Posts Tagged ‘Military’

An Easy Way to Recognize Service Members

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Are you looking for an easy way to recognize our deployed service members and thank them for their service? The USO has a great way for you to do just that, and it’s free!

You can choose from a variety of cards, some of them are for deployed family members and some are appropriate for any service member. If you’re looking to send a card to any service member, the Department of Defense doesn’t deliver mail to ‘Any Soldier’ anymore, but anysoldier.com can connect you with a service member who will share your message with a member of their unit who might not be getting mail from home.

You can also donate to the USO’s Operation Phone Home to help make it easier for service members to call home to their families when they’re deployed.

If you have a rainy weekend in the house with your family, you can make cards for deployed soldiers, too! All you need is some construction paper, pens, pencils, markers or crayons, and a little imagination! It’s a sure bet that your cards will brighten the day of a deployed service member. Don’t forget, even if you don’t know a soldier, you can send your cards to a soldier who might not be getting mail from home through anysoldier.com.

 

Looking for another idea for small act volunteering? Did you see these ideas?

 

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Posted in Volunteerism | 8 Comments »

Make Your Memorial Day BBQ Worth More

Monday, May 28th, 2012

Happy Memorial Day! Today is the perfect time for backyard barbecue and busting out your favorite white jeans. Today is also the perfect time to do a little social good for your community.

Last week, we discussed how to honor your community’s military men and women on Memorial Day. You can take those ideas one step further by turning your Memorial Day celebration into a charity event to benefit military service men, veterans, families, or organizations working with military.

Choose a cause or individual that touches you, and raise donations during your party!

How will you do this? Check out our steps below for fundraising success!

  1. Brainstorm with guests prior to the event: Ask your guests to do some research on military needs and nonprofit organizations that work with military or military families. Come up with a list of organizations that you can relate to. Come together as a group to make a uniformed decision about which cause you want to support at your event. When you draw up your invitations, let guests know that you will be collecting donations at your celebration, if they would like to donate.
  2. Contact the organization that you wish to help: Give the organization of your choice a heads up that you are hosting a benefit event in hopes of collecting donations for them. The organization may have certain items they need instead of monetary donations. Some organizations do not accept monetary donations.
  3. Define a purpose: Let your guests know the purpose of your benefit event. Whether your purpose is to help out a veteran in your community, or to collect money for a nonprofit because you like their mission, it is important to let guests know where their money will be going.
  4. Assign a leader to the event: Assign a leader to the fundraising aspect of your event. Someone should be in charge of collecting the donations. It is also important to assign a role to the person who will be making the actual donation.
  5. Alert the community: Ask guests if they would like to get the community involved in fundraising. Do you want to make this event internal or external? These questions can be answered in line with your fundraising goals. What are you trying to accomplish through your event?
  6. Make it fun: Assign a theme to your Memorial Day event. Guests are more likely to have a good time and be more involved in your purpose, if they are enjoying the atmosphere. Whether your theme is Memorial Day barbecue or an All-American party, just have a good time!
  7. Say thank-you: Let your guests know how thankful you are for their contributions at your event. If you want to hold another similar event, guests are more likely to give again, if they feel like their actions were appreciated.
  8. Spread the benefits: If possible, let guests know how their donations benefited the community or the chosen organization or individual. Did their donation provide a military family in need with a warm meal? However your event benefited the community; let guests know so they have a tangible mission to hold on to.

 

Memorial Day is a great way to have fun with friends and family, but remember to support your troops while you are having fun!

Are you turning your Memorial Day celebration into more than just a day of barbecue? Let us know about it in the comments section below!

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Posted in Events, Fundraising & Development, Military | No Comments »

16 Ways to Honor Our Military on Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2012

Memorial Day is this upcoming Monday, May 28. Time to enjoy a day off work, put on your best white attire, and fire up the back yard barbecue. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Memorial Day?

Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1865 to honor fallen Union soldiers after the American Civil War. By the 20th Century, Memorial was extended to honor all fallen American soldiers. In 1968, Memorial Day became an official American holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday in May.

What can you do to honor the true meaning of Memorial Day? Check out today’s ideas below:

  1. Ask your local newspaper editor to include a list of names on Memorial Day of fallen soldiers in your community.
  2. Visit a military cemetery. Put flowers, ribbons, or American flags on soldiers’ graves.
  3. Wear a yellow ribbon in honor of current soldiers or veterans in your community.
  4. Fly an American flag in your yard at half mast to honor the memory of fallen soldiers.
  5. Take a moment of silence during your busy day to observe the military families who have lost a loved one to war.
  6. Write thank you letters for currently serving military or veterans for their service to protecting our country and community members.
  7. Visit a military museum or historic military site.
  8. Organize a community-wide observance to honor the military in your community who have served or who are currently serving.
  9. Change your profile picture to an American flag in honor of the military.
  10. Tell others why you are thankful for the military by using the hashtag #RememberThem on .
  11. Educate your children on the importance of observing Memorial Day and the dedicated service of military men and women.
  12. Volunteer with military families from babysitting children to cooking a meal for a military family in your community.
  13. Hold a donation fundraiser for your community’s veterans’ hospital.
  14. Volunteer with the Red Cross.
  15. Educate yourself on the needs of returning military and educate your community on these needs. Make sure that your community is accurately meeting veteran needs. The Community Blueprint has many educational resources.
  16. Get involved with the Got Your 6 Campaign.

It is important to always remember the dedicated service of military men and women. Their dedication to service is truly inspirational to every American, especially all of us in the nonprofit volunteer sector.

However your decide to celebrate Memorial Day this upcoming Monday, take time to honor those who have given their lives for our country’s freedom.

How are you honoring the military for Memorial Day? We would love for you to share in the comments section below!

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Posted in Events, Military | 9 Comments »