Veteran's Day - Help a Vet or Soldier

Military Services
By ELIZABETH BERNSTEIN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
November 11, 2005; Page W2

In honor of Veteran’s Day, here are some ways to help U.S. military members and veterans.
? Operation Gratitude sends care packages with food, toiletries and DVDs to military members deployed overseas. Since it was founded in 2003, the nonprofit, based in Encino, Calif., has sent more than 70,000 packages to the troops, and it plans to send 30,000 this holiday season. The group is accepting donations of packaged food – such as beef jerky, trail mix, tuna and power bars – and goods such as batteries, disposable cameras, baseball hats and prepaid phone cards. You can mail items to the address on the Web site or drop them off at any Jeep dealership in the country until Dec. 31. For information, or to donate cash, log on to http://www.operationgratitude.com .

? Operation Homelink helps U.S. military members abroad keep in touch with loved ones via the Internet by supplying refurbished computers to their families. Since it was founded in 2003, the Chicago-based nonprofit, has provided 1,100 computers. The group accepts donations of computers from companies only – with a 25-computer minimum. It prefers that individuals donate cash, which is used to pay for the restoration and shipping of computers. To donate, log on to http://www.operationhomelink.org .

? The United Service Organizations, or USO, has been working to boost the morale of active-duty military members since 1941. The nonprofit, based in Arlington, Va., sponsors concerts and operates 123 troop recreation centers around the world. The centers have food, televisions, free Internet access, and games, such as Xbox. The USO also runs Operation Phone Home, which has distributed nearly one million prepaid phone cards since it began two years ago. It also hands out care packages to troops being deployed. To donate, log on to http://www.uso.org .

? The Wounded Warrior Project assists veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and lobbies on their behalf on Capitol Hill. The organization, based in Roanoke, Va., was founded in 2003 by John Melia, a former U.S. Marine injured in a helicopter crash while serving in Somalia in 1992. The group gives a backpack filled with items such as socks, T-shirts, toiletries and a portable CD player to wounded service members. It also provides them with information about financial planning and government benefits, and pays for their families’ travel expenses to visit them in the hospital. In addition, it buys disabled veterans specially adapted sports equipment. To donate, log on to http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org .

Help a veteran get a job.
I’ve been applying for months.
Can’t find anything over $8.00/hour.

You’d be helping 2 vets since my wife is also a veteran.

[quote]SWR-1222D wrote:
Help a veteran get a job.
I’ve been applying for months.
Can’t find anything over $8.00/hour.

You’d be helping 2 vets since my wife is also a veteran.[/quote]

Man SWR,

I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you find something soon.

I don’t know what your education level is, but if you’re college educated and in the NYC area, you might try seeing if you can get a job as a paralegal. I know a lot of the big corporate firms hire paralegals who have college degrees but not any particular paralegal training, and I would think they’d be hiring now, as I know a lot of firms are hiring corporate lawyers, which means they have lots of work to be done.

[quote]BostonBarrister wrote:
SWR-1222D wrote:
Help a veteran get a job.
I’ve been applying for months.
Can’t find anything over $8.00/hour.

You’d be helping 2 vets since my wife is also a veteran.

Man SWR,

I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you find something soon.

I don’t know what your education level is, but if you’re college educated and in the NYC area, you might try seeing if you can get a job as a paralegal. I know a lot of the big corporate firms hire paralegals who have college degrees but not any particular paralegal training, and I would think they’d be hiring now, as I know a lot of firms are hiring corporate lawyers, which means they have lots of work to be done.

[/quote]

Yea, my biggest problem is that I don’t yet have a degree. I’m working on BS in Information Technology, but I’m thinking of changing to a math/engineering degree from SUNY.

Coming out of the Navy as a Cryptologic Tech. I heard of people getting $70,000-$80,000 a year, just with their Military exp. (yes, I must have been gulible to believe that).

I could have made $40,000+ but was limited in the areas I could work (mainly DC) and would have to travel more than I’m willing to right now.

I have an interview at a Family Dollar Distribution Center that’s larger than any local Wal-Mart dist. center. That should hold me over until I get my degree and am able to live where I want.

Great post though. I’d like to emphasise giving to disabled vets. Yes, I’m a vet but I don’t realy need help like many other vets do.

There are all kinds of vets who will be scarred for life due to their service in the Military defending our freedom. They deserve live the rest of their lives as comfortably as possible.

Here’s another:

http://www.hohf.org/findhelp.htm

They’re collecting Christmas gifts for wounded soldiers.