We respect and appreciate your service to our country
Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor all who served honorably in the military - in wartime or peacetime. At MFCP, we are fortunate to have many veterans on our team and we thank each one of you for your service and contributions to our national security.
While we take this day to express our appreciation, there are ways to express that appreciation every day for family members, co-workers, and community members who have served so selflessly so that we can be free. Some ideas are listed below and we encourage all employees to participate in these great causes.
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Be a Hero. Become a HeroBox volunteer and send custom care packages to our forward-deployed troops to provide them some of the comforts of home and let them know their service and bravery remain top of mind for us. Better yet, create a multiplier effect by organizing a HeroDay event at your employer, school or church. Get involved at HeroBox.
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Be a Support System. Support military families -- who typically move 6-9 times between kindergarten and high school -- in getting settled into your community. Organizing a playdate, hosting a BBQ, and extending your personal network are great ways to help these families feel a warm welcome and make a smooth transition.
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Be a Vocal Advocate. Participate in our great democracy by urging those who represent you at the local, state, and federal levels of our government to advocate for funding of programs that support our active-duty military, veterans, and their families. Post-election is a great time to start.
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Be a Career Mentor. Supplement the support provided by the DoD’s Transitioning Veterans Program Office by serving as a career mentor to help service members make a successful transition into the civilian workforce. You can apply to serve as a mentor with American Corporate Partners, LinkedIn’s Veteran Mentor Network or a number of other great organizations.
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Be a Change Agent. Encourage your employer to do more…whether it be offering discounts to veterans and their families, accepting the White House’s Joining Forces challenge to hire veterans and military spouses, attending job fairs hosted by organizations like Hire Heroes USA, creating a veterans affinity network, or hiring a veterans advocacy leader -- there’s always more to be done. You may be surprised at what a motivated individual can accomplish in corporations large and small.
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Be a Loyal Customer. Buy from one of over 3 million veteran-owned small businesses (i.e., “vetrepreneurs”) or corporations who donate a portion of their proceeds to support our troops and veterans. If you can influence purchasing decisions in your organization, encourage your employers to include service-disabled and veteran-owned firms as preferred suppliers. You can search for veteran-owned businesses at Buy Veteran.
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Be a Home Builder. Volunteer your time, construction talents, building materials, and/or land to help build or modify a home for wounded American service members and their families through an organization like Building Homes for Heros. Be part of a team that gifts the homes built as mortgage-free properties to the men and women who have selflessly served our country.
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Be a Chauffeur. Volunteer to drive a van for an organization like the Disabled American Veterans to ensure that even those living remotely from VA hospitals can make their appointments and never go without the treatment they need. If driving a van isn’t your thing, consider donating airline miles to an organization like Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program.
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Be a Historian. Engage with active-duty personnel and veterans and listen to their stories. Help them to share their experiences with their families and friends who can often be too shy to ask about them. Encourage them to tell their stories as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project so that future generations can hear about the realities of military service and war directly from those who served.
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Be a Philanthropist. Donate to an amazing charity supporting our active-duty members, veterans, and/or their families. Be it the United Service Organizations (USO), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Carry the Load, or any other organization -- every dollar helps further the cause. Don’t know which charity to choose? Start by asking an active duty member or veteran which charities they support and/or receive support from.
