Lots of restaurants, retailers and resorts will be offering discounts to #veterans and active-duty military personnel this year on and around Veterans Day, according to Military.com. If you have served, you can take advantage of a free entrée at Olive Garden, Red Lobster or Outback Steak House, or get a free cup of coffee at Biggby, Peet’s or Casey’s. Amazon, Publix and Target are offering 10% off to veterans on all purchases, or you can get a free car wash. Simply show your military ID or VA benefits photo ID card to prove your status. Don’t yet have a VA card? Visit VA.gov to get one. #VeteransDay
Tag: Veterans
Veterans and the Vote
#Veterans are familiar with the struggle for #freedom and #democracy, having fought to protect the nation’s ideals at home and overseas. Once released from active duty, one of their most basic and important civic duties is to exercise the right to #vote.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 16 million veterans in the United States today. Numbers are expected to decline in the near future, as the nation’s smaller #military engages in fewer and more limited conflicts. About 6% of the population has had military service as of 2022.
In the presidential election, both parties have veterans on the ticket for the first time in 20 years. Prior service doesn’t predict policy, so fellow veterans are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the candidates’ records on veterans issues before voting.
It’s a significant voting bloc that’s motivated by a range of issues. Veterans respond to “kitchen-table issues such as healthcare, education and the economy,” says The Hill, “but they are also concerned with, and directly affected by, national security and foreign policy matters.”
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs encourages veterans to vote and can point veterans and active-duty service members to voter registration resources, even those overseas. “VA is working to ensure all veterans can enjoy the rights that they earned and fought for,” VA says.
Vet the Vote is a national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to become poll workers who can support safe, secure elections in a divisive political climate. In volunteering, veterans “show that it’s still possible for Americans to work together in patriotic service.”
If you would like to vote in honor of a veteran, many states have programs that allow registered voters name a veteran to ceremonially dedicate their vote — for whomever — to a specific veteran. File a form naming your honoree, and you’ll get a certificate, bumper sticker or lapel pin.
While its nonprofit status prohibits endorsement of specific candidates, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) continues to advocate on behalf of veterans, and encourages every veteran from every era to exercise their right to vote by Nov. 5. #Vote!
Do Your Last-Minute Halloween Shopping at the Thrift
Time is running out if you’re still thinking about a #Halloween #costume for this weekend’s party or decorating for trick-or-treaters. Luckily, the #thrift store is there to help, says Thrift Smart. Easy last-minute ideas include “vintage ghost” with a lacy nightgown and gray makeup; “classic witch,” with a simple black dress and thrifted pointy hat; and “DIY superhero,” with colorful tights and a cape. You can also find #inexpensive DIY supplies such as picture frames, candles and Mason jars — as well as #donated Halloween decorations such as plastic skulls and party lights. Whatever you need, start your last-minute shopping at the thrift! #ThriftStoreHalloween #HalloweenCostumes
Bringing a Halloween Costume Together at the Thrift
The easiest #Halloween #costumes involve normal street clothes and borrowed props, says Greenify Me. But to really bring your concept home (and support sustainability while doing it), you may need to #thrift a few items. To be a witch or wizard, all you need is a thrifted cape, wand and broom. Vampires tend to wear lots of black and red — easy to find at the thrift. Anything form-fitting and metallic suggests alien, while you can rip up a thrifted pair of pants and add facial hair to be a werewolf. Or just dress like a character from TV or the movies — Beetlejuice, Eleven and Clark Kent spring immediately to mind. Some thrifted #clothing that contributes to your costume may be wearable long after the season is over. #ThriftStoreHalloween #HalloweenCostumes
Thrift Stores Offer Halloween Inspiration, Supplies
Knowing that it sources many #Halloween #costumes throughout the country, Goodwill offers a costume generator to help with inspiration for the season. If you have a party coming up or wish to greet neighborhood trick-or-treaters at the door in #holiday guise, consider such inexpensive and creative ideas such as’90s grunge rocker, beatnik or garden gnome. Looking for something more classic? #Thrift stores can quickly set you up with the #clothing and accessories you need to transform into a ghost, vampire, witch or Frankenstein’s monster. Many #thrift and #secondhand stores are supplied by #donations to ClothingDonations.org, so purchasing costume materials supports #veterans nationwide. #ThriftStoreHalloween #HalloweenCostumes