Veterans Day is a bit of an anomaly of a holiday. Unlike its fellow Federal Holidays, Presidents Day and Columbus Day, that recognize people who have made important contributions to our country, Veterans Day is unique in that many of those being honored are still alive, and virtually all of us have some connection to them. That’s pretty neat if you think about it. Maybe it’s your uncle who served in Vietnam, or your little sister stationed overseas, or a parent of a child in your kid’s class.  On Veterans Day, we actually have the opportunity to personally thank those being honored. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never gotten to personally tell a past president how much I appreciate what they’ve done for our country.

With over 600,000 veterans in Washington State alone, there is plenty of opportunity to thank, honor, and support the men and women who have served our country. Below are just some of the ways you can honor our vets - on Veterans Day, and throughout the year:

• Volunteer – Support veterans in our community through service. Volunteer to help disabled vets with chores and housework or transport them to appointments, or help a recently returned veteran transition into the workforce. You can find a variety of volunteer opportunities supporting veterans at www.uwkc.org/volunteer
• Run a Supply-Drive – Collect items for Care Packages that will go to homeless veterans in our community. More info at http://www.uwkc.org/ways-to-volunteer/cre/
• Support military families – There are numerous opportunities to support military families, and veterans, during the holiday season by donating holiday meals and gifts. For a list of holiday opportunities, click here.
• Write a letter – Through programs like Operation Honor Cards and Operation Appreciation, you can easily tell active duty military, and military families, that you appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made, and even pledge to volunteer in their honor.
• For even more ideas on how to honor veterans, check out this great post on the HandsOn Network blog – Six Ways to Celebrate Veterans Day with Service