Honoring Veterans and Military Families on Memorial Day
Memorial Day is about more than trips to the beach or backyard barbeques with family and friends; it’s a day designated to honor and celebrate the men and women who have died serving in the U.S. Military. Memorial Day was established after the Civil War by General John Logan, who dedicatedMay 30th as a day to pay respect to fallen soldiers.
One of the unique ways that Ohio Valley Goodwill is involved in honoring our military veterans this year is through our support of the 45 Day Challenge in partnership with the City of Cincinnati and Mayor John Cranley. The Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness is a call to action for all mayors and other state and local leaders to publicly commit to making sure that every Veteran who served America has a home in America. The 45 Day Challenge is an intentional push to house 45 Veterans in 45 days. The 45 Day Challenge began on May 1st, 2018, in an effort to re-ignite the Mayor’s Challenge to officially end Veteran homelessness in Cincinnati/Hamilton County. Bringing awareness to current community efforts and engaging new partners (landlords, agencies and donors) will ensure Veteran homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. Our goal is to conclude this challenge and announce its success at the Cincinnati Veterans Stand Down on June 20, 2018 at Memorial Hall. Currently, more than 30 veterans have been assisted in finding permanent housing in the Greater Cincinnati community and the number is increasing every day.
You can join Goodwill in honoring our military veterans in a number of ways:
If you are an employer, consider hiring a veteran:
Find out how you can help a veteran get a job, by contacting our Veterans Services team at (513) 631-4500. Annually, Goodwill helps almost 900 veterans a year to get jobs in the community, thanks to our wonderful community employers who are looking for highly qualified and enthusiastic team members for their workforce needs.
Send a thank-you letter or care package to deployed service members
Consider taking time to write a heartfelt letter or assemble a care package to send to a member of the military. There are many services available to drop-off letters or care packages for deployed troops, new recruits, and veterans.
Lend a hand to veterans and military families
Memorial Day weekend and truly, every day is a wonderful time to give back to the veterans and military families in our community. At Ohio Valley Goodwill, we’re committed to helping local veterans and military families gain the resources needed to lead successful lives and find meaningful employment. Each time you donate to Goodwill or shop at one of our stores, you help us fulfill our mission to provide life-changing programs and services for veterans and others facing barriers to employment! If you’re looking for an easy way to make a big impact in the lives of local veterans and military families, consider making a donation to Goodwill. Last year alone, Ohio Valley Goodwill helped almost 900 veterans to obtain housing support and employment in our community.
View the complete list of our donation sites and check out a list of items we can accept here before donating. Thank you for helping Ohio Valley Goodwill make a difference for the veterans and military families in our community!
