Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. taught us it is the everyday acts of ordinary citizens that make this country extraordinary — the servicemen and women who have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our country exemplify that spirit. Yet our troops, veterans and military families face enormous economic and social challenges at home.
As the last U.S. troops exit Iraq, and the war in Afghanistan winds down, many of these men and women are having trouble making the adjustment to civilian life.
It is our duty to serve our troops to ensure our nation’s heroes have a pathway to economic opportunity.
On the Martin Luther King Day of Service and throughout the year, Americans are using the power of service to connect veterans and military families to jobs and training, education, housing and health care.
In Boise, Serve Idaho is saluting local National Guard and Reserve soldiers and their families by supporting Hero Packs, a project initiated by Idaho’s Operation: Military Kids, which encourages community partnerships to offer support, training and recognition for military children of deployed Guard and Reserve personnel.
Each Hero Pack is full of donated items like journals, photo albums, games, books and a hand-written letter.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, working with the King Center, leads the effort to make the MLK Holiday “a day on, not a day off.”
This year, Virginians across the state will fulfill that promise by delivering meals, refurbishing schools and community centers, collecting food and clothing, signing up mentors, supporting veterans and military families, promoting nonviolence and more.
Volunteer service helps address the challenges military communities face.
At the same time, servicemen and women, military spouses and veterans know what it means to serve, and are using their leadership, skills and experience to make a difference on the home front.
Last year, more than 29 percent of Idaho’s veterans volunteered, according to the annual report Volunteering in America.
Recognizing the unique skills and leadership abilities of America’s veterans, CNCS has made a priority to recruit more veterans to serve in AmeriCorps and is actively recruiting now.
Veterans are continuing their service through AmeriCorps — responding to disasters, building homes, mentoring at-risk youth and supporting other veterans and their families.
Veterans Serving Veterans engages AmeriCorps members who are veterans to serve as liaisons at Idaho Department of Labor One-Stop Career Centers and assist former members of the military with resume assistance, employment listings, mock interviews and training opportunities in digital and technical skills.
On the upcoming MLK holiday, we ask you to find a way to serve our veterans and military families. By joining together, we can support our nation’s heroes, and help veterans and military families create a better future here at home.
To find a project near you, visit Serve.gov.
Koby J. Langley is the strategic adviser on wounded warrior, veteran and military family initiatives at the Corporation for National and Community Service. TJ Thomson is a Boise City Council member and an Air Force veteran.
