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Keystone Club members unite for 'Stay Connected' project

By Valerie Mullett, 341st Space Wing Public Affairs Office / Published March 09, 2007

Amber Johnson, left, and Amanda Skrok, right, along with Youth Programs Director Cind Berg, put completed bags into boxes for storage. The 'Stay Connect' backpacks are available to any Malmstrom childe with a deployed or deploying parent.
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Amber Johnson, left, and Amanda Skrok, right, along with Youth Programs Director Cind Berg, put completed bags into boxes for storage. The 'Stay Connect' backpacks are available to any Malmstrom childe with a deployed or deploying parent.

Members of the Keystone Club unpack boxes filled with items to be stuffed into the 'Stay Connected' backpacks during their monthly community service project.
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Members of the Keystone Club unpack boxes filled with items to be stuffed into the 'Stay Connected' backpacks during their monthly community service project.

All of the items shown here are included in the free 'Stay Connected' kits available at the Youth, Child Development and Family Child Care Centers.
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All of the items shown here are included in the free 'Stay Connected' kits available at the Youth, Child Development and Family Child Care Centers.

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MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. -- "The items in each deployment kit come in pairs - one for the parent and one for the child," Mr. Myers says in his letter. "We hope each of you will use these items daily to think about each other during the deployment and to 'Stay Connected' until the military member returns home."

Also included in each kit are:
 two journals
 two recorder pens
 two sets of notecards
 one set of lapel pins
 one set of wristbands
 one portable camera
 one carabine keychain pack
 one photo frame mousepad
 a baseball cap
 a "Stay Connected" teddybear
 bookmark pack

"Stay Connected" backpacks are available at the Youth Programs, Child Development and the Family Child Care Centers. A copy of deployment orders needs to be presented to pick up a backpack, but, "we don't do anything with the orders except verify the deployment," said Ms. Berg. One bag per child of deployed parent is authorized.

"Our job is to be here for the families," Ms. Berg said. "We want to help them in every way we can, whether it's by providing programs to participate in or an outlet to share with others in their same situation."

Members of the Keystone Club, a leadership group for teens ages 14 to 18, got together Feb. 23 and made "stuffing" these backpacks their project for the month.

The group set up their own deployment line, of sorts, to assemble 80 backpacks according to packaging instructions included with the merchandise. In no time, they had accomplished what they had set out to do. The purpose of the group is to plan recreational activities for others attending the Youth Programs Center and to conduct community service projects.

"This was the first time since I arrived in November that I have been able to witness the group in action," Ms. Berg said. "They are a terrific group of kids."

The Keystone Club meets every Friday night at 10 p.m. at the youth center. To find out more about the club or about the "Stay Connected" program, call 731-4634.
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