Veterans service groups are up and running again

Is your local Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars or American Legion up and running again? Many shut down over the past year due to COVID-19. Now, slowly, they’re coming back. If you’re eligible, this would be a good time to explore what they have to offer.

The DAV (www.dav.org) started back in 1920 and now has 1,300 chapters and over 1 million members. Its objective is to help disabled veterans and their families at no cost. In one year alone, the DAV provided nearly a quarter of a million rides to veterans going to doctor appointments. Last year, it helped veterans get over $24 billion in benefits through assistance with Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

The VFW (www.vfw.org), with some 1.5 million members, was started back in 1899 to ensure that veterans got their rights and benefits. Eligibility includes either active duty or prior service with Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions) discharge with service on foreign soil or in a hostile area. Like the DAV, the VFW can help with filing a VA claim. If you’ve gone back to school, the VFW might be able to help with scholarships. If you’re in a jam (food, rent, electric bill, for example), small cash grants (not loans) are available for members.

The American Legion (www.legion.org) has well over a dozen veterans programs including family and youth, community and national affairs. It was incorporated by Congress in 1919 as an organization devoted to mutual helpfulness with a focus on communities, patriotism and national security. Check the website for specific eligibility periods and posts near you. (There might be more than you think, with 15,000 scattered around the country.) One of the unsung benefits is the alliance between the Legion and USAA. Car insurance, bank account, credit card … it’s worth checking out.

Take a look at what these groups offer — better yet, what you can offer them.

(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.

Image by Cynthia Petersen