Notice
The Asatru Military Family Support Program site up

The Asatru Military Family Support Program, www.hammerproject.org, is sponsored by the Asatru Folk Assembly. It is for military personnel and veterans who are heathen, as well as their families. We want to support all their family members, whether they are Asatru or not.

Many times we think of the effects on military personnel, but forget the cost to their families. Their spouses, children, siblings and parents are left here to keep things moving forward, when "forward" isn't clear. Spouses and parents are left trying to explain things that are too difficult for young children to understand, and sometimes they feel a twinge of guilt for enjoying themselves with family and friends when their loved one is so far away.

The service families who aren't deployed also have needs and concerns that civilians don't have - frequent moves, lack of housing availability, unexpected expenses and much more. It isn't just the service member that's in the military; the whole family is in the military and the whole family needs our support!

Even though the AMFSP site is still under construction, the online forums are up and running, and more information is being added daily.

We are setting up areas to help with interviews, writing resumes, and other general skills to help families who are transitioning from the military to the civilian world.

We will support active duty families with access to clergy, networking, and just being there to listen. We can put them in contact with appropriate organizations and groups, or make those contacts for them when they feel uncomfortable doing it themselves.

There will be a members-only area for military children to communicate with each other. There will also be Asatru-based stories for them to read, as well as short pieces explaining why Mom or Dad do what they do. This area will also be for children whose families were on active duty, but who are now re-entering civilian life.

We want to support veterans, too. Our site will have information on veterans' benefits and other items of importance. Our veterans are men and women who were willing and able to go where our country called. They deserve our respect, honor and support.

The Hammer Project is a major part of the AMFSP. There will be updates on the website concerning our progress with this aspect of our work, ideas on how you can volunteer, a petition to sign, and more. Anyone interested in helping should visit the website and join the forums to find out how!