My personal journey into volunteering began in 2013 when I flew home to Texas to be by my grandpa’s side before he died.
Grandpa was an Army veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars and was forever changed by service. His kidneys and liver were shutting down because of the effects of toxic exposure. He knew his time was short, and wanted to spend his remaining time at home.
We set him up with home hospice care. He died peacefully not long after. It was then I realized how meaningful it is to be with people during their final moments. After he passed, I began volunteering in a hospice facility to sit with veterans who faced dying alone.
That sparked my passion to find more ways to help veterans in my personal life. I didn’t have to look far. In my hometown, I found motorized scooter batteries in need of changing, dangerous tree limbs to cut and overgrown lawns to trim before residents faced eviction. Although these were simple tasks, they meant the world to the veterans.
Realizing that just an hour of my time really could make a difference in a veteran’s life, and feeling good about giving back, I knew I wanted to give that gift to others. Luckily, I can do that in my role as the national voluntary services director for Disabled American Veterans. DAV is a nonprofit that provides a lifetime of support to veterans of all generations and their families at no cost.
DAV Community Impact Day is Saturday, April 5. We invite folks to give an hour of their time helping a veteran in the local community. Folks can pledge their time at communityimpactday.org.
April is National Volunteer Month, so folks who are not able to participate April 5, can still make the pledge and give back at a different time.
As I’ve learned, giving back doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. It could include mowing a lawn, driving a veteran to a medical appointment, going grocery shopping or writing letters thanking veterans for their service.
At DAV, we know the most valuable gift you can give someone is your time. Regardless of how a person decides to give back, research shows that the physical and mental benefits are as valuable for the volunteer as they are for the recipient.
And who knows, perhaps this will be your spark to do even more, like my Grandpa was for me.
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