Families celebrate annual Hobo Night

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Angela Shepherd
  • 1st SOW Public Affairs
HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. --  During the last week of October, it's not uncommon to see ghouls, goblins and skeletons, but over at the Airman & Family Readiness Center, a different sort of character was in the spotlight Oct. 26 as they celebrated their annual Hearts Apart Hobo Night. And instead of witches brew, one could find hobo stew. 

The event is one of the A&FRC's monthly outings for spouses and children of Airmen who are deployed or remotely assigned. Each event is designed around a specific theme or holiday with the intent of helping family members cope with separation. 

"We started Hobo Night three years ago because we wanted to have a season-appropriate event, but we knew everyone doesn't agree with Halloween," said Tech. Sgt. Diane Thomas, Hearts Apart coordinator. "This is another avenue for us to involve family members and let them have fun with others in the same situation. 

"It's also a chance for us to teach the children the importance of sharing. We asked everyone who came tonight to bring in a canned good to be donated to a local shelter," Sergeant Thomas said. 

In keeping with the theme of the night, everyone enjoyed a hearty helping of hobo stew. After enjoying a bowl of the homemade soup, the children were led off to decorate pumpkins and make homemade cards to send overseas. The wives stayed behind to unwind, play trivia games and share advice with each other. 

Even though the night was meant to be a celebration of fun, it took a necessary pause when one family needed to interrupt. 

The compassion and dedication the A&FRC staff has for the loved ones left behind was evident when Maggie Fleck and her three children, C.J., Cashlin and Marshall, arrived. Five-year-old C.J. was crying because he just said goodbye to Dad, Staff Sgt. Colin Fleck. The staff comforted C.J. and the entire family with hugs and encouraging words. 

"We said goodbye and came straight here," Mrs. Fleck said. "It's a great environment for us to be in during times like these, and I wanted to get their minds off it." 

When all the pumpkins were decorated and the last piece of advice shared, the families went their separate ways. But thanks to the Hearts Apart program and events like Hobo Night, a comforting word and an empathetic friend are never far away.