After exploring more actionable ways to show gratitude to our Veterans that go beyond the controversial “Thank you for your service,” we have compiled a list of resources for our Veteran community. Below, you will find a list of websites and organizations dedicated to helping Veterans and their families, as well as books for adults and for kids touched by military life.
- National Veterans Memorial and Museum: Get started on sending a personal letter to a veteran in need!
- United Veteran’s Beacon House: The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ only shelter for homeless veterans on Long Island
- Joseph P. Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project: A peer-to-peer program for Veterans facing the challenges of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Team Red, White and Blue (Team RWB): Organization that delivers virtual and local, consistent, and inclusive opportunities for veterans and the community to connect through physical and social activity
- Project 9 Line: Organization that offers Veteran networking, programs, workshops and opportunities for all Military and Veterans to tell their story through the Arts and Activities
- The Caregiver Journey Map: A map used to document the military caregiver journey and its impact on caregiver’s physical, psychological, financial, and social wellbeing.
- SMART Recovery for Veterans & First Responders: SMART meetings offer veterans suffering from substance use disorders the help they need in a safe and supportive environment
- Bridge Back to Life – Veteran Services: A confidential outpatient treatment option for service members, veterans, uniformed personnel, and family members struggling with issues of addiction and stress related to their military experience
- NYCEFT Veteran Project: NYCEFT volunteer member therapists provide free, unlimited and confidential Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy – (EFT) for military service members who served in Iraq or Afghanistan and their loved ones.
- Military OneSource: Military OneSource offers a call center and online support to connect you to the program or professional to make sure that you receive the assistance you need.
- Sesame Street for Military Families: The Sesame Street Workshop initiatives focus on a wide range of issues, from math skills and literacy to health, diversity, and military deployment. Beyond television, the Workshop creates content for multiple media platforms including radio, film, home video, the Internet, mobile devices, gaming consoles, books, magazines, and community outreach.
- Zero to Three: Zero to Three works on behalf of infants and toddlers of military and veteran families. They have developed resources specially designed for military and veteran families and the professionals who serve them.
Suggested Book List
- Achilles in Vietnam & Odysseus in America by Jonathan Shay
- The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
- What Have We Done by David Wood
- Tribe by Sebastian Junger
- Unbecoming by Anurada Bhagwati
- Why is Dad so Mad? by Seth Kastle
- Why is Mom so Mad? by Seth & Julia Kastle
- Why Are You So Scared? by Beth Andrews & Katherine Kirkland
- After the war zone: A practical guide for returning troops and their families by Lori Slone & Matthew Friedman
- Back from the Front: Combat Trauma, Love, and the Family by Aphrodite Matsakis
- Trust After Trauma: A Guide to Relationships for Survivors and Those Who Love Them by Aphrodite Matsakis
- Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Returning Soldiers and Their Families by Keith Armstrong, Suzanne Best, & Paula Domenici
- Down Range: To Iraq and Back by Bridget Cantrell & Chuck Dean
- While They’re at War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront by Kristin Henderson.
- The Storytellers: Veteran and Family Members Write About Military Life: Veteran and Family Members Write About Military Life by Multiple Authors
Suggested Book List (For Kids)
- Daddy, You’re My Hero! // Mommy, You’re My Hero![for kids ages 4-8] by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen.
- A Very Long Time[for kids ages 4-8; picture book for children whose parent is deployed] by Geri Timperley & Nikki Arro
- My Red Balloon [for kids ages 4-8; picture book focused on homecoming] by Eve Bunting.
- I Miss You: A Military Kid’s Book About Deployment [for elementary school kids whose parent is deployed] by Beth Andrews.
- Uncle Sam’s Kids: When Duty Calls [for kids ages 5-11] by Angela Sportelli-Rehak
- You And Your Military Hero: Building Positive Thinking Skills During Your Hero’s Deployment [for kids ages 5-12; focusing on parental deployment] by Sara Jensen-Fritz, Paula Jones-Johnson & Thea L. Zitzow
- Finding My Way: A Teen’s Guide to Living with a Parent Who has Experienced Trauma [for kids ages 12-18] by Michelle D. Sherman, Ph.D., DeAnne M. Sherman.
- Available at seedsofhopebooks.com
