Take action to truly thank a veteran this Veterans Day
By Renee Medina, Manatee County Senior Veterans Counselor
Veterans don’t fit one particular category. They are all ages and their education, skills and health are wide ranging. Some have struggled to transition to civilian life or find themselves faced with an unexpected event due to job loss, health or sickness or death of a family member. So just like our general population, their needs can vary at any point in time.
While Veterans Day is a wonderful way to thank our service men and women who have risked everything to serve our county, what we actually do for a Veteran is often more important than what we say. Here are five suggestions to truly thank Veterans:
- Hire one
- Hire a military spouse or caregiver
- Use a Veteran-owned business
- Volunteer for an organization that supports them or their families
- Attend a Veteran event
Where can you volunteer?
There are several local organizations that lend support to Veterans.
One organization is Turning Points, which works to help people in Manatee County avoid homelessness or find a home. For Veterans specifically, they work with various partners to provide housing, shelter and supportive services, made possible by grants, such as The Yellow Ribbon Veterans Program, which provides temporary financial assistance.
For over 20 years, they have held an annual Stand Down event to help Veterans and their families receive critical services all in one place. The next one is right around the corner (Saturday, November 6), from 8 a.m. to Noon, at the Manatee County Fairgrounds. The following services will be available: Hot lunch, shower/hygiene, clothing, medical/dental screenings, haircut, employment services and Amnesty Court involving unpaid court and traffic fines/fees (Veterans only). If you would like to donate towards Stand Down, please contact Margi Dawson at mdawson@tpmanatee.org, and if you would like to volunteer for Stand Down, contact Maureen Mack at mmack@tpmanatee.org.
There’s also JFCS of the Suncoast, which offers case management, financial and employment assistance to low-income veterans and their families who are homeless or who are about to become homeless to enable them to obtain or maintain stable, permanent housing.
Other Local Veteran Organizations:
- Sarasota Veterans Center provides individual, group, couples and family counseling at no cost. For Volunteer Opportunities, contact Dwight English, 941–927–8285 Ext 23184, dwight.english@va.gov
- CareerSource Suncoast offers priority of service to Veterans.
- Operation Warrior Resolution offers holistic mental health care for Veterans and their families at no cost, including rapid resolution therapy, equine therapy, retreats and health and nutrition coaching.
- Operation EcoVets is a place for Veterans and their family members to volunteer by growing organic vegetables and herbs to try to heal from psychological wounds they may have encountered.
- 941 Vets is a local source that lists Veteran-Owned businesses.
- Manasota Operation Troop Support offers ongoing support for both Veterans and active military service men and women and their families, including care packages, food distributions, stocking stuffers, Holiday Adopt a Family, school supply drives and special Veteran requests. They are always looking for volunteers and will need more once they go back to pre-COVID food packing events.
Help us help you!
Our Veterans team is always here to help connect Veterans to services and community resources to keep them up to date on changes to VA Disability Compensation, Low-Income and Long-Term Pensions, Burial Benefits and VA Healthcare. If you know a Veteran in Manatee County who hasn’t reached out to our office yet, please have them do so by calling 941–745–3795.
