Veterans are more likely than non-military civilians to volunteer in their communities and interact with neighbors but often aren’t recognized for that involvement, according to a new civic health survey of veterans unveiled last week.
“There’s a counter narrative out there, where veterans hear that they’re broken or that they need help,” said Mary Beth Bruggeman, president of The Mission Continues, one of the organizations behind the new report. “And organizations like ours exist to remind them that while they may need some help, in fact, you are here to help and the community needs your help.”
The findings, drawn from surveys of more than 60,000 American households, echo the findings of past civic health studies that showed higher engagement from veterans across a host of community activities.
Veterans are more likely to be registered to vote than their non-military peers (75 percent versus 70 percent) and more likely to have voted in recent elections (66 percent versus 62 percent). Veterans averaged 95 hours of volunteer work a year, compared to 74 hours for non-veterans.
Read more at The Military Times