and community?
I think our military spouses are the strongest spouses. We promote resilience every day. One of the ways I would promote resilience is to educate people to make connections. Having good relationships with people in our community is important. We tend to live away from family, but we have such a strong support system within our reach. We can’t change the fact that we will be faced with highly stressful events, but we have to change how we respond to them. We have to show the world that change is a part of living, and to keep things in perspective. Take care of yourself, maintain a positive outlook and be optimistic.