All it takes is a simple green light to show your support for veterans (via Greenlightavet.com)
Veterans Day was November 11th, and there's a new way to show your support ALL MONTH - aside from taking advantage of those hot mattress sales. Walmart has launched a new campaign called Greenlight a Vet, which aims to create visible and actionable support for American veterans and their families. Other organizations, such as Team Red, White and Blue, Hire Heroes USA, and Institute for Veterans have joined Walmart's new campaign and are currently spreading the word via television ads.
Retired Brigadier General Gary Profit, Walmart's senior director of military programs, spoke further about the new campaign:
“By uniting behind a visible symbol, we can ignite a national conversation in our communities about opportunity, success and service for veterans as they take off the uniform.”
Why the green light? Think about traffic lights; green means go and that's what these vets are known for. Not only do they keep going in the face of adversity, but they keep going after the battle is over either by getting back in the work force or giving back to their communities. Anyone can show their support by displaying a green light somewhere in their home or workplaces.
If you don't feel like rummaging through your Christmas decorations to find a green light, you can also show your support online. Organizers are collecting digital support for the campaign via their Greenlight a Vet website launched on October 26. The final tally will be displayed at the New York City Veterans Day Parade. The site also shares personal stories from veterans sharing their struggles with the aftermath of battle.
But Walmart is going beyond the green light to support veterans. The company is committed to hiring 250,000 veterans by 2020 through its Veterans Welcome Home program. Walmart has already hired the company's 100,000th veteran this past month. Since 2011, their foundation has pledged more than $40 million to veterans groups dedicated to providing job training, transition help, and education.
“Through continued, collaborative work with our nonprofit partners, we greenlight innovative public/private community-based initiatives that address the navigation challenges many of our veterans face when returning to the civilian workforce and their communities.” said Kathleen McLaughlin, President of the Walmart Foundation. “There is no better tribute to our men and women who serve than recognizing the value of their contributions and fully engaging them in our communities and workforce when they return home.”
If you want to show your support for someone you know who is a vet or for all vets out there, shine a green light or head over to the site and contribute your digital signature. Let's show our nation's veterans that we care.
I don't have a porch or a window people can see. I thought Green LED throwies would let you place that support anywhere - at all times. Here is a quick video tutorial. I lost most of the build part of the video in an accident... but it's mostly there...
C
See more news at:
http://twitter.com/Cabe_Atwell