Great Ways to Show Your Veteran Support and Make a Difference in Their Lives

You can make a difference and there are several ways to show your veteran support.

Veterans have sacrificed a lot in order to keep our country and our citizens safe and free, putting themselves in harm’s way and sacrificing time with their families in order to serve and protect. Too often these veterans are forgotten or ignored, with many people who do not even offer a token thank you for the valuable service performed.

There are organizations that offer assistance and support to our veterans, but it is also important for individuals to show that they acknowledge and appreciate the service that the veteran has provided as well. These men and women are willing to risk everything, even putting their lives on the line, to keep us and our way of life safe.

Veteran Support is More Than Just Lip Service

Saying thank you shows veteran support and it is appreciated, but this is also just lip service, costing you nothing but a few words and minimal effort. Our former military members deserve much more than that. There are ways that you can show your thanks and make a difference in the lives of veterans which are much more thoughtful and have a bigger impact.

Many organizations offer help, support, and resources for veterans who qualify. Every American should do the same and owes a debt of gratitude to anyone who served in the armed forces of the United States.

Hire a Qualified Veteran Who Needs a Job

If you own a business and want to show veteran support, then hire a vet the next time you need another employee. Hire Veterans and Military Hire are just a couple of the places where you can advertise your job posting to veterans and find highly qualified people to fill open positions in your company. You get a qualified employee and a veteran gets a much-needed job.

While there have been federal initiatives and laws passed about giving veterans an advantage too many veterans are still looking for a job without getting results. When you hire a vet you get the benefits of discipline, leadership, self-motivation, and other positive traits instilled by the military. You will typically gain an employee who becomes a loyal asset to your company.

Pay for a Veterans Meal

Pay for a meal if you really want to show veteran support and say thank you for all that veterans have done. The next time you are out to eat and you find out that someone is a veteran offer to pick up their tab as your way of showing appreciation. This is much more meaningful than simply saying thanks and it can make the day of the veteran whose meal you buy.

Record the Stories of a Veteran for Future Generations

Many older veterans may just want someone to listen, and showing veteran support can simply mean recording the stories of the vet for future generations to hear. The Veterans History Project was started so that the stories of our brave veterans would not be lost. Whether you take part in the Library of Congress project or you do it on your own record a vet’s story for history.

Visit Veterans Confined to Nursing Homes

One of the best ways to show veteran support and give back is to visit veterans who are confined in a nursing home in your area. These vets may not get many visitors and they can usually use a pleasant surprise. This can make a huge difference for the veteran that you visit and allow you to learn some history from a first-person perspective.

Donate to a Charity that helps Veterans and Their Families

Donate to a military charity that helps vets and their families as a form of veteran support. Make sure that you research each possible charity to ensure that your donation actually goes to help a veteran in need though, and not to pay for excessive personnel and overhead costs.  Charity Navigator provides detailed ratings and financial information for most veteran charities.

The National Veterans Foundation is dedicated to helping veterans of all eras get the information and resources they need after coming home and taking off their uniforms, to live successful lives in the civilian world. This article on “Show Your Veteran Support” is one example of the wealth of resources that the NVF provides. To sustain this important work, we rely on the support of individuals like you, who care about our nation’s veterans. We receive no government support, and our programs are funded 100 percent by private individuals, businesses, and foundations. Every dollar makes a difference. Please make a donation today to help keep the NVF’s programs for veterans going.

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