#Veterans face a lot of challenges: accessing benefits, services and health care; barriers to employment and education; homelessness and housing; and more. This Veterans Day, you can help in multiple ways, says former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald. You can build awareness among friends and family, support veteran-friendly businesses or hire a #veteran, contact elected officials to advocate for policies that benefit veterans, volunteer your time and help with fundraising events, and #donate to organizations that make a direct impact on veterans such as ClothingDonations.org. #VeteransDay
Tag: Veterans
Understanding Veterans’ Mental Health Needs
Veterans Day offers a chance to #thank #veterans for their service and sacrifice in times of war and peace. Their ages, backgrounds and motivations for service vary, but they all trained to fight on behalf of the nation. Many suffer from the aftereffects of that experience, notes the National Alliance for Mental Illness, experiencing mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and traumatic brain injury. You can help by understanding and supporting veterans’ mental health needs, making yourself available to a veteran in crisis, and thanking them for their service. #VeteransDay
How to Help Your Aging Relatives Declutter and Downsize
As people get older, they often enter a paradox: They have collected a lifetime of memorabilia and possessions, and they may only use a tiny fraction as their needs, interests and health circumstances change.
The problem isn’t limited to the elderly; people of all ages keep substantial amounts of things they don’t necessarily need. But the older one is, the more one is likely to have amassed a lot of #stuff — and the more likely that life changes will demand a #downsizing.
If one of your parents, relatives or friends is “getting up there” in age, they may need some help #decluttering. It can be physically, mentally and emotionally challenging, says The Homes I Have Made, but the effort will be worthwhile.
#Clutter affects physical safety and mental well-being. Once thoroughly #decluttered, a home is easier to navigate and keep #clean if a relative plans on aging in place. And if they are planning on moving to a smaller space or a sunnier location, it will be easier to pack up and go.
The whole family can get involved if an aging parent has a lot of stuff — sharing memories and making new ones. Take your time, but have everyone involved target specific areas for decluttering. Have boxes and bags ready and take frequent breaks to enjoy one another’s company.
When you help a family member shed cherished furnishings and accessories, you can ensure that those things go to a good home. Someone in the family may need that antique armoire that’s been in the family for decades, for example, or want to give that dining-room set a new home.
Any unwanted goods can be #donated to a worthy charity. ClothingDonations.org accepts used clothing, furniture, appliances, housewares, kitchen items, media, toys and many other items, for example, and will pick them up to make #decluttering convenient. Those #donations will be resold to help fund valuable #veterans programs throughout the country.
It’s never easy to #declutter or #downsize, but your aging relatives don’t have to go it alone — or worse, suddenly have to make a life change that’s hindered by a lifetime of stuff. Start today to make their golden years happy, healthy and #clutter-free.
Embracing Summer’s Bounty
#Summertime offers an embarrassment of riches — warm weather, #holidays to celebrate and cookouts galore. If you don’t like the heat, there are air-conditioned #summer blockbusters, pool parties and water sports to help keep cool.
Summer delivers bounty in the form of fresh fruits and vegetables, too. Whether you grow your own favorites in a backyard #garden or visit the local farmer’s market, there’s no match for fresh, flavorful produce harvested in season.
Here at The Organizing Blog, we enjoy growing heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers, chard and herbs — and with the recent heat wave, are looking forward to a bumper crop. In less than a month, we’ll be running out of ways to use it all!
We’ll grill sweet corn and summer squash. We’ll bake zucchini bread and tomato-and-chard tarts. We’ll blend up potato-leek soup, basil pesto and fresh salsa. And we’ll make a host of other dishes that celebrate summer.
There are ways to keep enjoying that bounty year-round, say the chefs at The Chopping Block. Some vegetables can be blanched and frozen, and even more can be pickled and canned. And to enjoy a summery entrée later in the year, cook an extra and freeze it for a wintry day.
Even as you discover creative new ways to eat your way through the season, consider for a second whether your material bounty — your stockpile of owned, nonperishable things — is getting out of hand.
Summer is a great time to cull through those possessions and #organize. Cold weather won’t get in the way of #decluttering, and you can always stage a #garage sale to make a little money off the things you no longer want or need.
You can also #donate lightly used #clothing and household goods to ClothingDonations.org year-round with a #free #donation #pickup. Resale of those goods helps fund valuable #veterans programs.
However you choose to embrace summer’s bounty, remember that it won’t be around for long. Now’s your chance to enjoy everything that summer has to offer! #SummerBounty
Shop for Cookout Tools at the Thrift
Missing some essential #grilling tools for your upcoming #Memorial Day #cookout? Look no further than the local #thrift and #secondhand shops supplied by generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. Thrifts are a great source for the dishes, bakeware, tools and small appliances that make #cooking a breeze — and a great source of festive holiday decorations, too. You never know what you’ll find at the thrift, and the proceeds from your purchases go toward essential #veterans programs. What better way to observe Memoiral Day? #MemorialDayHacks