5 Ways to Show Members of the Military Appreciation
Members of the military sacrifice so much that showing them how thankful we are is vital. They spend months away from their families and are always on call all day. Their services can be requested for at any time, they are made to stay for as long as their services are needed, and in most cases, miss important events (like schools dance and performance), that we sometimes don’t see as important.
Upon joining the military, life changes completely. This is because the military shape people by teaching them bravery, humility, discipline, and many other lessons of life. Being part of the military take you away from your family and your comfort zone. Whether you are part of the military in one way or another or not, there are meaningful and easy ways you can appreciate our brave military members. Words, acts, and gestures mean the world to service members. A lot of citizen wants to show appreciation to service members but don’t know how to go about it. Here are five simple and meaningful ways to show the members of the military your appreciation:
1. Send a Soldier a Care Package: Virtually everyone loves to get a care package, especially a military member that is away from home. Be it a military member on deployment or away from home, getting a bit of home in a package makes them feel special and loved. Your local ACS can be of help by finding a group that makes care packages. You can also look for organizations that can help you send approved packages.
2. Visit a Vet: You can call your local VA hospital to see if there are any special events for Veterans Day. You can also volunteer to be of help on Veterans Day or make an inquiry on what their policies are for visitors. While there, chat with a vet, ask about their service, and most importantly, tell them how much you appreciate their selfless contribution to the country. You can also consider visiting a retirement home that takes visitors in your vicinity. Stopping by to say “thank you for your service” to them might just make their day.
3. Send a Thank You Card: A beautiful way to show how much you appreciate members of the military’s courage, sacrifice, and selfless service is to write them letters. Service members prefer to receive handwritten notes and letters even in our digitalized world. Getting children involved in this letter writing is an extra motivation for service members. This will only cost you a little time and a stamp.
4. Say Thank You: One of the simple and meaningful ways to show appreciation to the members of the military as well as their family is to say “thank you”. It sounds obvious and straightforward but next time you see someone in uniform, or you’re with the family of a member of the military, just “thank you” or “thank you for your selfless service” tells a lot about how much you appreciate them and the service they render.
5. Donate to a Military Charity: We now have a lot of organizations that are dedicated to helping veterans. Yes, these organizations do phenomenal work. They have been able to be phenomenal so far because of the help and support they get. There are lots of good organization that caters for the illness and wounds of service members and their family, consider writing them a check. Some agencies also give you the opportunity to buy tickets for local events, like comedy shows, concerts, football games, etc. and deliver them directly to a veteran that wants a night out.
