7 Ways to Thank Military Members and Their Families During National Military Appreciation Month

Happy National Military Appreciation Month! This occasion reminds us all of the ongoing sacrifices that military members and their families make on a daily basis to help keep our country safer. It’s easy to get caught up in our busy lives, especially when you’re raising a family, without realizing how many people are giving graciously for us every day. So, this National Military Appreciation Month, take some time to thank a service member, veteran, or military family. Need ideas? Try these seven options.

• Offer a Gift or Gesture to a Military Family You Know

If you personally know any military members or military families, this is an excellent time to tell them how much you appreciate their service and their sacrifices. This could be a gift for the entire family along with a heartfelt letter of gratitude. You could even give a gift that’s not a material item but makes the family’s life a little easier, like an evening of babysitting so the parents can enjoy a date night, mowing the family’s lawn for a month, or cooking a few meals for the family.

• Make a Donation to a Military Organization

There are numerous nonprofit organizations that exist to help military members, veterans, and military families. You could make a monetary donation or donate your time and skills. Try organizations like:

• United Service Organization

• Wounded Warrior Project

• National Military Family Association

• Fisher House Foundation

• Hope For the Warriors

• Operation Stand Down Tennessee

• Operation Homefront

• Write Letters to Deployed Service Members

One of the largest sacrifices military members make is spending extended amounts of time away from their loved ones while they’re deployed. Writing letters to them can bring them some joy and company during this time away. There are several organizations that can help with this, such as:

• Support Our Troops

• Soldiers’ Angels

• A Million Thanks

• Operation We Are Here

• Donate Your Frequent Flyer Miles

Have a ton of frequent flyer miles built up? Use them for a good cause. The Fisher House Foundation has a program called Hero Miles. You can donate your frequent flyer miles and, when military members are injured overseas, the program will use those miles to fly the injured service member’s family to their bedside. This is an excellent way to offer a thankful helping hand to service members in need.

• Hire a Veteran or Military Spouse

There are countless veteran-owned or military spouse-owned small businesses, in addition to veterans and military spouses offering freelance services like virtual assistant services, lawn care or pool care, dog walking, and more. This National Military Appreciation Month, make a special effort to give your business to these companies and individuals.

• Use Your Skills to Help Military Members or Families

On the flip side, you have plenty of skills you can use to benefit military families too. Consider using your areas of expertise to help military members and their families this month. For example, if you are an expert in resumes or career development, you could offer your services to help military spouses or veterans transitioning to civilian life find jobs. If you’re an attorney, you could offer legal consulting to military families.

• Send a Care Package to a Service Member

In addition to letters, another way to send your thanks to service members is to send care packages to deployed soldiers. These could include snacks, toiletries, homemade gifts, and other enjoyable items. Keep in mind, though, that there are unfortunately some unethical groups that claim to provide this service but don’t follow through on delivering the care packages. Choose from the vetted organizations listed by Military.com.

Sharing Gratitude This National Military Appreciation Month

This month is a wonderful opportunity to thank the people who make it possible for us to enjoy the peace and comfort we do in the US. With the ideas above, you can show your gratitude and bring a smile to military members and military families.

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