Ways to Honor Veterans

This week on the Oprah Winfrey Show, former talk show host Montel Williams, a veteran who served two decades in the Marine Corps, said something that truly gave me pause. "I go to see our troops at Bethesda and Walter Reed every three to four weeks, stand bedside every three to four weeks," he said. "A lot of celebrities aren't showing up anymore. A lot of people aren't going down there to say hello. And every single day we have guys coming back here who have lost limbs, left them over there, for us. So when you talk that trash about 'I support the troops'-put your money, your mouth, your face behind it and go down there and do something."

This impassioned plea made me think, what am I doing, I mean really doing, to support our troops? Upon true reflection, I have to admit to myself that I haven't been doing anything other than the obligatory "Thank you" on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, etc. Mr. Williams' statement has galvanized me into a desire to do more for our veterans and active military personnel.

If you are looking for more meaningful ways to support our troops, not just on Veterans Day or Memorial Day, please consider one of these options as a way to help:

Organizations that Support Veterans and Active Military: American Red Cross

The American Red Cross has a long standing tradition of serving and supporting the military. Each year Red Cross volunteers provide assistance to over 2 million service members, veterans, and their families. Volunteers across the country assist veterans in VA hospitals, transmit emergency communication to deployed military personnel, and help military families deal with deployment. (To read about my experiences volunteering for the Red Cross, click here.)

One of the easiest ways to help is to participate in the Red Cross' Holiday Mail for Heroes program. From now until December 10, you can send a holiday card to American service men, their families, and veterans to spread some good cheer and thank them for their service. If you watch the video on the Red Cross page, it is obvious that these acts of kindness make the world of difference to our soldiers, especially those recovering from horrific injuries.

Organizations that Support Veterans and Active Military: USO

Many people know that the United Services Organization provides entertainment to troops overseas. It has become synonymous with celebrities doing their part to give back. But the USO offers so much more to our troops and their families, from care packages, MEGs (Mobile Entertainment Gaming Systems), to helping them learn foreign languages to communicate with locals. They even have several programs designed to help the young children of deployed service members cope with separation from their parents.

To learn how you can help by becoming a donor, volunteer, or corporate partner, please visit USO.org.

Organizations that Support Veterans and Active Military: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

I find it absolutely appalling that even one person who has served our country, let alone over 100,000 of our veterans, has to sleep on the streets every night. They deserve better than that.

Together with the Department of Veteran Affairs, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans has worked to bring that number down. Their website details a lot of information on how to get involved with homeless veterans in your local community, including how to start your own program or join a local organization that serves homeless veterans.

Organizations that Support Veterans and Active Military: Troop Greeters

Troops returning from deployment often touch down in places like Bangor, Maine or Pease, New Hampshire before shipping off to their final destination. There are special groups of troop greeters at each airport to welcome soldiers home and provide them with simple comforts like a cup of coffee or a cell phone to call loved ones. Many of these troop greeters are veterans themselves.

I first heard of the Maine Troop Greeters in a PBS documentary last year. One of the featured troop greeters was a WWII vet who shook as many soldiers' hands as he could. What struck me was not just the appreciation the arriving soldiers displayed upon being greeted by one of their own, but their own gratitude for the generations that came before them. If you would like to help these organizations continue their work of welcoming soldiers home, please visit the Maine Troop Greeters or Pease Greeters websites.

Other Ways to Honor Our Veterans: Say a Personal Thank You

Many of us (myself included) post thank you notes on Facebook and Twitter to our Veterans on national days of remembrance. But do you personally thank the ones you know for serving our country and protecting our freedoms? When you see military personnel in uniform traveling throughout our nation's airports, do you take the time to introduce yourself and say thank you? These brave men and women could be going off to war or halfway around the world away from everything and everyone they've ever known and loved. If you're shy or feel awkward about approaching strangers, check out this video from The Gratitude Campaign. It's definite food for thought.

You can also write letters to both active military and veterans through Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages and letters to U.S. military. I like this organization because they take the time to honor those who serve veterans of all generations, not just the current one on active duty.

Other Ways to Honor Our Veterans: Additional Resources

For more information on how to help veterans in your area, check out the following resources:

VA Voluntary Service, United States Department of Veterans Affairs

How You Can Help Veterans, Oprah.com

Sources:

The Titans of Talk, The Oprah Winfrey Show

Service to the Armed Forces, Keeping Pace with the Changed Military, American Red Cross

Volunteer, American Red Cross

Gwen Navarrete, Volunteer Services at the Red Cross, Associated Content from Yahoo!

Holiday Mail for Heroes Overview, American Red Cross

Act Now - Ways You Can Help, United Services Organization

Get Involved, National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

How to Help, Main Troop Greeters

Donate, The Pease Greeters

Thank You, The Gratitude Campaign

Letters to Heroes, Operation Gratitude

VA Voluntary Service, United States Department of Veterans Affairs

How You Can Help Veterans, Oprah.com