This Memorial Day we have a guest blogger sharing. It is important for everyone to know that Open Door Mission takes great pride in serving our homeless veterans. We are a “Veterans First Housing” facility. We have a special event for our veterans every Veterans’ Day in November to remember their service and dedication to our country.
As Memorial Day comes closer, we are reminded to remember and respect those who have died in the service of our nation. But we should also honor those who survived and who now look to us for support.
There are many ways you can help a veteran. One way is to become a social worker and turn your passion into a career. You’ll have to complete up to 1200 hours of fieldwork through one of the many U.S. universities with Master’s in Social Work programs, but you’ll be in a great position to make a difference. As a social worker, you can help veterans find housing and resources to address substance abuse and PTSD. You also can help them apply for benefits through the VA.
Even if you don’t pursue a social work career, you can still help the senior veterans in your life. They may need the most assistance figuring out medical coverage, especially since, as a recent MedicareAdvantage.com guide explains, the VA and Medicare do not coordinate benefits.
Other ways to help senior veterans include signing up to deliver meals, offering assistance with home repairs, driving them to church, or helping them catalog memories, photographs, and military honors into a meaningful keepsake.
The veterans of today spent so much of their time ensuring the world was a better place. You can repay their selfless acts of kindness and bravery by doing the same for them, and you don’t have to go into battle to do it.