A Way To Serve Those Who Served Us – Veterans’ Day
Working with this young veteran and his family has been one of my most enriching volunteer experiences. Planners, consider a pro bono commitment or donation to Building Homes For Heroes and NAPFA’s Consumer Education Foundation.
When I was first asked to do this, I didn’t think I would be the best fit. I don’t come from a military family; had little technical background in veteran benefits; and am unfamiliar with the life of someone who is dealing with a disability. None of those things mattered.
The NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation (NCEF) provided tools and information. I could ask for help on the national discussion board. Most of all, though, Sgt. Sepulveda and Bernice have done most of the homework. They simply needed someone to affirm their decisionmaking, or to suggest a different direction.
All they needed was a guide, a second opinion, and sometimes, a coach. Those I could do. We both started off unsure of ourselves, but as we worked together, we gained confidence – the Sepulveda’s in their decisionmaking, and me, in my ability to help someone outside of the client world to which I’d become accustomed.
Overall, veterans have supported and shaped our country from the Greatest Generation to Generation Z, and it’s an honor to work with them.