How to Help Disabled Veterans

For a large number of disabled military veterans injured in the line of duty, life can be difficult. As a fellow citizen, you can be instrumental in helping these brave men and women adapt to their disabilities and move forward with a career and family.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

1. Inform a disabled veteran of the availability and location of transition centers designed for veterans from each branch of the military who need help in returning to civilian life (see Resources below).

2. Find counseling for veterans who have suffered disabilities. With more than 200 locations nationwide, special counseling centers offer professional assistance to help veterans deal with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and reconcile their emotions (see Resources below).

3. Hire a disabled veteran if you run a business. The first step towards reaching out to those injured while serving our country, is to make a personal effort to assist. Alternately, be an advocate for a disabled veteran by calling businesses and inquire as to their veterans-hiring preference.

4. Help a disabled vet receive extra money towards educational goals. A Federal Pell Grant provides eligible veterans, who are undergraduates, with free monetary assistance. In addition, many other financial opportunities exist for disabled veterans to help them receive education (see Resources below).

5. Work to increase public awareness of the special needs of disabled veterans. As the knowledge that more than 2 million veterans are living with service-related disabilities reaches more caring citizens, the call for greater services and volunteer organizations will increase.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for information on community outreach programs designed to help disabled veterans.

Resources

• Veterans' centers.
• Transition centers for disabled veterans.
• Grants, loans and financial aid for disabled veterans.