First-ever children’s museum on a military base gets top service award

The only children’s museum located on a military base is this year’s leading winner in the 2024 Fisher Service Award competition.

The Children’s Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, is “a bright spot of color in a sea of khaki,” said Tanya Durand, executive director of Greentrike, the parent organization in Tacoma, at the Oct. 23 award ceremony in Arlington, Va. The museum offers far more than creative play and learning for military children and their adults, she said, providing a way for children to reconnect with their parents after deployments, and a gathering space for families.

It’s one of five nonprofits that received a combined total of $400,000 for their work to support military members, veterans and their families. The museum received $100,000; four other wide-ranging nonprofits received $75,000 each.

“When these awards are placed in the hands of these organizations, they gain power to transform those dollars into a measurable impact across the military community now and into the future,” said Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, director for the Joint Staff, speaking at the ceremony.

The awards are sponsored by the Fisher House Foundation and the Military Times Foundation. In addition to their individual monetary awards, each nonprofit received an advertising package valued at $50,000 donated by the Military Times Foundation.

Since this program began in 1999 as the Newman’s Own Awards, it has awarded more than $3.4 million across 210 nonprofit organizations.

“We believe the military does a great job with everything they’re authorized to do. But what they’re authorized to do and what a family’s needs are, can be two different things,” said Dave Coker, president of the Fisher House Foundation.

“At the heart of what we do will always be our network of Fisher Houses,” he said, noting that there are now 98 of these comfort homes. Military and veteran families can stay at no cost at these homes while a loved one is receiving treatment at a nearby military or Veterans Affairs hospital.

As the Fisher House program grew, he said, they realized they couldn’t be all things to all people. So they have challenged other nonprofits working in their communities to identify a problem, explain how they could be part of the solution, and compete for funding.

“I love how, through this program, we find others, both organizations and leaders, as passionate and dedicated to supporting the military community as we are,” Coker said. “The five organizations we honor today are proof of that.”

This year’s winners were chosen from a pool of more than 515 entries. Many spouses of current and former senior military leaders were among the 11 judges, to include Gina Allvin, Patty George, Christine Grady, Kelly Hokanson, LyndaLee Lunday, Ann Morrison, Jennifer Saltzman and others.

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The winners

The Children’s Museum at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s $100,000 award will go toward operations of the museum, said Durand, the Greentrike executive director. The museum, which opened in 2021, operates with “pay as you will” admission, meaning that people are “gently invited to contribute to the museum,” she said. “That doesn’t come close to covering what it costs me to operate the facility,” she told Military Times. This admission model allows the museum to eliminate financial barriers and provide access for everyone.

The interactive exhibits allow adults and children to play and learn together, and one benefit is that it helps service members reconnect with their children after returning from deployments, Durand said. In addition, she said, almost every day staff members tell her they’ve seen a child face-timing a parent.

There’s a JBLM bus stop outside the museum, and it’s also next to the military exchange. Some soldiers meet their families at the museum during lunch time. “We’re not far from the hotel, which is important,” Durand said, because of the length of time families spend waiting for housing. The museum has a large gathering space. “They see us as their living room. They’re bringing their kids in every day we’re open.”

The advertising package from the Military Times Foundation is also appreciated, she said, because they’ll use it “to make sure every family at JBLM knows that this exists.”

The other four winners, each receiving $75,000 are:

*HillVets Fellowship Program, Washington, D.C.: The nonprofit will use the funds to continue their program connecting veterans, service members, and spouses with fellowships on Capitol Hill, including providing housing which can accommodate up to eight individuals, said Justin Brown, founder of HillVets. They usually have about 10 to 15 fellows. After their fellowships, HillVets helps them find permanent positions in government, policy and beyond.

*Musicians on Call Veteran’s Bedside Program, Nashville, Tennessee: The funds will help expand their programs beyond the seven VA hospitals where volunteer musicians currently perform, and will be used for costs of staff handling requirements such as background checks, and training, said Katy Epley, chief operation officer of Musicians on Call. Volunteer musicians have performed for more than 100,000 veterans, in person and virtually in VA hospitals nationwide.

*Mobile Service Units Serving Isolated Veterans in Mendocino and Lake Counties, California: The funds will be used to buy another van and outfit it with the equipment needed, so that no matter where the van goes it has Internet access, and monitors, and a staff member to help veterans get benefits and services, said Anne Fabiny, board member of the parent group, Nation’s Finest. The units bring case management services, and telehealth services, including mental health, to veterans who may live three hours away from the closest VA hospital.

*Stronghold Ambassador Program, Leavenworth, Kansas: The funds will help expand their reach to change the traditional food pantry model into a global movement with “ambassadors” on the ground, said Army wife Monica Basset, founder and CEO of Stronghold Food Pantry in Leavenworth, Kansas. Those ambassadors connect with military and veteran families to discuss what they need, and buy and deliver a week’s worth of fresh and nonperishable groceries.

The competition has opened for the 2025 Fisher Service Award.