Past Events

Oct 1-3, 2010 – Military Families Conference
Solutions for Coping During/After Deployment

Don’t miss this great opportunity to meet other military families, share your concerns and get support about deployments, behavior and readjustment.

This conference was developed for military families by military families and professionals to provide insight into problems our loved ones might be experiencing and important information about how we can take care of our loved ones when they come home.

MFSO Conference Schedule of Events (pdf 24k)

Featured Speakers

Judith Broder, M.D., Psychiatrist and Founder of The Soldier’s Project
Tim Kahlor, Military Family Parent Advocate
Veterans Administration Social Workers/Counselors
And more…

Location

First Congregational Church
241 Cedar Avenue
Long Beach, California 90802
562-436-2256
http://www.FirstChurchLB.org/

Topics

Information and support for when your loved one is deployed, comes home, or upon final discharge
Anger Management
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Suicide
Depleted Uranium (DU)
Navigating the Veterans Administration for Benefits and Services
G.I. Rights
Housing
Jobs
And more…

Discount Hotel Accommodations:
The Varden – A Boutique Hotel
335 Pacific Avenue
Long Beach, California 90802
562-432-8950
http://www.TheVardenHotel.com/

Special rates for conference attendees at $109.00 per night, only two blocks from the conference. Call numbers below for other hotels in the area.

Area Information: Downtown Long Beach, The Pike, Promenade, Queen Mary, two blocks from the Metro Blue Line.

Cost: $20.00 which includes two continental breakfasts and one lunch, (Scholarships Available).RSVP soon so we can prepare information/gift bags and get good rates on meals.

For Additional Information and Child Care Call: Pat Alviso at 562-833-8035 or MFSOOCEarthlink.net, Jeff Merrick at 562-522-4241, Ed Garza at 714-508-8103 or MFSO-OCPacbell.net. If you will need child care please call 562-833-8035 by Thursday, Sept 30, 2010.

Conference Hosted By: Military Families Speak Out – San Diego, Salinas, Long Beach and Orange County Chapters.

Aug 27-29, 2010 – 1st Regional Seminar and Gathering of Military Families

To empower and strengthen ourselves as military families with the knowledge and the tools we need to cope and support our loved ones as they face enlistment, deployment, coming home from deployment and permanent discharge.

Featured Speakers include the VA, Soldiers Project, and more.
Location: Downtown Long Beach, California
For more information contact: Pat Alviso • 562-833-8035 • MFSOOCEarthlink.net

Aug 23, 2009 – Memorial At Sea

Memorial At Sea

Memorial Service to honor the over 5,000 dead American service men and women from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Honoring those who have valiantly fallen in their service to our country we take the time to consider the true cost of these wars.

Join us for this special commemorative event by gathering at the Seal Beach Pier at 10:00 a.m. and Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier at approximately 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 23, 2009. More information for the Memorial At Sea (.pdf)

May 09, 2009 – Iraq Veterans Against the War

Winter Soldier Southwest Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupations – Iraq and Afghanistan. Join us and witness live testimony from local veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. Be a part of history and listen to their powerful stories that will expose the human consequences of a failed policy. Hear what military families have to say about the wars and listen to veterans from other wars. More Information (pdf)

Feb 14, 2009 – No More Broken Hearts

We had a great turnout at our “No More Broken Hearts” event. We had Fox and ABC TV news, KPFK radio, Press Telegram and Grunion covering the event.

These pictures were taken by Jeff Merrick and Horace Coleman. We got all the hearts up and guarded them all day instead of ending the event at noon because it was so much work putting them up and lots of folks came by or honked with appreciation.

Even after Bush has left office, not one single troop has been brought home while there is much discussion on whether troops will be brought home in 16 months or 23. One more day in Iraq is forever to military families.

Jan 06, 2007 – 24 Hour Memorial and Vigil

Access the street from CC Camperland RV-Park, 12262 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove.Military Family Speaks Out (MFSO) will be commemorating the fact that today over 3,000 American soldiers and 600,000 Iraqis have died in this senseless war.To honor the soldiers and civilians that have died, we will be tying 3,000 small crosses, (some with Star of David’s and Crescent moons), to a long chain link fence with black ribbon.We plan to have this memorial up from 8:00 A.M. Saturday, January 6th 2007 to 9:00 A.M. Sunday, January 7th 2007, and invite you to come and pay tribute to our fallen soldiers by helping us setup the crosses and participating in any or all of the events listed below.
Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
- See attached flyer for more details (.pdf)
- 8:00 AM – Gather for Coffee and Donuts
- 9:00 AM – Begin set up of 3,000 + memorials
- 12:00 PM – Invocation and Dedication / Remembrance and Recitation of Names
- 4:00 PM – Sunset Service and Press Conference
- 6:00 PM – MFSO Catered Sidewalk Cafe
- 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM – Security Vigil with sing-along’s, music, and special guests. In order to protect our memorial, we will need people to help guard the memorial overnight and share in our collective mourning. Everyone is welcome.
Sunday, Jan 07, 2007
- 8:00 AM – Benediction and Breakfast – Take down of the crosses

Aug 16, 2006 thru Sep 02, 2006

Camp Casey – Cindy Sheehan Gold Star Families for Peace, MFSO and other groups will be returning to Crawford, Texax. President Bush has still not satisfactorily answered our question, “What Noble Cause did our loved ones die for?” One year later we are still in the quagmire that is Iraq. As of this writing 2497 of our brave and noble military men and women have died for this Noble Cause. Join us at Camp Casey and show the President that we will not accept one more death be it American or Iraqi.

Mar 05, 2006

Come see the Film: The Ground Truth
After The Killing Ends
This film takes an unflinching look at the training and dehumanization of US solders, and how they struggle to come to terms with it when they come back home.