Today’s Action: Honor fallen heroes through service to veterans

On Memorial Day, as we enjoy our barbeques and lake trips (or just catch up on Netflix), let us also take a moment to remember those who lost their lives in military service.

One way to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, is to embrace the veterans still thankfully with us… who often need more than just thoughts and prayers. Beyond the risks of active duty, veterans face huge challenges back home:

• 1 out of 5 Iraq and Afghanistan vets suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury, Post Traumatic Stress, or major depression
• 7% of Iraq and Afghanistan vets are unemployed, and 50,000 vets are homeless on any single night
• 22 veterans commit suicide every day

After volunteering to serve and sacrifice for our country, many veterans continue to face more than most of us can imagine in our daily lives (mentally, physically, and emotionally), and resources for rehabilitation after military service are often limited. Luckily, there are things we can do to help.

This Memorial Day, consider volunteering your time or resources for the veterans in your community. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

• Volunteer for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the national support network for veterans! The possibilities are endless, but a few examples include providing transportation for vets, helping homeless vets, or arranging a corporate volunteer program at your job. Fill out the VA’s volunteering form to connect with a VA facility near you!
• Know a veteran? The Veteran History Project wants their story! Conduct and record an interview (audio or video) to be added to the VHP archives.
• Thinking about selling or scrapping an old vehicle? Donate it (fully tax deductible) to the National Veterans Foundation instead! They’ll arrange pick-up and even improve the value of your car before selling (raising the value of your donation).
• And for those vets who have passed on, volunteer for the National Cemetery Association: sponsor a flower bed, raise and lower flags, perform Taps at veterans’ funerals, and more.

As we commemorate those lost this Memorial Day, let us also do our part for their fellow service members who made it home.