We live in a country that is free and opportunistic. Much of our freedom is due to the daily sacrifices that military members make on a daily basis. They join the army, give up significant portions of their lives, all to protect us. While there are a couple of active military and veteran support days, they really should be supported and appreciated all year long.
Celebrate the appreciation days
The first way to show your appreciation is to celebrate the previously planned appreciation days. Families that do not have any active or veteran military members tend to treat these days just like any other day. Instead of skipping the day, consider volunteering your time at a local charitable organization that helps veterans. Go out to dinner and pay for the meal of a local veteran. Show your support by reaching out to those active military members and veterans and simply telling them thank you.
Don?t forget family members
When you are showing your gratitude to the active military and veterans in your life, don?t forget about the family members. Family members of military members tend to also make a lot of sacrifices. They might move their entire family closer to the person?s home base. They might travel from country to country. They skip holidays with their loved one and go many months, sometimes years, without seeing them. Don?t forget to thank these important family members as well.
Show your appreciation everyday
It doesn?t have to be a veteran appreciation day to show your appreciation. If you are out eating with your friends and notice an active member person at the table next to you, simply thank them for their service. These simple words can do a lot and can make their day. If you are waiting at the airport to board your plane and notice a military member nearby, thank them. Ask them about their day. Listen to them tell you about their families that are back home. These small acts of appreciation are often undervalued.
Support charitable clothing donations
Clothes donations might be more important than you think. Clothing donations for veterans help out in many different ways. Some veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life after service. If they have trouble seeking employment, they might also need clothing donations. Additionally, these clothes donations can help with job interviews and securing a career. About 4.7 billion pounds of clothing are donated by Americans each year. These donations are an extremely important part of the charitable system. Clothing donations for veterans are a crucial point in many charities operating plans.
The good thing about clothing donations for veterans is that you can help, even if you are limited on resources. You can arrange a clothing drop off, quickly donating clothing to a charity that you no longer wear. You can also request clothing donations from your family and friends, who are also likely to have many items that they no longer wear or want. Additionally, you will be keeping clothing items out of landfills. In 2006, 2.5 billion pounds of fabric were kept from landfills by used clothing purchases. Yet, Americans are still sending approximately 10.5 million tons of clothing to landfills every year.
The United States military is a very important part of our country. They protect our freedom and without them, we would have a very different looking life. You can show your support for both active military members and veterans by celebrating appreciation days, showing your support on a daily basis, and remembering that clothing donations for veterans are very beneficial.