How You Can Help a Service Member From Home

The idea of military service can seem very distant and alien to many people. The call to serve one’s country is not something that everyone responds to or chooses to express through military service in particular. Nonetheless, everyone has the ability to reach out and offer support, kindness, and fellowship to service members who are far from home. Being deployed comes with a lot of stress and uncertainty even in times of peace; being far away from familiar faces is difficult for any length of time and some service members will go for several years with just a few short periods of contact with family members. There are several ways that your family, community service group, church congregation, scout troop, or just your circle of friends can show your support and gratitude for the women and men whose sacrifices make our country strong.

Adopting a Service Member

There are a few different organizations that exist that allow individuals and families to adopt US soldiers and other personnel who are on active duty. These groups make it simple to reach out to soldiers who wish to correspond with people back home. Though it is not necessarily possible to select exactly who to correspond with, you can feel confident that every soldier you write to will be happy to hear from you. Most groups allow you to make a one-time or short-term commitment. This is ideal for groups who want to do something special for the troops during the holidays or in recognition of certain patriotic occurrences. Long-term commitments are good for individuals and families who wish to show their support through letters, cards, care packages, and other forms of correspondence. This is a project that the whole family can get involved in, including children.

Keeping Pets Safe and Happy

Soldiers have to say goodbye to the family pet when they leave on deployment. This situation can leave some animals in need of some extra care and support. Military pet fostering is a relatively new service that many community members have stepped up to provide. There are a number of local groups that connect animal lovers with families who need help caring for pets belonging to service members. This is a very engaging and rewarding way to express your gratitude to service members for the hard work they do and to give back to the family they are part of.

Did You Know….?

• That active service members from the United States are located in nearly 200 countries, territories, and independent regions?
• That service members may perform a range of technical tasks from engineering and training to navigation?
• That caring for a service member’s concerns at home lets them focus on their job?
• That your effort can have a direct and positive impact on someone else?

The Spirit of Giving

Giving some time, attention, and energy to active service members does not require any special skills or even a heroic effort. Every little effort can make a difference and will certainly be appreciated. You never know just what kind of effect your kindness will have. Every one of us has the potential to make a positive and meaningful difference.

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