#Middlebury #Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs just celebrated its 75th year of using volunteers to run programs for veterans. In that time they’ve toted up 1 billion hours of volunteer time. Last year alone, 46,000 volunteers worked 4.4 million service hours and gave $108 million worth of gifts and donations.
That’s huge, and it’s a credit to all those volunteers that they found ways to support veterans despite COVID and all the restrictions it brought to our lives. We can make this year even better.
Go to Voluntary Services at www.volunteer.va.gov and see how you can help. On the left side look at Volunteer or Donate Now. Pick your state and the facility you want to support.
If you want to donate money, you can do that online with a credit card. Be sure to identify the facility you’d like the money to go to.
If you want to volunteer in person, select the facility and check the list for slots that need filled. It might be parking-lot shuttle driver, mealtime companion, maintenance help or any other type of service. If the facility has a hospice unit, look at the list and consider the families that are staying there.
If you’re a member of a service organization such as the American Legion and want to make a group donation, look at the list of wish items they need. Right now at my medical facility, they’re looking for store gift cards, sneakers, underwear, canteen coupon books and gas cards. Other facility lists are more specific, down to the actual size of pants and shoes that are needed or the type of paperback books that are preferred.
If there is a large homeless population in your area, facilities often try to put together care packages for those veterans or apartment start-up kits for those moving into housing.
Call the Voluntary Services department at a facility near you and ask how you can help.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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