It is not often that one hears the phrase “we’re there for you” anymore these days. It seems to be a slogan of the past for those who are going through situations that require a little help from their friends.

Every day our Veterans go through life facing problems that sometimes seems impossible to overcome. Many of them find themselves dealing with their situations alone, because they are not aware of the help or assistance available to them. This is a very common problem with older Veterans, and many of those in minority communities.

Imagine having served your country in one of the branches of our Armed Services. While serving, you learned the importance of teamwork. You also knew that when you are in uniform, on the battlefield, or performing your duties with fellow enlisted men and women on base, that you each had the others back. You also realized that when problems arose, there was support on base or in the field that would help you through almost any situation that you encountered.

Things however, changed after you were discharged from active duty and returned to civilian life. You now find yourself at a loss when problems arise relating to prior service conditions, or challenging situations. Turning to friends and family doesn’t always help because many of them have never served in the military and are not aware of the services that are available to render you the help that you need.

Where do I go to find help, and how do I find the services to help me becomes a key concern, but many Veteran’s don’t know where to start to find the help that they need.

Many in the civilian community don’t understand the problems associated with PTSD or the type of injuries that many of our former military members have incurred. They also may not be able to guide them to the proper sources to get help.

Many of our Veteran’s are also faced with mobility problems, and the financial means to properly secure the help that is required for their situation.

There is help available, and hopefully I can use this article to help our Veterans that need assistance find the support that they need, so that they can begin the road to recovery or gain the resources that may help them solve their problems.

The list won’t be exhaustive, but will contain a few places to go to seek assistance. The list is not in any particular order of importance.

Veterans can contact the following resources.

The Disabled American Veterans {DAV} – http://www.dav.org/veterans
Veterans Of Foreign Wars {VFW} – http://www.vfw.org
Vet Center Program – http://www.vetcenter.va..go/Vet_Center Services.asp
Concerned Veterans For America – https://c4vq.org
The Veterans Voice – http://www.theveteransvoice.com

These organizations take the slogan “ we are there for you seriously. Help is available to those in need.

Submitted by Emery W. McClendon {USAF Veteran}