For my fellow veterans, retirees, and those still serving, what are some of the ways you are giving back to your community?

I live in Denmark, so can't do much, but I do make knives, mostly go to fellow 11Bs, or others I have served with. When it comes to payment, they donate the money to a veterans support group in Oregon. I also make knives and sent to the group which has get togethers twice a year. There they have auctions, where my knives are auctioned off. The money from the group goes to support Vets around the area. This is my give back. Just an example of one I made for a guy who served in the 101st.

Coaching and scouting

By being active in VSOs (DAV, MOPH, VFW, VVA).

PGR, Red Cross, Vet 2 Vet peer counseling

Members of our church who are Vets help with Transitioning soldiers at Fort Sam here in san Antonio. I bring flyers and other important Veterans administration info so they know the various service organizations that can help them with claims if they need to file one. I also let them know if they are staying in the San Antonio area about the Veterans Outreach center here in San Antonio.

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Individually....
Having Come From Poverty, I'm First In Line To Give Someone A Hand, Any Time They Need One... In My Earlier Years, Before The VA Disabled Me, I'd Load Up Some Envelopes With $20's In Each; Wander Through A Grocery Store Looking For Anyone Whom Appeared "In Need"....

NOW Here Where The FUN Comes Into Play,....
Saddle Up Close To Their Cart & Sneak In As Many Envelopes As You'd Like,
Then Slowly Walk Away Totally Un-Noticed....They'll Find The Cash & NEVER Know Where It Came From.
Just Do It ONCE, And It'll Become A HABIT.
As I Learned From My Brother Jim, When I Was In My Early Teens, &. Living With Him & His Family:
~~~ "If You're More Fortunate Than Others, Build A LONGER Table, Not A HIGHER Wall" ~~~
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I work in social service.

Plus I donate blood as often as I can. That's an easy one, take an hour or two (counting driving there) once every couple months and it saves lives. GIVE BLOOD PEOPLE!!!!!!

I'm promoting a veteran support program, oregonians helping veterans. Any Oregon veteran can go to a food provider, food truck, restaurant, bar, etc and select a paid for meal, drink, dessert, or any combination. The food is already paid for by an Oregonian who wants to show their appreciation to veterans from Oregon. At this point we have organized 45 food providers throughout the state of Oregon. The key point. The veteran selects the paper receipt from a bulletin board no questions asked, just accept the integrity of a Oregonian who served in the military. As my time allows and my travels take me throughout Oregon I had about 10 or more food providers every month.

Pay taxes. As a retiree, you can't life off your retirement. So, you get a job working 8-10 hours a day. Then you have the family issues to take care of. Most of the people in the neighborhood support youth activities, the high school and church. With that said, some of us can make time, MONTHLY, to work feeding homeless people, cutting grass for neighbors who are unable to, or at the library reading to children on Saturday mornings. To be honest and truthfully, most of us have very little time to support our community. If we can do something monthly, great. We are past the military's, for promotion, you have to community involvement by helping build a "Jimmy Carter house or work a 'military appreciation day" in the sun directing traffic onto the post/base so the community can see the latest military "toy" the local installation has. My best one was cleanup the ball field so the local kids can play ball. DAH!!! If the kids want to play ball, they can cleanup the ball field, paint the dugouts or the concession stand. The Volunteers can repair the concession stand or the dugouts. It's a two-way proposition.

I thank every veteran I meet