While the long weekend is a highlight of Memorial Day, be sure not to forget the primary reason for this national holiday. Memorial Day serves as the celebration of those in our nation's armed forces who have gone above and beyond the call of duty and lost their lives to keep ours safe.
If you have any opportunity to do so, you may consider organizing or taking part in fundraising activities to benefit the men and women of the military who've come home safely ─ often due to the efforts of those who've passed ─ and need our assistance now. You can do this on your own, but if you can put the power of your employer or your own business behind such an effort, it might do even more good.
Here are three ideas. Consider these in light of the personal and business interests you might want to support:
Partnering with The Mission Continues
Those who are new to veterans' causes may want to seek out The Mission Continues, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that helps community leaders ─ including public servants and members of other nonprofits ─ get involved with helping veterans.
This group invites supports from fundraising events that you or your business could create and sponsor, ranging from 5K and 10K runs to sports tournaments and trivia contests. Any of those would fit in easily with Memorial Day celebrations while also collecting revenue for veteran job training, children's education and other causes.
Helping the Wounded Warrior Project.
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) focuses specifically on helping the brave men and women who returned from war with physical disabilities. Any of these injuries, be they burn scarring, lost limbs, nerve damage, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental and physical ailments, can be significant burdens for vets and their families.
This Memorial Day, you can register any community events you'll be involved in as WWP fundraisers and amass funds through donations or as participation fees. Fundraisers can be under your name or your business’s name or your employer’s name (with permission). Veteran fundraising events draw the support of people from many social and political backgrounds, particularly those helping homecoming soldiers who don't wish to be defined by their injuries.
Supporting USA Cares
Not all states have chapters of this organization, but if yours does, USA Cares could be another worthwhile beneficiary of a Memorial Day fundraising drive. This group aids the families of veterans, many of whom have weighty financial obligations that a military pension or disability payment cannot always cover. You can use your corporate or community Memorial Day activities to encourage participants to become monthly or one-time donors to USA Cares, helping the spouses and children of returning or deceased veterans.
If you have any opportunity to do so, you may consider organizing or taking part in fundraising activities to benefit the men and women of the military who've come home safely ─ often due to the efforts of those who've passed ─ and need our assistance now. You can do this on your own, but if you can put the power of your employer or your own business behind such an effort, it might do even more good.
Here are three ideas. Consider these in light of the personal and business interests you might want to support:
Partnering with The Mission Continues
Those who are new to veterans' causes may want to seek out The Mission Continues, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that helps community leaders ─ including public servants and members of other nonprofits ─ get involved with helping veterans.
This group invites supports from fundraising events that you or your business could create and sponsor, ranging from 5K and 10K runs to sports tournaments and trivia contests. Any of those would fit in easily with Memorial Day celebrations while also collecting revenue for veteran job training, children's education and other causes.
Helping the Wounded Warrior Project.
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) focuses specifically on helping the brave men and women who returned from war with physical disabilities. Any of these injuries, be they burn scarring, lost limbs, nerve damage, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental and physical ailments, can be significant burdens for vets and their families.
This Memorial Day, you can register any community events you'll be involved in as WWP fundraisers and amass funds through donations or as participation fees. Fundraisers can be under your name or your business’s name or your employer’s name (with permission). Veteran fundraising events draw the support of people from many social and political backgrounds, particularly those helping homecoming soldiers who don't wish to be defined by their injuries.
Supporting USA Cares
Not all states have chapters of this organization, but if yours does, USA Cares could be another worthwhile beneficiary of a Memorial Day fundraising drive. This group aids the families of veterans, many of whom have weighty financial obligations that a military pension or disability payment cannot always cover. You can use your corporate or community Memorial Day activities to encourage participants to become monthly or one-time donors to USA Cares, helping the spouses and children of returning or deceased veterans.
