MFRC expands digital reach with podcast launch

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

A new podcast titled The Military Lifestyle focusing on the challenges facing today’s military members and their families is coming to your smartphone, tablet or computer.

The first episode of a 14 episode first season will debut on Oct. 9 and is being produced by the Esquimalt Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) with the help of local company Organized Sound Productions. The podcast will build on the Esquimalt MFRC’s digital presence following the launch of its Deployment App in 2017.

“We are excited to offer a new way for people to experience and interact with the MFRC,” said Jon Chabun, MFRC Esquimalt Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

Chabun will host the program and says creating the podcast was about meeting people where they live. The organization has seen how community members often live, stay connected and keep organized through their smart phones.

“People are busy and military families are increasingly living everywhere,” said Chabun. “You don’t have to worry about registering and getting to a workshop. You can download it, listen to it offline, on your schedule. We really hope to reach people that might not traditionally come through our doors or who don’t have the time to get to a workshop at the MFRC.”

Areas of discussion on The Military Lifestyle include deployments, postings, and transitions through interview with experts from their respective fields here at the base and across Greater Victoria.

The first episode looks at preparing couples for deployment with MFRC Deployment Coordinator Sandra Pinard.

Other episodes include an interview with military anthropologist Dr. Anne Irwin, who will discuss the challenges facing military personnel transitioning from the military to the civilian world, while another will focus on looking for work in a new community. Chabun says the MFRC is open to suggestions for future topics of the podcast.

Funding for season one of the podcast is being made available through a grant to the MFRC from the non-profit True Patriot Love Foundation.

The original idea for the podcast can be traced back to a discussion at a MFRC meeting on technology in June 2018. The idea received positive feedback from MFRC staff members when it was first proposed and just over a year later it is ready to take flight.

People can subscribe for free through popular platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher by using the key search words MFRC and The Military Lifestyle.

For more information about the podcast with direct links, visit the MFRC’s website at www.esquimaltmfrc.com/podcast.