Veteran’s Day is right around the corner. We’ve pulled together some powerful and meaningful ways to say thank you to those who have served:
1. Tell them!
“Thank you so much for serving our country the way you did. You may not think of yourself like this, but to me, you really are a hero.” A message such as this is both one of the most effective, and cost-effective, ways of expressing your appreciation. Whether it’s in person or with a card or note, a simple thank you goes a long way.
2. Invite a veteran over for a meal
A shared meal is an ideal way to say thank you. Not only will you get to honor your veteran, you’ll get to connect on a deeper level. And, of course, you’ll come away with full bellies and the memory of time together.
3. Ask them to share stories – and photos
As with any meaningful experience, many veterans love to tell their tales to receptive listeners. It’s often a favorite thing to talk about!
If they have photographs they’d love to share, even better. It’s a great way to spur their memory and for you to see their experiences firsthand. You might consider, with their permission of course, recording their stories with a voice recording app on your phone or computer so you can remember those stories and honor their legacy.. You can then use an inexpensive online transcription service. Many are surprisingly cost effective. While you’ll likely need to go through and correct specifics, often names and places, they’ll save you a tremendous amount of time by taking a pretty accurate first pass at transcribing your voice recording.
Note: while many veterans relish in sharing stories, some find it hard or upsetting. Be sure to ask if this is something they’d like and feel comfortable doing.
4. Preserve their memories for posterity
Did you know that digital photos, film, and videotapes inevitably degrade over time—even when carefully stored? While you can take steps to preserve precious physical memories, the only way to be sure they really last a lifetime and beyond, is to digitize them.
Depending on your relationship with your veteran, you could get their memories digitized for them. Here’s a quick walk through of what digitizing entails. (Spoiler: it’s simpler than you think.) You could also purchase one of our Time Capsule boxes as a gift and let your veteran send it in when they’re ready.
5. Donate to a veteran-supporting cause
There are so many veteran-related causes out there for you to choose from, from national organizations to powerhouse individuals making a difference in the lives of veterans in their communities. Pick a cause that feels right to you, and know you’ll be making a valued difference.
6. Support a local veteran-owned small business
Did you know there is a directory of veteran-owned businesses? In fact, there are over 37,000 such registered businesses in this directory alone. Purchasing from them, of course, is a meaningful way to show support. There are probably a number of veteran-owned businesses in your town that you could visit as well. Curious about other ways to show your support?
7. Fly a US Flag
Simple, powerful, and particularly meaningful on Veteran’s Day, flying our country’s flag shows your support. Curious about the official rules for handling and flying the US Flag?
8. Volunteer at a VA hospital or local nursing home
Donating your time or money is a great way to support veterans, any day of the year. There are numerous ways to volunteer and donate, more options than we could possibly name. Volunteering at a local nursing home or other care-related facility is greatly needed, and appreciated.
What Veteran’s Day means to us at Capture
Veteran’s Day is near and dear to us here at Capture. In fact, we donate 5% of all sales to Fisher House Foundation. Fisher House Foundation builds comfort homes where military and veteran families can stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital.
Earlier this year, we were fortunate to get to directly help a military family as a featured product partner on Military Makeover airing on Lifetime TV! Military Makeover is America’s leading reality show that focuses on hope and lending a helping hand here on the home front to members of our military and their loved ones. Together with Photo Repair Pro, we helped the show’s designer create a gallery wall of the family’s memories.
