While many of us typically celebrate Memorial Day weekend by hanging out with friends and family and drinking red, white and blue cocktails, the heart of the holiday lies with America’s service people. With stay-at-home orders and social distancing in place, though, the biggest concern shouldn’t be that we can’t party all weekend—rather, that our veterans might be having a difficult time without in-person services. To ensure that our service people aren’t forgotten during this pandemic, we rounded up some virtual Memorial Day ideas that allow you to pay tribute to America’s service people, veterans and their families while also staying safely at home. You can throw some ribs on the grill and support service people at the same time this holiday.
Whether or not you know a member of the US military or veteran yourself, there are so many ways you can help these service people over Memorial Day (and long after). From donating to organizations who have direct donations set up for those affected by stay at home orders to reading tips on supporting veterans in crisis, you can easily be there for service people from the comfort of your own home. Many troops are currently abroad and have families who might need extra help during these times, and many veterans might find themselves alone in their homes without someone to talk to. Recognizing that these service people and their families might need some extra support over Memorial Day this year can allow us all to celebrate those who are at the core of the holiday.
If you’re ready to start helping, we listed seven different ways to support service people, veterans and their families this Memorial Day. Even if you can’t afford to financially contribute, there are other ways to lend your time virtually and help America’s service people stay safe and healthy—both physically and mentally—while at home.
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1. Send A Care Package
To support service people who are currently abroad and can’t celebrate Memorial Day at home or with their families—or occasionally can’t even talk to their loved ones—consider sending a care package. Organizations like Support Our Troops have compiled lists of what these service people need while away from their homes, so you can make sure you’re supplying goods that will make a difference. You can buy and ship items directly to the organization, or donate to them on their site if you’d rather make a monetary contribution.
2. Donate To Armed Services YMCA
The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) is currently supporting service people with food, child care and more during these unprecedented times. There are 13 branches around the country, and each has been assessing what their individual communities need right now. If you want to lend your support, find your closest ASYMCA and find out what you can do to help this Memorial Day and beyond.
3. Check In On Veterans & Service People You Know
If you know any service people who are home right now or veterans who might benefit from a quick call or FaceTime, take a few minutes to check in. Especially during these times, we call could use a listening ear. Ask for fun stories, how you can help them directly or simply thank them for their service.Sometimes reaching out and saying thank you is one of the most important things we can do.
4. Support Veteran Authors
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So many veterans have written about their experiences in the military, and reading accounts of being at war or working as a service person in America can help our understanding of what veterans have gone through. Ordering a book written by a veteran is an easy way to support them while also giving yourself an opportunity to learn more about their life. In addition, if you know a service person or veteran who’s interested in writing but doesn’t know where to start, the Veterans Writing Project hosts free writing and songwriting seminars for service people, veterans and their families. This can be a great resource to share with service people and veterans you know.
5. Learn How To Help Veterans In Crisis
For veterans in your life who might occasionally have a hard time (especially with stay at home orders and social distancing in place) consider learning how to help when crises arise. The Veteran Crisis Line has tips for talking to veterans who need support—including a social media safety toolkit that can help you respond to posts indicating a veteran might be having thoughts of self harm.
6. Donate To Wounded Warriors Family Support COVID-19 Emergency Response
Wounded Warriors Family Support has an emergency response in place for directly helping families affected by COVID-19. When you make a donation to this fund, 100 percent of the money is used to support veteran families in need. Veterans and their families can also apply for assistance on this same site, so if you know someone who’s being affected by the pandemic, you can direct them there as well.
7. Inform Veterans About The Support They Can Receive
Many veterans may not know about the support they can receive while stay at home orders are in place. However, both the US Department of Veteran Affairs and Tragedy Assistance for Survivors (also commonly known as TAPS) have responses in place for COVID-19. Do little research and help pass information along to veterans you know who could use some extra help during this time.
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