Volunteers often fill critical gaps by helping veterans in their community where other resources cannot, and one veteran service organization is putting out a call for additional help.
According to the Disabled American Veterans of America, between the COVID-19 pandemic and volunteers aging out of service, volunteerism was down 30% in 2020.
“We have veterans who have given so much for this great country and a lot of times they have some needs that might not be met by services that could be provided by paid employees, so volunteerism is very important,” said Marine veteran and DAV National Voluntary Services Director John Kleindienst.
Kleindienst noted that DAV coordinates a network of volunteers that includes the DAV Transportation Network, which arranges for transportation for veterans who have no way to get to and from medical appointments at Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
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DAV volunteers also assist at VA facilities and with household chores.
“It’s all a rewarding process,” he continued.
Kleindienst urged those who are considering volunteering with the DAV to think about volunteering a single day a month.
“If we can get 90 people to give one day a month, think of the impact that’s going to make on the men and women who’ve worn the uniform,” he said. “It’s huge.”
DAV is also urging youth and teens to consider volunteering their time.
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“DAV has a very robust scholarship that we offer for young men and women who give 100 hours in the name of DAV,” Kleindienst said.
DAV awards 10 scholarships annually with a valune of $110,000, he continued.
“The top scholarship pays $30,000,” noted Kleindienst. “There’s nothing more rewarding than giving your time to veterans and earning scholarship money while doing so.”
To learn more about volunteer opportunities with DAV, visit here.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com,