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!
  • Write a Letter to a Veteran, Active Duty Servicemember or First Responder – National Veterans Memorial and Museum (nationalvmm.org)

• United Veteran’s Beacon House: The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ only shelter for homeless veterans on Long Island
  • ABOUT US – United Veterans Beacon House (uvbh.org)

• 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)
  • Dwyer Project – Mental Health and Wellness (mhaw.org)

• 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
  • Mission – Team RWB

• 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
  • Home | Project 9 Line

• 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.
  • About – Inclusive Care – Elizabeth Dole Foundation – Caregiver Journey

• 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
  • veterans – SMART Recovery

• 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
  • Veterans Services – Bridge Back to Life

• 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.
  • NYCEFT – NYCEFT Veteran Project

• 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.
  • https://www.militaryonesource.mil/

• 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.
  • https://sesamestreetformilitaryfamilies.org/

• 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.
  • https://www.zerotothree.org/espanol/military-and-veteran-families-support

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! by Michelle Ferguson-Cohen.
• A Very Long Time by Geri Timperley & Nikki Arro
• My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting.
• I Miss You: A Military Kid’s Book About Deployment by Beth Andrews.
• Uncle Sam’s Kids: When Duty Calls by Angela Sportelli-Rehak
• You And Your Military Hero: Building Positive Thinking Skills During Your Hero’s 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 by Michelle D. Sherman, Ph.D., DeAnne M. Sherman.
  • Available at seedsofhopebooks.com

Author: Ryan Daniels

Dr. Ryan Daniels earned his Master’s Degree at the Derner Institute for Advanced Psychological Studies at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, and his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL. Dr. Daniels has written articles and served on the board of numerous mental health organizations, such as the Florida chapter of Active Minds—an organization dedicated to reducing mental health stigma among teens and young adults. As a full-time postdoctoral fellow at STEPS, he has resolved to continue to illuminate the stories of those who suffer in silence, as well as to provide comfort in the fact that they are not alone.