Honestly, I never think much about Veterans Day.
We are not a military family; we don't really have any veterans. (Except, wait! My grandpa was in the Navy!)
But I was reading the paper last Sunday, and a little article in Parade magazine caught my eye. It listed 11 ways to help veterans. It had things I had never thought of, so I thought I would post a few of my favorites in case it helps anyone else to provide a service:
- Offer a vet a ride.
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) provides free transportation to men and women unable to travel to VA medical facilities on their own. You can volunteer to drive a DAV van for those in need.
dav.org/volunteers
- Record a war story.
Do you know an old soldier with tales from the front lines? The Library of Congress wants to hear his/her voice. Go to the website below for tips on conducting an interview or to request a field kit, including biographical data and release forms.
loc.gov/vets
- Put those old cell phones to good use.
Instead of stashing your used phones in the junk drawer, ship them to Cell Phones for Soldiers. For each one donated, the organization will pay for an hour of talk time for troops overseas.
cellphonesforsoldiers.com
- Donate used DVDs.
Drop off movies or television shows at your local VA facility, or mail them to DVDs4Vets, a national organization that distributes them where needed.
dvds4vets.org
- Cut coupons.
Have some expired coupons lying around? Military families can use them for up to six months past their expiration date. (I had no idea!)
coupsfortroops.com
- Share your expertise.
MilServe connects volunteers with vets in many areas; financial counseling or legal services; job search guidance; even carpentry, for building wheelchair ramps.
milserve.org
- Post a care package.
Through the organization Kitchen Table Gang, hospitalized veterans and troops abroad can receive personalized parcels containing everything from candy to board games. Get a service member's address from KTG, bundle up items with a note of thanks, and send them off.
soldierpackages.org
Kinda cool, huh?
Friday, November 11, 2011
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4 comments:
The newspaper had a flag fold out for Veteran's Day so my co-worker hung about 10 of them across the counters in our office and made it look rather patriotic. At one point in the day a girl came to the office to check in and had her grandpa with her and he was dressed in his full military uniform, I told him we decorated just for him.
Those are some good ideas Michelle. I'm glad you posted them. I appreciate new ideas of ways to thank them for their service. Thank you.
Very nice!
This is brilliant!!!
thank you so much for the info!!!
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