There are so many ways that you can make your life enriching and fulfilling, but one of them is to become an advocate for veterans and those in need. One such area that can use advocates is veterans. Helping veterans is about more than providing them with the assistance they need, but it can also give you that sense of satisfaction and comfort knowing you are making a different in people’s lives.

So how can you become an advocate for veterans? Well there are a number of different routes you can pursue.

Make it Your Career

If you’re ready to go all in and work with veterans as much as possible, then you could always enroll in Rutgers Online masters in social work program. Social workers are very much involved in the lives of veterans, typically the veterans the system has left behind, many of whom have trouble coping with life, and suffer from issues such as PTSD.

Should this be your chosen career path, you will most likely be working with veterans who have mental and physical problems. A large part of the job can be to help them apply for their Veterans Affairs benefits, a process that can seem overwhelming and confusing for them. It will also be your job to help them assimilate back into life at home, a very tough thing for many veterans.

Become a Volunteer

There are plenty of organizations that allow you to volunteer your time to help veterans in need. This is ideal if you don’t want to make it your career and can’t necessarily commit to set hours each and every day. The Disabled American Veterans organization is a great example of places where you can volunteer. This organization gives veterans free transportation to the Veterans Affairs medical facilities.

Provide Sponsorship

This is the perfect solution for those who want to be an advocate, but can’t volunteer their time. You can opt to sponsor a companion dog meant for veterans suffering from PTSD. These companion dogs are specially trained and can make a massive difference in a veteran’s life.

Help Provide a Home

When a veteran returns home with an injury they may not find their home to be suitable. In fact, they may not even have a home to return to. Homes for Our Troops is an organization that is dedicated to retrofitting veteran’s homes to make them work, or when needed, to building a home for a veteran. You can choose to make a monetary donation or even donate your time to help build or fix a home.

Showing Them Respect through Actions

Becoming an advocate for veterans allows you to show your respect and appreciation for all they’ve done through actions that actually benefit their lives. Whether you choose to make a career out of it and get into social work for veterans specifically, or you want to donate time or money, every little bit counts and all will make a difference in the lives of veterans.

My husband is a US Army Veteran living with a partial service-related disability. Rick enlisted in the United States Army in 1984 and he served for more than 13 years!

Rick’s Honors

• Meritorious Service Medal
• Army Commendation Medal
• Army Achievement Medal (3rd Award)
• Army Good Conduct Medal (4th Award)
• National Defense Services Medal
• Noncommissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon w/2
• Army Service Ribbon
• Overseas Service Ribbon
• Driver and Mechanic Badge with Driver-W Bar
• Bronze German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge

He is just one of the many reasons why I am honored and proud to advocate for veterans!