Recently, there’s been a new trend on social media. It’s called the #22PushUpChallenge and it’s in support of military veterans who commit suicide. It’s estimated that on average, 22 veterans commit suicide every day. So like the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, you record a video, tag a few people and post it on your social media to raise awareness. While raising awareness for a cause like this is worthy and the number is definitely a sobering statistic, it only does that much… raises awareness. It doesn’t fix the actual problem or even truly address the issue. So after doing 22 push ups and passing the torch on to someone else, here’s a few things you can do that will help these veterans out.
1. Donate to organizations that help veterans who are struggling with civilian life.
Organizations like the Wounded Warrior Project, Puppies Behind Bars, etc. help veterans with PTSD and other issues. To keep these organizations running and helping these veterans, they need donations as most are not government funded so they’re worthy places to hand your money over to.
2. Send letters to soldiers overseas.
There are several different organizations like Operation Gratitude and Operation Write Home that let you write letters to soldiers as well as send packages and send blank greeting cards for them to write to loved ones. A letter of appreciation can brighten their day and lift their spirits in a time of need.
3. Donate to the USO.
This organization also assists active-duty troops. They offer many services but one you can help with is donating money to give troops $50 prepaid international calling cards to make up to 140 calls home. The chance to speak with a loved one can really help them out.
4. Talk with veterans.
There are sometimes hospitals and places that allow you to spend time and talk with veterans struggling with PTSD. Connect with a veteran and spend some time getting to know them and their story. Someone showing that they care can make all the difference.
It helps to raise awareness so people know just how real PTSD is and how many military veterans are affected by this, but it’s not enough to stop there. These veterans (and active-duty troops) need more than the awareness of the country. They’re needing help, understanding and the organizations provided to them to get help. Donating money to these places can help them reach out to more and more veterans needing the help in their home life. Awareness is a great start, active help is even better.
