Remember to Honor Those Who Serve

With Veterans Day approaching, the APWU wants to remind union members to honor the extraordinary men and women of the Armed Forces for their service. Throughout our history, Americans have been protected by patriots who make great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom.

These brave men and women represent the very best of our nation. Every soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman deserves the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their selflessness should not be forgotten. These Americans have done their duty and fulfilled their responsibilities. Now we have a profound obligation to fulfill ours . Appreciation to our nation's veterans can be expressed by participating in one of the many APWU Support Our Troops and Veterans programs, not only on this Veterans Day (Wednesday, Nov. 11), but throughout the year.

The Highlighted APWU ‘Support’ Project is the Winterhaven Stand Down — Each year, more than 1 million of our nation’s veterans are homeless. This is hardly the thank-you they deserve and hardly the thank-you they have earned. So, this January, for the second consecutive year, the APWU plans to give a hand up to homeless and under-served veterans during the Veterans’ Administration’s Winterhaven Stand Down. The annual event offers veterans a variety of social services, such as legal and medical aid, employment counseling, and housing assistance. Hot meals, haircuts, showers, warm clothing and other necessities will also be available.

The APWU will have its own station at the Stand Down, where we will distribute donated backpacks filled with items to help these veterans get through their long days and cold nights. We are the only organization that participates on such a large scale. To ensure we leave no veteran behind, all APWU members, locals, and state organizations are asked to donate at least one new, filled backpack.

These donations should be mailed to: APWU Human Relations Department, 1300 L Street NW, Washington DC 20005. They must be received no later than Jan. 12, 2010.

Last year, thanks to your overwhelming generosity, our efforts were highly successful and very much appreciated. Our goal this year is to distribute a minimum of 500 filled back packs. We hope you will help.

Learn about our other Support Our Troops & Veterans projects. We appreciate your generous donations, which have added to the on-going success of these programs. Please keep in mind they need your ongoing support. If it has been a year since your last donation, please consider organizing a membership activity to support the project of your choice this year.

Nevada Military Medallion — Nevada State APWU members are selling a silver medallion to help fund APWU’s Support Our Troops and Veterans programs. The medallion that commemorates the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima, and is 1 troy ounce of .999 pure silver.

It can be purchased for $100 by submitting a check payable to the NV State APWU, POB 11735, Reno NV 89510. The effort was initiated and organized by Dave Moore, NV State Secretary.

Military Appreciation Monday — On Monday, Nov. 16, Golden Corral Restaurants will give a free “thank you” dinner to any person who has served in the U.S. Military during its annual “Military Appreciation Monday” in honor of Veterans Day. To date, the chain has served more than 2.2 million free meals during the event and contributed more than $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.

EAP Military and Veteran Resources — This program provides resources for active members of the military, veterans, and family members from pre-deployment to their return home.

APWU Veteran Resources — Information is offered to keep our veteran and active military members informed about issues that affect them.

Veterans Administration Suicide Prevention Program — The numbers are staggering. The VA reports that on average, 120 veterans commit suicide every week. Get help if you are in crisis. Know the signs.