When one door closes, another one opens. As we say goodbye to 2023 and all of its opportunities, we can now begin to look ahead to 2024 and the promise of tomorrow. With a new year comes exciting new chances to make the world a better place. And rather than making your New Year’s Resolution to finally, truly lose weight this time (for the 5th New Year’s in a row, no less) what if instead you resolved to make the world a better place for someone else? You can still absolutely lose weight, of course. But you could also extend a helping hand to a veteran in need and make their 2024 a year to remember. Here are 4 different ways that you can do just that.
1. Donate to a Veteran-focused charity
The charities listed below all support veterans in one way or another, and with a simple donation you can begin to make an impact right away. If you’re looking to make a year-round difference (like a New Year’s resolution would suggest) then consider setting up a recurring, monthly donation to any of the fine charities listed below.
- The Gary Sinise Foundation: Actor Gary Sinise leads a charity designed to “entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities”, all with a focus on veterans, first-responders, and their families. To date, they’ve built nearly 100 homes for wounded veterans, served over 1,000,000 meals, and donated nearly 15,000 pieces of essential equipment, among several other successes.
- Fisher House: The Fisher House foundation also builds houses, though the kinds of houses they build are unique. Instead of single homes, Fisher has built nearly 100 facilities designed for multiple military families at once. The families may stay here free of charge while their loved ones get treatment in a nearby hospital or military medial facility. Some such facilities have up to 21 separate suites, each with their own private bedroom and bath and a shared access to communal areas that include a kitchen, dining room, living room, and laundry room.
- Faces of Combat: That’s right! We here at Faces of Combat also take donations to support our veterans in a variety of ways. By clicking on the link here, you can choose to make a donation to help send a veteran to one of our healing retreats. You can also choose instead to donate $9.00 to send a copy of our books on veteran PTSD directly to a veteran themselves. Better yet, we’ll match the donation and send another copy to a veteran in need! If all you can spare is $9.00 a month, that’s still 24 veterans who will get access to our informative guide on PTSD and recovery over the course of 2024. That’s two dozen people directly benefiting from your kindness and generosity.
2. Volunteer
If you’re running low on cash, consider donating your time instead. In addition to the charities listed above, many organizations have ways that you can directly volunteer your time to make a difference in the lives of one or more veterans.
- Homes for Our Troops: This charity is one focused mainly on making sure veterans have homes that can accommodate their needs, which sometimes means the home in question must undergo quite a bit of work. They offer people the chance to work with them on some of these projects but if you can’t be there in person, you can also consider setting up a fundraiser in your area.
- The Wounded Warrior Project: The Wounded Warrior Project likely needs no introduction, having been around for over 20 years and impacting the lives of millions of veterans. They have a variety of programs designed to assist veterans, ranging from mental health assistance to long-term physical rehabilitation, and everything in-between. You can volunteer to run in a 5k, set up a fundraiser in your area, or even help bring awareness to the WWP by live-streaming and gaming.
- United Service Organizations: The USO has been around since 1941 and in that time has become a household name in veteran assistance. Through a variety of programs, they place an emphasis on keeping veterans connected with their families while stationed elsewhere. They provide care packages to serving veterans to give them a taste of home, in addition to making sure that veterans are welcomed and supported when they arrive back home. In an organization with such a broad scope, there are hundreds of volunteer opportunities available all across the country.
3. Work With Them
One of the most challenging things for veterans upon returning home is the transition from military life to civilian life. The hunt for a 9-5 can be a daunting one, which is why so many programs and organizations exist to help ease veterans into the workforce. If you’re an employer, you can make sure your organization is doing their part by hiring former veterans to come work for you.
- Hiring Our Heroes: Hiring our heroes is a foundation created by the US Chamber of Commerce that helps to connect veterans with employers who are specifically seeking veteran employees. Veterans can submit their applications and companies can post to veteran-specific job boards to ensure the position is filled by a veteran.
- VETS: The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service is another government organization, this time from the US Department of Labor. They operate with an emphasis on helping veterans and their spouses reach their full potential through personalized training and workshops, and then connecting those workers to companies looking to hire them. They’ve also compiled a handy guide specifically for employers looking to use their service to hire veterans, which employers can find by clicking here.
- Hire Heroes USA: Not to be confused with the organization above, Hire Heroes USA is a different organization with the same mission: connecting veterans and employers. To date, they have helped thousands of veterans and employers do just that.
4. Love and Support Them
That’s right. Sometimes the only thing you have to do is extend a helping hand or be patient when others might have already given up. It cannot be overstated just how important a sense of belonging, community, and acceptance can be to a veteran returning home.
According to data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 2.8 million veterans had a substance use disorder in 2021.
92.4% of them did not receive treatment.
That same year, 3.1 million veterans suffered from mental health struggles.
43.6% of them did not receive treatment.
By simply being present in the life of veterans you know, you can see warning signs for issues like these and help your veteran navigate the road to healing and recovery. Your love and support alone may even help prevent the issues from manifesting altogether.
If you can only do one thing on this list in 2024, this one is potentially by far the most impactful. It’s something you can do every day that costs you nothing. But you don’t have to wait until 2024 to start doing this.
In fact, you can begin right now.
Are you a veteran in need of assistance? Click this link for a list of resources made specifically for you. If you’re having suicidal thoughts, please call either The National Veterans’ Foundation at 1-888-777-4443 or the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (800-273-8255).
Both hotlines are free and confidential. If you’re not a veteran but would still like to help out, you can get involved through our donation page here.
