Dear friends: We’re coming to that time of year… In the last couple of weeks, my Facebook feed has been drowning in posts like: “99% won’t share this poppy – show some respect!”, and “I’m wearing a poppy this year, and I don’t give a hoot whom it offends!” If you know what I do for a living, (and/or what I do pro bono), then you *KNOW* I support veterans. I spend so much time supporting veterans, that a couple of weeks ago – true story – I was working late when I got a message from one of my veterans saying, “Doc – go home. I just drove past your office and your light is still on. Do you know what time it is? Did you even have dinner?” Please realize – passing these pictures around does NOTHING to support veterans. In fact, some of the most vulnerable veterans are strongly triggered by anything that reminds them of their time in service, including the sight of the poppy. So, filling your Facebook feed with these images doesn’t support them – it reminds them of what they went through, and of their buddies who didn’t make it. If you MUST put a poppy on your wall, do it no sooner than November 10th, and then take it down the morning of November 12th. If you want to support veterans, then PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR POPPY IS: before you sizzle your credit card with holiday spending, donate to a charity that supports veterans. In Canada, here are three of my favourites, in no particular order: Canadian Veterans Advocacy: canadianveteransadvocacy/supportus.html CVA is the little engine that could – for an organization with very limited manpower, I am truly amazed at what these guys manage to do. They stick up for every veteran in need, advocate on a national level, and help individual veterans. They house a very extensive repository of information that is useful to veterans on their website. When I’m not sure about how to advocate for a patient of mine, they are my first phone call. Please note, although they host my blog, I do the blog pro bono: so I’m not soliciting donations to myself by saying please support this great organization. VETS Canada: vetscanada.org/ This is an organization that specifically supports homeless veterans. They have a monthly giving plan, so you can support homeless veterans year-round. I personally give to these guys monthly, and then write them a fat cheque at Christmas time on top of that. Equitas Society: equitassociety.ca/mission This is an organization aimed specifically to restore benefits to wounded veterans in Canada. In 2006, the government eliminated the Pension Act that used to provide for our wounded warriors, and replaced it with the New Veterans Charter, which provides much less than the old system did. Their website is also a great place to get information, to educate yourself about the issues, and get involved by contacting your local politician to voice your concerns about the New Veterans Charter. I’m hoping my American and British friends will post links to their favourite charities in the comments to this post. Let’s kick off the holiday spending season by giving to organizations that really matter to us!
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 13:46:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015