Ways to Give Back
to Veterans
by Rainier Fuclan
W
ith Memorial Day approaching, it can be
difficult to know how you can contribute
and give back to our nation’s wounded
warriors. There are many charities focused
on everything from veterans assistance to
more targeted organizations focused solely on
Special Forces soldiers. If you want to support
veterans and servicemen and women this
month (or any time during the year), here are a
few good places to start.
Homes for Our Troops
Disabled American
Veterans
Don’t Forget About a
Soldier’s Best Friend
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) offers a
variety of services to disabled veterans and
their families. With more than 1.2 million
members, DAV has tremendous reach and
provides invaluable service to wounded
veterans. DAV provides its members (veterans
and their families) help with disability
assistance, their VA pensions, job programs
and more. It receives no government funding,
so donations and gifts are crucial to keep
providing services to veterans. DAV offers
many ways to give back to the men and women
who defended our country.
Wounded Warrior
Project
Wounded veterans all require a different
recovery process. The Wounded Warrior
Project (WWP) provides rehabilitation,
activities and career counseling for our nation’s
wounded warriors and their families. You can
support the Wounded Warrior Project in a
number of ways: by hosting a Supporter Event,
sending letters to an injured service member,
giving a monthly gift, or making a donation
in honor of a loved one. This holiday season,
WWP encourages supporters to establish
employee giving drives by creating Casual
Fridays, departmental competitions or office
parties to benefit WWP.
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May 2015
Not everyone can give a monetary donation,
so there are a number of charities that need
volunteer assistance in addition to financial
help. Homes for Our Troops uses volunteers
to build homes or adapt existing homes to
meet the needs of injured veterans. While the
group does use grant money from the Veterans
Administration, that often does not cover the
cost of construction.
Dogs are a big part of the lives of our soldiers
and veterans. From military working dogs
on the front lines to guide dogs providing
safety and