The women walk briskly into the chapel, some shielding small children from the rain, some shielding food, some shielding both. A greeter at the door smiles broadly as she invites each newcomer into the warm shelter; inside, more ladies act as to further reinforce the welcome.

The group of women assembling at the Jackson Park Chapel in Bremerton isn't here for particularly religious reasons, though the fellowship of others in similar situations likely draws them all out of warm homes, out into this cold, wet night.  Aguedita (Lirio) Webb, the president of the USS John C. Stennis Family Readiness Group (FRG), here as a Navy wife for two years, recalls rarely leaving the house last winter, and hopes to change that for current spouses and family members of the USS John C. Stennis (CVN74).

Last year, though, there was no FRG.  Welcoming Committee chair Amy Brisette, who arrived to Bremerton two years ago, recalls that the last FRG had disbanded.  Chaplain Marc Massey sent out a call-to-arms of sorts to spouses, to start up a new and improved FRG for the families of the 3,000 sailors aboard the Stennis. "We're starting back up fresh, and want to make sure we're reaching out; we're here, helping each other out," Brisette states.

According to President Webb, the goals of the FRG are fairly simple.  "We want to get out of the house, have a family." Many of the spouses present allude to feelings of isolation and loneliness when their sailors are gone; the FRG seeks to be a family away from family.  "We don't want anyone to feel lonely," Webb says, perhaps remembering her first days on a new base in her new role as a military spouse.

During the efficiently-run meeting, the chairs of various committees addressed the audience of roughly 30 spouses and the children by their mothers' sides at this second official meeting. The first was a small affair last February, with future leaders writing up by-laws and planning for future growth.  The second meeting was much larger, with an estimated 60 adults and roughly 100 kids,

Since that meeting, the committee chairs and their committees have been busy planning for the future of the FRG.  Through ornament sales and potential pizza and donut sales aboard the ship, the fundraising committee hopes to raise funds for various things, like large events the party-planning committee is planning (one family-friendly, one adults-only.) The welcoming committee is also in planning mode, figuring out how best to reach out to new sailors and their families.

The adopt-a-sailor committee is past planning and into execution, seeking families to host single sailors for Thanksgiving dinner.  The Sunshine committee has similarly moved into execution, hosting the first of their family-friendly coffee socials and looking forward to their first puppy playdate get-together.  But this committee is also in the stages of planning monthly emails, greeting cards, baby baskets for new sailor-babies, and meal trains for times when overwhelmed families need help.

Juggling her two young children throughout the meeting, now holding her baby as she addresses the assembled family members present, Andrea Zabel, one of the chairs for the Sunshine committee, emphasizes, "do not be afraid to ask for help.  That's why we're here."  Stennis families new and existing can get involved with the FRG or ask for help at stennis.frg@gmail.com.