Though it may seem too soon to think about the holidays, it’s never too early to talk about our continued support for our state’s veterans who might not have loved ones around to share in the festivities this year.  There are nearly 300 veterans within the St. Louis Missouri Veterans’ Home who need our support this upcoming holiday season.  These heroic men and women served in our Armed Forces during World War II all the way up through the Persian Gulf War. 

Citizens who participate in the “Adopt-A-Vet” program sponsored by the St. Louis Veterans’ Home Committee will help provide our Missouri heroes with gifts that can mean so much during this time of year.  Imagine serving your country — laying your life on the line to defend the freedoms and liberties of your family and friends — only to wake up one day and those loved ones are no longer here to share in those victories with you.  However, your show of support of our state’s veterans will remind these heroes of the countless citizens who remain thankful for their service and dedication to our great nation.

Businesses, parishes and community centers that would like to get involved in the program this year can contact the St. Louis Veterans’ Home Committee to receive sign-up forms, which can be proudly hanged from Christmas trees or put on display for residents in our communities.  Citizens may also present a gift in the memory of a loved one to the veterans’ home.

There are numerous ways to give back to our veterans, including volunteering your time at one of our state’s veterans’ homes, which includes the one in St. Louis.  These volunteers provide thousands of hours of service each year to the seven veterans’ homes throughout the Show-Me State, and volunteers are welcome in almost any area in which they might have an interest.  Applications to serve as a volunteer at one of these facilities across our state are available online (www.mvc.dps.mo.gov/homes/volunteer.asp) or by contacting the Missouri veterans’ home nearest you.

In the St. Louis area, the “Adopt-A-Vet” program provides a small token of appreciation to our country’s heroes who selflessly put America before themselves and have never asked for anything in return.  As we ease into the fall season and the holidays grow near, please remember our state’s veterans, their brave service to this nation, and the tireless work of those Armed Service members who continue to protect us both at home and abroad.