With the wars overseas winding down, the need to help vets and military families is increasing, as attention to their needs shrinks.
Vets need jobs, and that's high priority. So do their spouses, and they all need a hand dealing with everyday challenges that are magnified when troops are deployed or relocated.
- getting school credits transferred
- dealing with family stress resulting from deployment or relocation
- understanding military culture, like commonly used acronyms
- meeting people in new bases
- using social media, including issues like operational security
- good jobs that can move with a relocation
The National Resource Directory has a really good database of nonprofits and government agencies who can provide specialized help in specific geographies.
Sesame Workshop also provides help with difficult transitions. (That's me at a Sesame event, with Cookie Monster; he's the one in blue.)
The Department of Veterans Affairs now has Facebook pages for each medical center.
DonorsChoose.org has programs to help the schools that serve military families.
Finally, don't forget national groups which provide broad assistance, like the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Bob Woodruff Foundation.
I figure that we should support Americans who risk taking a bullet to protect us, and that means also looking after their families. Just seems right...