Many of our nation’s veterans need assistance around their home. Elderly or limited-mobility veterans may not be able to take care of all their housekeeping requirements and would appreciate some extra help.
Knowing that veterans and current servicemembers do not always ask for help in times of need, your local American Legion Auxiliary is a great place to look for assistance in locating veterans who may need some help at home. If you are unfamiliar with your local American Legion Auxiliary, you can find your state department here, who can put you in touch with a representative in your area.
Often, organizations or individuals aware of a veteran’s issues will encourage those in need to share their information with the local American Legion Auxiliary unit. In this manner, volunteers can be matched with veterans in need of assistance.
Ways to Help Veterans at Home:
- Basic home tasks or repairs (i.e., painting a room or the exterior of a house, assembling a shelf, programming electronic devices or computers, hanging picture frames).
- Yard work (i.e., snow removal, raking leaves, weeding, mowing the lawn, brush cleanup).
- Build a wheelchair ramp for a veteran who has lost a leg or an elderly veteran who is less mobile.
- Cook a meal for them at their home.
- Do their laundry or housecleaning.
Now it’s your turn!
- Find a veteran. Ask organizations or volunteer groups if they know of anyone you can help.
- Ask friends or family members to help. Two people can help tackle more projects.
- Follow up. After you complete the project, check back with the veteran and see if there is anything else you can do (i.e., if you mow the lawn, see if it needs mowed again in a few weeks).
- Share your experience to encourage others to find ways to help veterans.
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