Around the time of our national Veterans’ Day holiday, there is always a lot of great conversation about veterans and thoughtful reminders to thank our nation’s defenders for their service. Even after Veterans’ Day, veterans across the country still deserve our appreciation and there are plenty of opportunities for us citizens to continue to thank them!

1. Be a friendly face

Making a veteran feel appreciated can be as simple as stopping a veteran on the street and introducing yourself. Thank them for what they have done for our country and our freedom and make sure they know you are grateful for their service.

2. Send them a nice handwritten note

Receiving handwritten letters and notes in the mail is a heartwarming feeling and writing these letters is a great way to remind someone that you are thinking of them. Write a veteran a letter thanking them for their sacrifices for our nation. Keep the letter positive and uplifting to raise their spirits. Operation Gratitude offers guidelines on the best way to write letters to veterans and you can send your letters to the organization and they will make sure they are delivered to the veterans. The guidelines and more information on writing letters can be found here.

3. Buy them a meal

Homelessness is a serious problem for many of our nations’ veterans. Our heroes are left on the street with nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. The next time you pass a veteran on the street, offer to buy them a meal. If you can, ask if they would like some company while they eat. Listen to their stories and let them know you are with them and you support them.

4. Volunteer your time at a VA hospital

The VA hospitals provide health care to veterans across the country. The VA’s website provides a directory to VA hospitals in every state and you can view the needs list for each hospital. The directory can be accessed here. Some hospitals are in need of volunteers, some are in need of supplies like coffee cups and coffee makers, and others are in need of activity donations for the Veterans such as wheelchair-accessible tickets to sporting events and concerts. This is a great way to interact face-to-face with our veterans and once again make them feel appreciated.

5. Support an organization that supports our veterans

There are quite a few organizations dedicated to protecting and thanking our veterans and providing them with opportunities to receive various benefits. The Wounded Warrior Project is one of these organizations and there are a lot of ways to involve yourself with this organization. You can register to host your own fundraising event here.

If you are not able to create your own event, there is also a page for interested supporters to sign up to participate in other local events: http://fundraise.woundedwarriorproject.org/rtt/Events/Search/ev?CmsPageId=1570.

If you cannot participate in any of the events, the Wounded Warrior Project also accepts monetary donations. Your financial contributions will help the organization continue to provide support to wounded veterans and their families.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. I hope you are inspired to do something for our veteran. Please spread the word by sharing this article on your own social media platforms and by encouraging your friends and family to get involved as well!