Americans Honor Veterans Day Week Volunteering Alongside Servicemembers, Vets and Military Families

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans across the country are honoring veterans this week  by volunteering in support of and alongside active-duty military, veterans and military families through the Mission Serve initiative.  Major events partnering military, civilians and nonprofits with corporate sponsors Walmart and Bank of America are taking place in more than 20 cities across the United States.  Americans are also logging onto the new www.MissionServe.org website to find volunteer opportunities in their own region and download free toolkits for use by individuals, religious groups, schools and community organizations to plan their own activities.  First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and Mrs. Alma Powell first helped kick-off the Mission Serve initiative Veterans Day 2009.

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"On Veteran's Day and every day, it's our sacred duty to honor the service of those who sacrifice for our country - and we all can play a role," said Dr. Biden of the 2010 events.  "I want to thank Mission Serve for giving Americans concrete ways to offer their thanks through service."

VIPs joining Mission Serve in supporting Veterans Day week activities include:

• High School Musical actor Corbin Bleu
• U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu
• iCarly actress Miranda Cosgrove
• Legendary football coach Mike Ditka
• Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
• U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy Rob Gordon
• U.S. Senator George LeMieux (R-FL)
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actors Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson
• Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn
• NBC Universal Studios Chair Ron Meyer
• Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen
• Heroes actor Milo Ventimiglia
• UFC superstar Brandon Vera
• Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
• Former Senator, Civil Rights Leader Harris Wofford

In Atlanta, flyers using the city's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport will be able to write letters to troops in a USO-sponsored event.  A Teaching Garden(C) will be built at a Camp Pendleton, CA elementary school thanks to the American Heart Association and Farmer-Veteran Coalition.  In Los Angeles, the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare Center will be refurbished through a civilian/military partnership.  In New York City, 3,000 care packages will be assembled for distribution to troops serving overseas.  A complete list of the initiative's signature service projects is attached.

The companion website highlights the 20+ large-scale city projects, allows browsers to find and plan events and encourages those volunteering to do it in honor of someone special.  To find events and ongoing volunteer opportunities, users can go to www.MissionServe.org, or the U.S. Government's www.Serve.gov, enter their zip code and available service projects and organizations are made available to them.

"When I served in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, it lifted my spirits a great deal to know that Americans supported our efforts and were united behind us," explained Ross Cohen, former U.S. Army paratrooper and director of the Mission Serve initiative.  "That's the idea behind Mission Serve—to create an opportunity for Americans to show servicemembers, veterans and military families that they appreciate our service.  The program also provides an excellent opportunity for military personnel to transition back into civilian life through continued service."

Walmart and Bank of America, sponsors of the initiative, are consistently ranked among top U.S. companies in terms of corporate giving.  In addition to overall support of the initiative, the sponsors will hold joint and independent volunteer activities in several cities.  Bank of America associates will work side by side with nonprofit organizations in New York City, Phoenix and San Antonio, TX, while Walmart associates will turn out with veterans in Chicago and Philadelphia.  The companies will work together in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Norfolk, VA. 

Photos and video of the events are available for download at www.newscastus.com/mediablast/BeTheChange/100081/100081.html. This site will be updated throughout the day.  

For more information on the Mission Serve initiative and how you can support it, please go to www.MissionServe.org. 

Related Link

Mission Serve Website

SOURCE Mission Serve