Stop, Look and Listen, Go!

I am often asked, "What can I do to help?"

What you choose to do to help and how you do it...IT MATTERS!

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Stop

Ask

What are your personal strengths, skills, passions and abilities?

Are you able to contribute with your time? Your finances?

Pray

Ask God to open your eyes and your heart to the needs. Ask God how you can join in and help.

What are your motives?

Are you choosing to dictate what you are going to do based on what YOU think you should do, or have you seriously inquired and studied how you can help?

Let the military servicemember or family member take the lead. If your offer to help is refused, be okay with that. Maybe ask again at a later time, or ask for other suggestions in how you can help. Sometimes even they don't know where to begin to ask for help or what to ask for. Please be patient.

Are you looking for media attention or publicity for your company or organization for your generosity or giving? Then consider focusing your support on a military-supporting organization and not an individual or family.

Other considerations

Bigger isn't always better. I have heard from frustrated members or the military community regarding extravagant giveaways, etc. for the military community that benefit only one individual or family. Consider how your giving can have the greatest impact on the military community.

Sometimes we receive giving out of convenience, and that helps! But will you also consider sacrificial giving? It might mean getting a little more involved. It might mean getting to know our names and faces. It might mean being inconvenienced. If you know of someone in the military community, consider how you can be a better supporting friend, family member, co-worker.

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Look and listen

Observe

Become a student of our world; put yourself in our shoes. Walk through your day and consider how different it would be if your loved one was gone from home for a long period of time and in a dangerous place. Consider the challenges of a caregiver of a wounded warrior...or the needs of the rest of the family. Consider how painful it would be to lose a loved one in combat...or to suicide...and how the loss would affect their lives forever.

Listen with eyes open to opportunities that you can help with (childcare, meals, mowing grass, shoveling snow, special pampering).

Ask those you know who are connected with the military (co-worker, friend, neighbor, church member, etc.) how you can get involved to show support; they may recommend a favorite organization.

The needs of the military community extend beyond the military family. Don't forget parents, significant others, relatives, etc. They have needs and concerns as well.

Be aware that the needs of the military community extend beyond a safe return from a deployment.

Recognize that some military spouses are husbands ~ their needs are unique.

Military spouses who have no children have unique needs as well.

Learn

Caring Insights Read Operation We Are Here's practical insights in caring for the military community, as shared by the military community (home front families, military personnel, parents of military personnel, families coping with wounds (including PTSD, TBI), families of the fallen. Topics include: What people have done that helps...that hurts. What people have said that helps...that hurts. What we wish people understood. How you can pray for us.

www.OurMilitary.mil OurMilitary.mil has informative resources for the military supporter under the topics of: LEARN, SUPPORT, CONNECT AND VOLUNTEER. LEARN about: Our Families, Our Services, Our History, Our Lingo, Our Ranks and Insignia, Our Military Around the World, Our Bases and Installations, Our Uniforms.

www.MilitaryFamily.org The National Military Family Association offers toolkits:

COMMUNITY TOOLKIT: Finding Common Ground: A Toolkit for Communities Supporting Military Families This toolkit suggests easily-achievable action items and useful resources to guide anyone who wants to support military families, but doesn’t know where to start. Identify yourself in one of the communities below and read about ideas and resources that can start conversations and stimulate action. Then, take some time to explore the other toolkit links. Supporting military families doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.

MILITARY KIDS TOOLKIT: This toolkit, coming from the perspective of elementary school-age military children 6 to 11 years old, is the second in a series from the National Military Family Association to give the people in military kids’ lives—teachers, school counselors, coaches, community leaders, religious leaders, neighbors, family friends, or relatives—a way to help them manage stress and affirm the positive aspects of military life. What we hear repeatedly from military kids is that they need people in their community to know what they’re going through. The best thing you can do for a military kid is know who they are and be there when they need to talk to someone.

MILITARY TEENS TOOLKIT: The National Military Family Association created this kit to give the people in military teens’ lives— teachers, school counselors, coaches, community or religious youth group leaders, neighbors, family friends, or relatives—a way to help them manage stress and affirm the positive aspects of military life. What we hear repeatedly from military teens is that they need people in their community to know what they’re going through. The best thing you can do for a military teen is know who they are and be there when they need someone to talk to.

Local needs, programs and opportunities

Who do you know that is in the military or has

someone connected with the military? Ask them for

guidance in how you can serve and ask if they are

aware of any needs.

What needs exist in your community that you can be

a part of helping? What local organizations exist that

you can support?

If you attend a church or other religious organization,

find out what are they doing...or not doing.

Do you live near a military installation, National

Guard or Reserve unit? Ask a chaplain or family

support personnel how you can help.

Does your community have a VA hospital? VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars)? AmVets? Inquire if they are aware of service opportunities.

There are a number of organizations who are committed to helping you support the military community in your area. Utilize their services to see if you can find local opportunities:

www.AllForGood.org All for Good makes it simple to find ways to do good by helping people connect with service activities in their communities. The site brings together service opportunities from local and national organizations to help you find volunteer activities that fit your time and interests.

www.JoiningForces.gov A national initiative that mobilizes all sectors of society to give our service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. Joining Forces is developing a listing of local opportunities.

www.MissionServe.org Mission Serve is joining civilian and military communities together through service and volunteering.

www.OurMilitary.mil Our Military offers informative resources for the military supporter under the topics of: LEARN, SUPPORT, CONNECT AND VOLUNTEER. SUPPORT lists a number of community-based organizations support our Service members and their families. The resources listed have been through a three-step review process.

www.ServiceNation.org Through our Mission Serve initiative, ServiceNation seeks to establish Veterans Day as a day of service and celebration. By serving in honor of veterans and alongside military families, civilian communities can show their gratitude and respect for the men and women who serve in uniform. By creating a large-scale series of events centered on Veterans Day, ServiceNation is able to bring focus onto civilian-military integration, as well as the importance of volunteerism and community service for our nation.

www.VolunteerMatch.org VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 79,000 nonprofit organizations.I can help you to find a way to support the military community that is a good fit for you, and equip you with some great resources and information to help!I can help you to find a way to support the military community that is a good fit for you, and equip you with some great resources and information to help!

National needs and programs

What organizations exist nationally that you can support?

Does the military need a new support organization? Many great organizations already exist...doing great things that work. This website lists countless organizations that are doing wonderful things already!

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Go!

Now you are ready to move forward and do something!

Visit the TOOLKIT to be equipped for service!

Encouraging the military home front ~ Support for the entire military community

Stop

look & listen

then... Go!