As the population and needs of veterans are rising, so is the call for more volunteers. John Kleindienst is national director of voluntary services for Disabled American Veterans. He says every year hundreds of VA volunteers are key in getting veterans to and from their VA appointments:
“And your volunteers that drive up in that area donated more than 60,000 hours of their time in 2016.”
Kleindienst says “As members of the Greatest Generation have dwindled and Baby Boomers are delaying retirement to work longer, the needs for volunteers have never been greater.”
Kelindienst says the D-A-V helps connect individuals and groups to a wide range of important volunteer opportunities, regardless of their experience or time restrictions. For example, people can volunteer at local VA hospitals, drive veterans to appointments or provide specialized help:
“Grocery shopping for them, running errands, doing a little bit of yard work…or a lot of yard work in rural Minnesota or painting a veterans home. Those are all great ways that people can volunteer for veterans in their communities.”
For more information and to learn about volunteer opportunities available in your local community, click here.
Full Interview with MNN’s Tasha Redel and John Kleindienst.