Time to Get Ready For 2025
Next Year's LIVE Parade
Saturday, 8 Nov. 2025
10 a.m at Hilo, HI
100+ Ways You Can Use Your Time, Talent or Treasure to REALLY Help Our Veterans*
« Say “thank you” to a Veteran for his/her service It’s such a small, simple gesture that is completely disproportionate to the sacrifice Veterans make for us, but they really do appreciate it.
« Share your skills and time with a Veteran
« Be a “listener” and hear a Veteran’s story
« Be a Mentor for your local Veterans Treatment Court
« Be an Advocate for a Veteran who needs assistance
« Take a disabled Veteran for a walk
« Share a meal with a disabled Veteran
« Offer housekeeping services for a disabled Veteran
« Hold a Veteran’s hand
« Comfort a troubled Veteran
« Assist Veterans in securing VA benefits
« Find out how you can assist our military and their Family Readiness Groups (FRGs)
« Assist families of deployed troops
« Provide child care
« Provide elder care
« Take a Veteran to School Day
« Attend Memorial Day Commemoration at the Cemetery
« Participate in or volunteer for the next Veterans Day Parade
« Share a flag with a Veteran
« Sew a Lap Blanket or a Wheelchair Bag or knit a Cap for a Veteran
« Volunteer at the Veterans Home
« Record Oral Histories of Veterans
« Distribute Buddy Poppies
« Visit Veterans at Veterans Home, Hale Anuenue, Life Care Center
« Attend Veteran funerals
« Prepare and deliver meals to invalid Veterans
« Assist with Veterans Stand Down to help homeless Veterans rebuild their lives
« Welcome military troops home from deployment
« Greet incoming troops at Kawaihae Harbor
« Make sandwiches, serve water to incoming troops
« Donate recreational equipment to incoming troops
« Hold a Christmas food drive for needy Veterans
« Distribute backpacks with personal care items to homeless Veterans
« Donate to the Food Basket to support needy Veterans
« Support needy Veterans, families and caregivers, by asking them or a local veteran support group what they need and then help them obtain it.
« Offer your home repair skills to a Veteran or military family
« Offer to help a Veteran or military family maintain their home. Cut grass, clean the yard, or paint the house.
« Drive Veterans to medical appointments
« Be a Companion to a Veteran, to relieve his or her caregiver or family member for a few hours
« Communicate with a Veteran on a Chat line
« Donate your frequent flier miles or points to bring a Veteran family together or help a Veteran
travel
« Send Care packages for deployed troops
« Provide transportation for food shopping
« Prepare and share a picnic brown bag lunch in the park
« Watch football game, one-on-one
« Take Veterans to a cemetery memorial service for someone they know
« Get Veterans together for a ‘talk story’
« Host a ‘Thank You’ Veterans dinner
« Share family photos/family histories
« Play music, entertain residents at the Veterans Home
« Send Christmas cards to Veterans
« Donate money and assist Veteran projects
« Help build a home for an injured Veteran
« Send a thank you letter
« When you see a Veteran eating at a restaurant, discretely tell the waiter/waitress that you’d like to pick up the tab for them.
« Ask your company to name Veterans Day an official company holiday.
« Donate to the USO and volunteer at a local USO Chapter.
« Acknowledge our military who served our country but didn’t fight in a foreign war. For instance, the National Guard provides disaster relief support, etc. Veterans who did not fight in a foreign war are often given less attention, but are just as worthy of our praise and appreciation.
« Place flowers/flags on the graves of Veterans.
« Proudly display your American flag.
« Help a homeless Veteran through VA services to receive their benefits.
« When you see a soldier boarding your fully booked flight, offer them your window or aisle seat.
« Teach your children about Veterans Day and how thankful we should be for the service of our Veterans.
« If you own a business, offer a daily military discount or a special Veterans Day discount.
« Display a yellow ribbon on your clothes, car, or around a tree to remind us of our deployed troops.
« Support local Veteran groups and support groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the VFW Auxiliary.
« Volunteer for a service project with your local VFW or Veteran support organization.
« Take a Veteran to lunch.
« Learn about the Veterans in your family. Find out who in your family served in the military
« Post a message on a social network thanking our Veterans. You never know who is reading your posts and just needed to hear “thank you.”
« Take a moment of silence to remember those who gave their lives to protect our freedom.
« Don’t forget about the four-legged Veterans. Support the Vetdogs or similar program with a donation or by spreading the word about their program.
« Surprise a military family/Veteran with a home cooked meal.
« Send International Phone Cards to our troops serving overseas.
« Foster a pet when a military member deploys.
« Stop by your local war memorial and say a silent thank you to those who died while serving our country.
« Wear red, white and blue today.
« Bring a bag of groceries to a Veterans home.
« Bake some sugar free cookies and take them to the local VA retirement homes in your area.
« Do one good deed today in honor of those who gave their life for the country.
« Help modify homes for wounded Veterans that need ramps, handrails, etc.
« When you see someone in a military uniform, just give them a smile, wink, thumbs up or a nod to let them know you appreciate them. They get it.
« Help more Veterans take the Honor Flight.
« If you’re in an airport when Honor Flight members are boarding or arriving from a plane, stop and cheer for them.
« Offer to babysit for a military spouse. They need a night off too.
« If you’re crafty, offer to help a Veteran scrapbook their pictures, letters, etc so they can share it with others.
« Have a sign in front of your business? Replace your usual marketing message with “Thank You Veterans!”
« Change your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc profile picture to something patriotic (a yellow ribbon, an American flag, or a picture of your beloved Veteran).
« Each time you thank someone currently serving in the military, thank their family too. They all sacrifice so much for our freedom.
« Buy a Veteran a military-themed gift.
« If allowed, bring your well-behaved pet to a VA retirement home to bring smiles to the faces of the residents.
« Walk a Veteran’s dog (or scoop the kitty litter).
« Invite a Veteran to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
« Help a service member connect with his/her family through videoconferencing facilities.
« Send books to someone who served or currently serving in the military.
« Say the Pledge of Allegiance today.
« Learn about Post Traumatic Stress so you can be sensitive to the issues Veterans around you might be facing.
« Adopt a military family for the holidays.
« Support Veteran-based legislation.
« Remember our Veterans all year long- not just on Veterans Day!
« Volunteer your financial, legal, or career expertise to Veterans.
« Volunteer with an organization, such as Canine Companions for Independence, that provide therapy dogs to Veterans.
« Offer a Veteran a ride
« Help a Veteran heal with an animal companion
« Hire a Veteran or help them find a job
« Encourage education and training for Veterans
« Let our active military, Veterans and their families know you care
« Help currently serving military call home
« Support medical research
« Attend events in honor of our Veterans
« Welcome Veterans and make them feel at home
* Mahalo to VFW Auxiliary to Post 3830 (2015's Community Parade Marshal)
for starting this list with over 100 ways you can make a difference in the lives of others.
