The holidays are all about giving back. Everywhere you look there are opportunities to give. There are Santas outside of every shopping center ringing their bells for the Salvation Army, Toys for Tots drop off locations all around, and churches, food banks, and social groups accepting goods to help the needy. The ways to give back are endless. However, not all ways of giving back are as popular or as well known. This year I have decided we are going to focus on giving back to the military and to the men and women who have served to protect our freedoms. 

5 Ways To Give Back To Those Who Have Served In Our Military 

Write a Letter to a Serve Member or Veteran

Writing a holiday message, or simply sending a few of your leftover holiday cards can bring a smile to just about anyones face. Sometimes just letting someone you know you are thinking of them is the most efficient way spread holiday cheer. You might be thinking what do I do once I write my letter or card…there are a few ways to help make sure you letter gets to someone who has or is serving in the military. You can contact your local VA, VFW, or contact your local Red Cross. The Red Cross runs a program known as Holiday Mail For Heroes, that can help make sure your letter/card gets to someone who could really use the extra boost of holiday cheer. 

Donate To Your Local USO

The USO’s motto is, “Wherever and whenever they go, the USO will be there”.  One of the most common place to find a USO is at your closest international airport. The first step to donating to the USO is to contact your local USO and finding out what they are in need of. They may be looking for goods, services, or even volunteers. 

Volunteer at a Veterans Center

One great way of giving back is to spend time with veterans. Let them know how thankful you are for everything they have done to defend our freedoms, then spend some time just listening. Our service men and women have an abundance of information that they would love to share, they just need to be asked. This goes well beyond Veterans as well, our elders have so many amazing stories that are just begging to be let out, and all we need to do is ask them, and listen. I learned this just the other day when I called up my grandfather and my husband’s grandmother and asked them about Pearl Harbor. 

Visit a Memorial & Remember 

Take a moment and visit a local memorial. Giving back is more than just a physical thing, you can give back by simply remembering, learning, and sharing with the next generation. Marrying someone in the military has definitely given me a greater understanding of the sacrifices made by so many. I can’t imagine what our past service member and their families must have gone through, and I hope that one day our future service members and their families look back and can truly unstained all that was sacrificed to keep their freedoms safe. 

Donate 

There are so many wonderful military based organizations you can donate to, so just pick the one that means the most to you. If making a monitory donation isn’t something your interested in, look into an organization that also accepts volunteers, like; Fisher House or Homes for Our Troops. 

I was once told spreading holiday cheer is a lot like spreading nutella, you can’t spread even a little without getting some on yourself. So this holiday spread the cheer and embrace the season by giving back to those that have protected your freedoms!