On November 11th of this year, we will celebrate Veterans Day in Stanwood and elsewhere around the country. The purpose of the day is to honor and give thanks to veterans of military service who made the sacrifice to serve their country for several years of their lives. Without all those men and women who served, our country would probably not be one of the global leaders, and we would not enjoy our status as one of the most successful countries on the planet. It is therefore only fitting that our senior home care professionals join in with everyone else to show these veterans how much we appreciate their service to the country and their patriotism, both now and in the past. Here are some ways we can show compassion and respect to our valiant military heroes.
Free or discounted meals
If you happen to be a restaurant owner or someone in the food and beverage service industry, you can show veterans that you appreciate them by offering free or discounted meals on Veterans Day. This isn’t anything earth-shattering, but even small acts of respect and compassion can touch an individual in many ways. Some veterans fall through the cracks of the system and often sustain emotional issues that they can’t overcome on their own. This can lead them to a life of homelessness out on the streets of your city. For unfortunates like these, a night of warm shelter and a hot meal can be the highlight of their week or maybe even a whole month. Be on the lookout for veterans at this time of year, and try to find some way like this to show them how much you appreciate their contributions.
Visit a veterans’ facility
This is a great time of year to pay homage to veterans by visiting a veterans organization to pay your respects. There are numerous organizations like the American Legion that cater to veterans and help them synchronize their lives with the rest of society. Some veterans who are exposed to combat duty become emotionally scarred due to the intensity of experiences they are obliged to live through. They see and feel things that humans ought not to be exposed to, and these can be visions that stay with them forever. So many veterans are troubled with PTSD and other emotional issues as a result of their service that they find it hard to blend back into normal society after their service years. Many of these individuals cling to veterans’ services because they’re the only thing that they can relate to after being traumatized. The least we can do is spend some time with them and let them know how much we respect what they’ve all done for us.
Contribute to a veterans’ charity
There are numerous charities and helpful organizations whose sole interest is to support and care for veterans who are having difficulty returning to civilian life. By contributing to one or more of these organizations, you can help troubled veterans return to the mainstream and conquer their emotional issues. You can be sure that your donation will be put to good use, because most of these organizations are run by veterans, and have only the best interests of their brothers and sisters at heart. However, if you’d like to be sure about your donation helping a veteran, you can ask the organization for information on how all the contributions are used, and where the money goes.
Ask a veteran to speak to your community
While it’s true that some veterans prefer not to discuss their time of service, the majority are perfectly willing to relate some of their experiences to others in the community. If you’re planning any kind of Veterans Day event, you may want to seek out a veteran to give a talk about what it was like for them during their service years. School classrooms are also ideal for inviting veteran speakers to come in and provide a glimpse of military life to the young people in class. Of course, the content of the discussion would have to be age-appropriate for the level of education that the classroom might be at.
Take a moment of silence
In many places across the country, an unofficial Moment of Silence takes place on Veterans Day, at 11:11 in the morning. This would be a great time to privately express to veterans of the past and present just what their sacrifice means to you personally. For most people, this is just a two-minute period of heartfelt appreciation for what military personnel are obliged to live through – all on our behalf. Keep in mind that these unselfish individuals have sacrificed three or more years of their lives to maintain our freedoms, our peacetime prosperity, and our entire way of life.