Let’s face it, life as a veteran isn’t always easy. For the 20.4 million US military veterans, everything from adjusting to civilian life to struggling with physical and mental war wounds can be a challenge.
That’s where joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) can make a difference.
This proud organization has been supporting veterans in a plethora of ways since 1899! Assuming you’re a US citizen who served in the U.S. armed forces in an overseas conflict, you can sign up and reap a host of rewards in the process.
Want to learn more about the benefits of VFW membership? You’re in the right place! Keep reading for 7 surprising reasons that all veterans should join their local VFW.
1. To Serve the Community
As an active or past member of the military, you know what it means to serve. Heck, a large portion of your life was spent in duty to your country, putting your very life on the line for others. You, more than most other people in society, realize a) how much need there is in the world and b) how rewarding it can be to make a difference.
The VFW gives you a great opportunity to continue in your mission to serve. With a wide array of community service programs in operation, there’s no shortage of ways to give back to your local area alongside the VFW. You can use your unique skills and abilities to lend a hand and instigate positive change in your community.
2. To Enjoy the Assistance Programmes
As a military veteran, you spend/spent a significant portion of your life fighting for your country and looking after the interests of others. Now you’re back in civilian society, it’s time for us to look after you! This is where the various VFW assistance programs come in.
VFW service officers operate across the country to support and advocate for you in any number of ways. For example, they can help you apply for financial grants, make VA claims, and access the benefits to which you’re entitled. Throw in the mental health campaigns and the potential for student support (including scholarships) and it’s in the interest of any veteran to sign up ASAP!
3. To Access Medical Discounts
Medical care in the US doesn’t come cheap. You’re forced to pay through the nose for everything from medication to various therapies. That’s bad news for everybody, but it’s even worse when for current and ex-military personnel, for whom physical and mental injuries aren’t uncommon.
Thankfully, VFW memberships can help out here too. A variety of medical companies (from leading optical retailers, hearing specialists, pharmacists, and more) provide significant price reductions on their products and services to make this key area of life more affordable.
FYI, you don’t have to suffer from combat-related injuries, impairments, and injuries to benefit from this support. It’s available to anybody who’s part of the VFW.
4. To Access Endless Discounts and Promotions
That isn’t the only way that becoming a VFW member can help your bank balance though. Joining today would open the door to a host of discounts and promotions too!
From travel, entertainment, and financial services to haircuts and electronic goods, all manner of businesses and stores provide discounted fees to VFW members. All you have to do is prove that you’re a VFW member to take advantage of them.
5. To Further Their Lobbying Efforts
Lobbying is another core component of VFW’s role in the United States. Veterans get a raw deal in many areas of life and someone has to stand up for their rights. The VFW has taken up the challenge and lobbies the government for veteran benefits at every opportunity.
Every new member of the VFW makes it a bigger and stronger organization. In other words, it wields more influence when it comes to advocating for change. To put it another way, joining your local VFW empowers the VFW as a whole to support even more veterans to the best of its abilities.
6. To Enjoy Newfound Camaraderie
Last but not least, joining the VFW delivers a great sense of camaraderie and togetherness. Most VFW posts host endless social gatherings and meetings, where you can meet likeminded people and make new friends in the process.
That’s a big deal when you consider how lonely life can be for many veterans After all, even if you have civilian friends and family around, it’s hard for them to understand what it means to have served at war.
All that changes when you become a member of the local VFW though. Bonded by the shared experience of military service, you’ll always have compassionate and understanding veterans to talk to, share stories with, and maybe even compare your military coins collection!
7. To Support Active Troops
Joining the VFW also helps the organization continue its amazing work supporting our troops. They do a huge amount of good in this regard, such as laying on welcome home events and helping military families throughout the course of long deployments.
Indeed, the Military Assistance Program has been set up for the specific purpose of making a difference to the military community. Alongside sponsoring countless events, it also gives VFW posts the chance to ‘adopt a unit’. This is where you establish a relationship with a particular unit and use the VFW’s resources to support it before, during, and after deployments.
As part of the VFW, you’d get to be part of this extraordinary work and feel the sense of satisfaction that comes with it.
Time to Join the VFW
As you can tell, joining your local VFW can lead to all sorts of positive outcomes for you and the community at large. This organization goes out of its way to support the brave military men and women who have served (and continue to serve) their country overseas.
With any luck, the information in this post has demonstrated exactly how and why that’s the case! Would you like to read more articles like this one? Search ‘military’ on the website now.
