It is currently Fleet Week in New York, so there are uniforms everywhere you turn as military men and women get some time in the city, and tend to take advantage of it. It is also a week when the government’s ridiculous and never fair or logical “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” law is finally moving closer to being dismantled so the military can finally be proud of everyone dedicated and honorable enough to want to serve the country in this way and wear the uniform.
As the lead up to Memorial Day, there are lots of inspiring volunteer opportunities with veterans organizations around the world. Here are a few to start your search for your own way to be of service, whether you wear a uniform or civvies.
It’s a Memorial Day tradition to lay wreaths on the graves of veterans, so check with your local American Legion post to find the time and place where you can help in this great honor.
The National Parks Service can use volunteer help any time of year at our nation’s monuments and memorials—pitch in near home or while you are traveling for a holiday weekend.
Did you know that it’s not just the shows and entertainers that volunteer their time to the USO, but all of us from all walks of life can join the effort to give service members a taste of home. Assemble and distribute care packages, meet returning forces at the airport, serve snacks at a USO center, or be a welcomer at a reunion party, library, or free Internet center.
In La Jolla, California, volunteers make up most of the staff at the Mount Soledad Memorial, and you too can help at this war memorial that has honored service members since 1914.
In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you can spend a week on board a destroyer ship that has been turned into a Naval museum, helping with volunteer maintenance and support—USS Kidd.
*International volunteers work side-by-side with Israel Defense Forces helping keep bases running at top efficiency throughout Israel. The National Council for Volunteering in Israel arranges 2-week postings for you to pitch in while living on base and working with the troops.
Change by Doing 