This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The Folger Coffee Company. The opinions and text are all mine. This post was originally featured on another blog that I owned.
The dreaded phone call one morning from my mom was a call that I wasn’t expecting. She called to tell me that my grandpa passed away in 2003 and I was unable to his funeral. At the time, I lived in North Carolina and didn’t have the resources to travel back to Texas for the funeral. After he passed away, on Memorial and Veterans Day, I often think of the stories he told me growing up about his time spent in the service. My grandpa was a Veteran and served in World War II. I admire him for serving in the United States military.
My grandma had a licensed daycare in her home for many years. She watched me and my brother so that my parents could work along with other families. But my grandpa helped her watch and take care of the kids like his own grandchildren. One thing that I loved about my grandpa, he was able to care for and influence other families as he often helped my grandma. He would pick us up from school every day. Like my grandpa, do you know a Veteran or someone serving in the military? Today, I wanted to share with you some easy ways to thank a Veteran.
Folgers coffee and Walmart teamed up for Veterans day. They want to challenge everyone to pick up their favorite flavor of Folgers coffee from Walmart and “Share a cup & a Story” with a Veteran. Most people tend to skip over Veteran’s day and tend to get carried away with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, parties, etc.
7 Ways to Thank a Veteran for Their Service
Invite a Veteran over to your house for a cup of coffee and spend some quality time learning about their service in the United States Military and take the time to really listen to their story.
Invite a Veteran Over for the Holidays
Veterans don’t always have family nearby to participate in holiday gatherings and it can be a lonely time for them. If you know of a Veteran who doesn’t have family nearby, invite them to spend time with your family during the holidays.
Send Them Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are inexpensive and it is such an easy way to bring a smile to a Veteran’s face. Get a group of your friends together and challenge them to adopt a Veteran. Then each month throughout the year, send your adopted Veteran a card to let them know that you are thinking about them.
Do Their Yardwork
Caring for a yard can be a huge chore for elderly or disabled Veterans. Most of them are on a fixed income and can’t afford to pay for yard service or to have their flower beds cleaned up or pruned on a regular basis. Gather up a group of your friends and family members and get a list of Veterans in your area from people that you know. Depending on privacy laws, you might be able to get a list of Veterans from the USO or other military organizations. Don’t forget to take care of any wives who had to stay home while their husbands are deployed.
Donate Expired Coupons
Did you know that Veterans and other military members can benefit from expired coupons? Military personnel and their family members are allowed to use expired coupons at the commissary. So gather up old coupon inserts and send them to a base in your area. Coupons often allow Veterans and military families to be able to stretch their budget so that they can afford to do something special with their families. Plus, with the rising cost of groceries, coupons are a great way to help them stretch their limited income.
Send a Care Package
This is a popular project and it is something that you could easily do with a group of friends. Here are some popular items that Veterans or soldiers can use in their field:
- toiletries
- personal care items
- baby wipes
- books
- batteries (aff link)
- powered drink mixes
- dried fruit
- protein bars
- snacks
- card games
- writing materials
- notes thanking them for their service
- peanut butter
- instant Folgers coffee
Always check with your local post office if you are mailing items overseas to the troops. Depending on the location of the troops, there could be restrictions on things that they are allowed to receive.
Pay for a Meal
Next time you see a Veteran and their family out for dinner, you can pay for their meal and thank them for their service. Also, you can purchase a gift card and give it to a family. If you personally, can’t afford $100 or more, you can take up a collection with your friends and you can collaboratively pay for their meal.
Veterans and their families often go without the recognition that they truly deserve. Most Veterans and their families often receive discounts for meals, admission to attractions, etc, but there is so much more that everyone can do to thank a Veteran all year long. Stop by Walmart today and pick up your favorite flavor of Folger’s coffee. Then invite a Veteran over to share a cup of coffee and listen to their stories about serving in the military.
I love this post so much. It’s so important for all of us to remember what the upcoming holiday is really about. It’s also important to remember that Memorial and Veteran’s day are not the only days to thank our servicemen and women.
These are great ideas for thanking a veteran. My dad is a veteran and I usually get him a gift.
So many great ideas here. I had no idea about the expired coupons. Thanks for sharing!
I like these ideas. To say thankyou to those who served is very important.
Such an awesome idea to thank and honor our veterans. Loved it!
These are all really great ideas to thank Veterans! Thanks for sharing this with us!
I love this post, and these are great ways to thank a veteran! My brother is a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and I can never thank him enough!
These are wonderful ideas to remember and honor our Veterans who did so much for all of us.
These are such thoughtful ways to thank a veteran. Thank you for the ideas. Happy Memorial Day!
These are great things to do over the Memorial Weekend. Thanks for the wonderful ideas. It is important to show appreciation to those who have served or are serving our country.
These are all great ways to thank those men and women for their sacrifice in protecting us and our amazing country!