Today’s Action: Support Veterans in Need

Today is Veteran’s Day, when we recognize and honor those who have served in our military. There are approximately 18 million veterans in our country — and some with crippling health issues and mental illness as a direct result of their time in the armed forces. Although our government provides some support, the resources are often underwhelming.

For this holiday while government offices are closed, we ask you to take a moment to explore how you can help the veterans in your community (and tomorrow, you can call your reps and ask for their attentive support as well)!

1. Become a volunteer driver for the VA, donating your time to get veterans who are unable to drive to the medical attention they need.

2. Visit wounded veterans at a local VA hospital, and brighten someone’s day! Call ahead to find out who might benefit most from a friendly visit.

3. Help reduce veteran homelessness by volunteering for your local National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

And remember — we are nearing our third decade of “endless war,” with no signs of stopping. It’s been part of the reality of our country for so long that sometimes it’s hard to remember it doesn’t need to be this way. Ending our endless war in the Middle East will take immense public pressure — but it IS possible, and must be part of our efforts over the next two years. For every year that we remain at war, we face more lost and injured veterans in addition to the millions of civilians caught in the action.

Today we honor those who have served by taking action — helping veterans who need our assistance, and committing to peace and keeping future troops out of harm’s way.