USA (MNN) — Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day in the United States, when many businesses offer discounts and free items to military personnel in appreciation of their sacrifice and service.
Veteran’s Day holds special meaning at Warriors Set Free, a division of Set Free. Its founder, director, and volunteers all served in the military.
“It comes down to gratitude. We appreciate when people appreciate what we’ve done for this country,” says Army veteran Steve Prince, director of Warriors Set Free.
“It’s a unique experience for me because I served for quite a while, but I [also] look at how grateful I am for those young men and women who are standing guard and defending freedom for us today,” he continues.
“So, it’s not just me going, ‘Hey, I deserve all this!’ There are [many] people I also owe for their sacrifice and dedication to this nation.”
(Graphic courtesy of Warriors Set Free)
There is a 50 percent higher suicide rate among the veteran community than the civilian population. In 2022, there were 16.2 million veterans in the U.S. Four years prior, nearly two million veterans received treatment in a mental health specialty program offered by Veterans Affairs.
Warriors Set Free helps struggling veterans heal from the past and win life’s battles through Christ. Typically, a veteran will only talk to another veteran about things they experienced in a war or military service. More about that here.
If you know a veteran in need, connect them with Warriors Set Free. Start with a phone call or text to the veteran in your social circle; Veteran’s Day is an excellent reason to reach out.
“There’s the classic ‘Thank you for your service,’ which is fine, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I encourage saying anything slightly different; try, ‘I appreciate that you served our country,’ or ‘I’m thankful that you defended freedom for us,’” Prince suggests.
“It just shows gratitude for them [as an individual] – that you’ve said something different than the same phrase everybody says repeatedly.”
You never know how much your call could mean to an isolated, struggling veteran.
“Whenever you randomly think of someone, that could be the Holy Spirit putting that person on your mind. I’m trying to be more obedient when I think of people, just giving them a call and saying, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’” Prince says.
“One individual said, ‘Man, you got a direct download from God because I needed to talk to somebody today!’”
Simply completing household chores can be a good way to say “thank you,” too.
“When I was still in the National Guard and going to drill once a month, a neighbor across the street was a veteran. If I were gone for the weekend, I would come home, and my driveway would be plowed, or my yard would be mowed – things I would have done if I was home, but he chose to step in. That meant a lot to me,” Prince says.
The easiest way to help veterans is also the most important.
“If everybody who reads this or prays for a veteran in their family would [also] lift up Warriors Set Free [and] our nation, our veteran community – that is priceless,” Prince says.
Header and story images courtesy of Warriors Set Free.
