How to help
veterans in need
Millions of men and
women serve in the military
and make the sacrifi ces that
such service requires. Risking
their lives to serve their
countries, veterans sometimes
endure mental and
physical trauma, returning
home to face uphill battles as
they deal with their injuries.
Many veterans in need are
not just in need of medical attention.
Learning that their
efforts and sacrifi ces are recognized
and appreciated by
the ordinary citizens they
protect can make a world of
difference to veterans as they
recover from their injuries.
Men, women and children
who want to help veterans
in need can do so in various
ways.
• Visit a veterans hospital.
Contact a local veterans’ hospital
to inquire about their
volunteer programs. The
U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs notes that each year
more than 75,000 volunteers
spend more than 11 million
hours in service to America’s
veterans. Visiting veterans at
the hospital to hear their stories
can lift their spirits and
aid in their recoveries. In addition,
veterans’ hospitals
may have volunteer opportunities
that make it easier for
hospitals to operate at optimal
capacity.
• Help a neighbor. Unfortunately,
many veterans return
home with injuries that
affect their ability to make it
through a typical day without
assistance. Disabled veterans
may be unable to do their own
grocery shopping or maintain
their homes. If a neighbor or
nearby veteran is facing such
hurdles, offer to do his or her
shopping or mow his or her
lawn. Such tasks won’t take
much time but can make a
world of difference to veterans.
• Offer professional services
free of charge. Professionals
who want to help veterans
can offer their services
free of charge. Accountants
can offer to prepare veterans’
tax returns for free, while attorneys
can provide legal advice
to veterans who need it.
Contractors can help disabled
veterans by offering to make
alterations to their homes for
free or at cost.
• Employ social media to
help local veterans. Many
people who want to help local
veterans might not be able
to do so more than one day
per week. But some veterans
may require daily assistance.
Men and women can start a
locally-based Facebook group
for fellow members of their
community who want to pitch
in to help local veterans. Such
a group can make it easier
to share information and arrange
help for veterans in
need. Many veterans return
home from serving overseas
in need of help. Offering such
help can improve veterans’
lives while letting them know
their efforts and sacrifi ces
are appreciated. Metro Graphics
How Memorial Day and Veterans Day differ from each other
Memorial Day and Veterans
Day each honor the
military, though the two
holidays are not the same.
Memorial Day, which is celebrated
annually on the last
Monday in May, honors the
brave men and women who
lost their lives while serving
in the American military.
Many communities
host memorial ceremonies
honoring their fallen soldiers
on Memorial Day, ensuring
such soldiers’ bravery
and sacrifices are never
forgotten. While many people
now view Memorial Day
weekend as the unofficial
start of summer, the weekend
should not be celebrated
without also pausing to reflect
on and recognize the
military personnel who lost
their lives in defense of freedom
BRONX TIMES R 38 EPORTER, NOV. 5-11, 2021 BTR
and the American way
of life.
Veterans Day is celebrated
annually on November
11 and recognizes all
men and women who have
served in the military. Veterans
Day coincides with
Remembrance Day, which
is a celebrated by the Commonwealth
of Nations, an
association of 53 member
states with connections to
the British Empire. Though
Veterans Day and Remembrance
Day are each celebrated
on November 11,
the latter recognizes armed
forces members who died in
the line of duty, making it
more similar to Memorial
Day than Veterans Day. It’s
not uncommon for people to
recognize fallen soldiers on
Veterans Day, but many use
the holiday to express their
appreciation to existing veterans.
Metro Graphics