There may be no better time than now to consider ways you can volunteer to help the veterans where you live.
That’s because April is National Volunteer Month and April 17-23 is National Volunteer Week.
U.S. Marine Corps veteran and DAV National Voluntary Services Director John Kleindienst said the non-profit provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and is always looking for volunteers.
“Every year, our no-cost services help one million veterans access critical benefits, including support for our volunteer program,” he said.
During National Volunteer Month, DAV is asking the public to join it in giving back to veterans and their communities.
Kleindienst shared the story of a young medical student in Tennessee who volunteered with the DAV’s Transportation Network program after seeing one of its vans on campus.
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The program arranges rides for veterans who have no way to get to and from medical appointments at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and participants were “really energized to hear of a young student going to medical school finding some time in his scheduling to get out and help get them to their medical appointments,” he said.
Kleindienst said that story lets him know “we’re in a good spot when you see young adults out there carrying on the torch to help the men and women who served our country.”
The DAV Transporation Network has been in operation since 1987.
“We purchase vehicles and donate them to DAV’s all across the country for the intended purpose of providing free rides to veterans to their medical appointments,” he said. “These veterans would likely not make it to their medical appointments if we did not have our transportation network.”
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While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down most of the world during its early stage, it did not stop the transportation network from operating, Kleindienst said.
“We transported the most critically ill veterans to and from their medical appointments and we did that with our dedicated volunteers who stood by these veterans and made they got to their dialysis appointment, to their chemotherapy appointment, to their radiation appointment,” he said.
DAV also offers scholarship money for young people who volunteer through the organization.
“Our scholarship program we offer is very robust,” Kleindienst explained. “We do 10 scholarships valued at $110,000 for any young adult who has volunteered 100 hours or more in the name of DAV.”
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From assisting a veteran where you live with basic everyday chores, like yardwork and grocery shopping, to providing support at local VA hospitals or clinics with recreational programs and spending time with patients Kleindienst said there’s something everyone can do by volunteering with the DAV.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities with DAV visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.