Natalie Mack | Ep. 123

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About this Episode

What meaningful ways can homeschool families find to support military families during the holiday season to honor them and thank them for their service? The military exists to preserve and protect our freedom, and often it is the entire family that pays the price–especially during the holidays. Perhaps a parent is deployed during Christmas or relocated to a base separate from his or her family. Natalie Mack, military homeschool expert and HSLDA’s Military Community Outreach Coordinator, joins Zan to share practical opportunities for blessing service members and their loved ones. From donating airline miles for wounded warriors to writing heartfelt letters to deployed personnel, Natalie highlights numerous national programs that families can participate in. The conversation weaves together Natalie’s personal experiences as a military spouse with concrete ways families can engage their children in impactful service, whether the military personnel they are serving are a continent away, or at a base around the corner. Parents, use these opportunities to teach your children that freedom isn’t free.

Meet My Guest

Natalie Mack is an author, TEDx speaker, and experienced twenty-three year military home educator. She is known for her words of encouragement and advocacy for homeschooling and by her motto “Let’s Get It Done,” which encourages homeschoolers that they can homeschool to college successfully! Natalie is a retired Navy chaplain’s spouse and mom of five: four college graduates and a 12th grader. 

Natalie is the HSLDA Military Community Outreach Coordinator. She owns Natalie Mack, LLC which provides homeschool educational consultations. Her nonprofit, Military Homeschoolers Association, hosts the podcast Base2Base Military Homeschooling.

Natalie’s published works include the book 101 Tips for Homeschoolers available on Amazon and several articles on HSLDA Military Families website, Military Families Magazine, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, and The Homeschool Minute.

• military@hslda.org 
• https://hslda.org
• https://facebook.com/HSLDA.MilitaryFamilies
• Military Homeschoolers Association, https://militaryhomeschoolers.org
• Base2Base Podcast, https://militaryhomeschoolers.org/base2base-podcast 

Mentioned in this Episode

• Operation Gratitude – https://operationgratitude.com 
• Holiday for Heroes – https://redcross.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities/holidays-for-heroes.html 
• USO, https://www.uso.org/campaign/holidays
• Fisher House Foundation Hero Miles – https://fisherhouse.org/programs/hero-miles 
• Wounded Warrior Project – https://woundedwarriorproject.org 
• Toys for Tots – https://toysfortots.org 
• Operation Holiday Joy – https://asymca.org/what-we-do/operation-holiday-joy
• Santa Boots – https://bootcampaign.org/seasonsofserviceprogram 
• Operation Christmas Spirit – https://operationhelpahero.org/operation-christmas-spirit.html 
• Prison Fellowship Angel Tree – https://prisonfellowship.org/about/angel-tree 
• Natalie Mack, HSLDA Military Community Outreach Coordinator,  military@hslda.org
• Military Homeschoolers Association, https://militaryhomeschoolers.org
• Base2Base Podcast, https://militaryhomeschoolers.org/base2base-podcast 

Podcast Sponsor

At BJU Press Homeschool, we’re committed to providing children an education from a biblical worldview that is academically sound and challenges them to advance, think critically, and live like Christ. This type of education is not often possible in public schools because of the number of children taught in a classroom, a difference in worldview, and peer and societal pressure to conform. Homeschooling allows parents to instruct and disciple their children without daily fighting messages from an opposing worldview taught in the classroom. And with tuition costs and fees for private schooling or tutoring, homeschooling may be the only option for parents who are concerned for their children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
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