What Independence Day would be complete without showing our appreciation to the men and women in the military? It’s easy to pay our respects all year round. Here are a few ways that will make a HUGE impact in the lives of our soldiers!
| Stand Up for Stand Down: Stand Down is an organization that helps out homeless and wounded veterans. Buy groceries, mow someone’s lawn, pay a month’s worth of mortgage, or even help babysit for a few hours. If your town doesn’t have a Stand Down organization, you can even get one started. |
| Put Your Talents to Work: What you do best can help serve your country. Do a web search for organizations. For instance, Bugles Across America is looking for those that play a brass instrument, while Heartmade Blessings is always looking for a few nimble fingers to crochet projects for veterans. |
| Dog Bless You: http://www.facebook.com/exploredogs is a community created by the founder of Explore.org in partnership with Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans of America (IAVA). The campaign is donating service dogs to returning soldiers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Rather than ask for donations, Dog Bless You is asking for a show of support. Users can upload patriotic photos, videos, and comments on their Facebook Page. For every 5,000 “Likes,” Dog Bless You will donate one dog, up to 100 dogs (worth roughly $500,000 in total). |
| A Million Thanks: You can show your support to troops still serving with A Million Thanks. The site helps you draft and mail letters of support to soldiers overseas. There are also options to donate, help grant a wish, help fund the education of a service-person’s child, or simply share photos. |
| Joining Forces: The White House shows its support through Serve.gov. The site offers news and updates, resources like a toolkit on how to help military families, and initiatives to help veterans and military families. You can post original projects or sign up with Joining Forces, where you can volunteer, send a message of thanks, or share a story of support. |
| Visit A War Veteran: Try to find time to meet a real war veteran. Thank him for fighting for your freedom. If he is willing to talk, you might be able to learn some stories from the war in which he fought. The lessons you can learn from these veterans are invaluable. If you cannot find a real veteran to meet in person, at least find an autobiography to read. Learning about the challenges these men and women overcame will make you much more grateful for your freedom! |
