More than 100 family members of fallen servicemembers gather in Springfield May 5 to celebrate the life of their hero; By Spc. Jason Dorsey, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

SPRINGFIELD, IL (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- Two Soldiers carefully and quietly placed a wreath between the American and Illinois state flags during a moment of silence, while families of fallen servicemembers reflected on memories of their loved ones.

"We are not here for a solemn remembrance, however, today is celebration of life," said Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard.

The Illinois Connections for Families of the Fallen (ICFF), hosted the third annual "Connections in the Capital City: Bringing Together Families of the Fallen," on the campus of Lincoln Land Community College May 5. ICFF encompasses numerous organizations, including the Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) program.

"ICFF is a collaborative effort of representatives of over 25 different local and national agencies, dedicated to helping Illinois families of fallen servicemembers," said Bob Gillmore of Petersburg, the SOS support coordinator.

The conference was open to all family and friends of fallen Illinois servicemembers. Participants were given the opportunity to remember their loved ones and meet and bond with others who have experienced the same tragedy.

Group workshops, creative arts and a family fair called "Celebrating their Lives," comprised a bulk of the day.

"These events were carefully chosen to aide in the process of finding their new normal," said Gillmore.

During the groups and workshops, families discussed the wavelengths of emotion they experience and what they do to cope with hardship.

"It's very hard for me sometimes, but the hardest part is being strong for my kids and showing them that everything is going to be okay," said Helen Durbin of Chatham, who attended on behalf of her late brother, Pfc. Adam E. Dobereiner of Moline.

Counselors were readily available throughout the day for anyone who sought services through discussion and on-site consultations.

"The counseling sessions were very insightful, in that I learned better ways to grieve," said Erin Hotchkins, who attended on behalf of her late husband, Spc. Gunnar Hotchkins of Hinsdale.

During the resources portion of the day, they worked on moving forward and remembering significant benchmarks as well as choosing a counselor and therapist that best meets their needs.

Later, families reminisced about their loved ones on camera.

"The testimonials were very meaningful to me, and ideas on how to commemorate our loved ones were very helpful," said Ruth Christine Hotchkins of Downers Grove, who also attended on behalf of her grandson Spc. Gunnar Hotchkins

As an additional extension of counseling services, families were provided with a list of the Mourner's Bill of Rights, to help them remember a healthier, more constructive way to grieve.

Mourners Bill of Rights

1. You have the right to experience you own unique grief.

2. You have the right to talk about your grief.

3. You have the right to feel a multitude of emotions.

4. You have the right to be tolerant of your physical and emotional limits.

5. You have the right to experience the "grief burst."

6. You have the right to make use of ritual.

7. You have the right to embrace your spirituality.

8. You have the right to search for meaning.

9. You have a right to treasure your memories.

10. You have the right to move toward your grief and heal.

During the creative arts portion, adults and children alike were allowed to channel their emotions through creativity.

"The art class was a lot of fun and it made me happy to work with other kids who were feeling the same way I felt," said Anna Borders of Springfield, a family member with Cpl. Chad Young of Rochester.

The day concluded with the family fair simply named, "Celebrating Their Lives."

One activity was the rock climbing wall, where participants both received inspiration and remembered their fallen servicemember.

After scaling a rock climbing wall, children placed a written memory of their loved one's courage and strength as high on the wall as they could.

"I like to climb things all the time and I had a lot of fun doing this event," said Ethan Hotchkins of Montgomery, who attended on behalf of his father Pfc. Gunnar Hotchkins.

At the conclusion of the day's events, family members wrote the names of their fallen loved ones and a personal message on a piece of paper and attached it to a balloon. After a small countdown, the balloons were released as a symbol of remembrance.

"We remember," said Enyart. "We will always remember, because we are a service of tradition."

A total of 247 servicemembers from Illinois have made the ultimate sacrifice since 9-11. Of those servicemembers killed, 34 were part of the Illinois National Guard.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack today introduced legislation that will help students apply the knowledge and skills gained in the classroom to real world experiences by incorporating volunteerism and civic engagement in curriculum.  The Engaging Students Through Service-Learning Act aims to connect the classroom to the community by establishing a national center to expand opportunities for students to incorporate skills that are critical to success in the 21^st century economy, such as critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration, with activities outside the classroom. The bill would also help teachers to provide students with this hands-on education.

"Iowans have a strong sense of community and have seen firsthand the difference dedicated volunteers can make.  The earlier we can start incorporating volunteerism and civic engagement in school settings, the more likely it is that students will continue to participate in their communities in meaningful ways throughout their adult lives. What's more, students who participate in this type of hands-on education can boost their academic engagement and performance, which will help them secure good jobs and contribute to Iowa's economy," said Congressman Dave Loebsack.

"We must make our schools better. We simply can't keep organizing our classrooms and using the same teaching approaches that have been used for decades if we want to improve outcomes that result in students who are truly college and career ready and internationally competitive," said Teri Dary, Co-Chair National Coalition for Academic Service-Learning.

A list of groups and individuals supporting the bill can be found here.

By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs

According to the Center for Rural Affairs, rural counties in 10 Midwest and Great Plains states have higher poverty and greater food insecurity than urban centers in the region. Poverty rates among rural children are most alarming.

These findings challenge conventional policy debates, which often conclude that poverty and food insecurity are primarily urban issues. According to the Center's report, 414,331 people in rural areas, or 13.3% of the rural regional population, were living in poverty in 2010. That same year, 145,065 or 16.4% of rural children in the region lived in poverty compared to 14.1% in metropolitan counties.

Moreover, the growing phenomena of "food deserts" - the lack of outlets for purchasing food - is impacting residents across rural America. And combined with increased rural poverty, especially among rural children, food insecurity among rural families is on the rise.

Addressing these trends requires finding new, innovative ways to create jobs and economic opportunity in rural areas. Unfortunately, the Senate Agriculture Committee's Farm Bill makes no investment in the value-added, small business and rural community development strategies that could revitalize America's rural communities.

Investing in the future of rural America means that economic opportunity and food security for rural families must become a priority - a profound change from those in the Senate's current Farm Bill proposal. Visit www.cfra.org to view the reports mentioned above and if, like me, you hope to set better priorities for the nation and create a better future for rural America.