Americanism Essay Contest

Americanism Essay Contest

Again this year, students in grades 6th, 7th, and 8th participated in the American Legion Americanism Essay Contest. Their topic: “How can we support families who provide care to their Veterans?” A tough topic – but, students researched, wrote, revised, and created final copies. Their essays are below.

And the winners are ~

Class II – 1st Place – Rachel LaPorte

Class II – 2nd Place – Micaela Jimenez

Class II – 1st Place – Emily Rangel

Class III – 2nd Place – DeAnna Grech

Class III – 3rd Place – Theresa Rodden

Honorable Mention – Sergio Ramirez

 

“HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE TO THEIR VETERANS” BY EMILY RANGEL

Veterans put so much work on their shoulders because they try to keep our country safe. Adding to that, they also need to take care of their families. We need to support their families because veterans go through pressure to help their country, and they might not have the mental or physical stability to be there for their families. We as a country need to help veterans and their families because their families go through what they, as veterans, go through.

One way that we can do this is by setting up a Family Group Talk Center. The families talk about their experiences and what they did to cope or find a solution to help their problem. Family Group Centers can help by enhancing social and coping skills. It can help families understand that what they are going through, they are not the only ones. Family Group Centers can help relieve stress, which can mean a lot when going through so much. These group talks can also help by staying motivated and managing their feelings.

As we know, some veterans come back from war and have some disability. When they come home, they should have their homemade for them, so they do not have to struggle. Some go to war perfectly fine and come back physically challenged. We should have a service to help them make their home appropriate. They have a program to go to their home to rearrange things to have a better lifestyle. Making their homes more comfortable will help them have a more relaxed setting to live.

Some veterans get PTSD when they get flashbacks or disturbing thoughts and feelings of past trauma. Most veterans got PTSD when they were in a war. PTSD can make someone feel mentally drained. For this reason, they should have a companion to help them. They should be able to access a service dog. A service dog can help reduce destructive thoughts, help with traumatic flashbacks, and help with disruptive anxiety behaviors, which are parts of PTSD.

Overall, there are many ways to help veterans who have devoted their lives to supporting and keeping U.S citizens safe. We can help by setting up family group talk centers, providing a service dog, and helping rearrange their home to accommodate their needs. We can do many things to help them; these are just a couple of things we can do.

“HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE FOR THEIR VETERANS?” BY MICAELA JIMENEZ

Our veterans helped fight for our rights and keep us safe. They fought for our country, which led some to become disabled. Their families struggle to keep them healthy and take care of them. Imagine if you had to do everything for your dad, mom, wife, or husband. It would be challenging, especially if you were alone. We in many ways can help the families by providing several things to make their life easier.

God our Lord can help them feel more relieved, calm, and patient. If we pray for these families, asking God to help them, God will answer. He always provides for His people, His sons, and His daughters. He can give them more strength and willingness to keep moving forward.

Would you feel supported if you heard you were being prayed for in Mass? I know I would. We could dedicate a specific Mass to them to help them know God and their friends, are always there for them and will help them when they need it. The money that is collected at the Mass could go to helping these veterans and their families to provide for their needs.

Giving these people someone who can clean the house, cook meals, and take care of the children if they have any could let the family relax and feel relieved from work for once. We should all have this help at some time in our lives.

Our veterans are important to America. They help us be a better country and be a better community. We love what they do for us, they risk their lives for our safety. Their families should be able to enjoy time together, having joyful moments with one another. We love our veterans. May we always keep them as a top priority.

“HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE TO THEIR VETERANS?” BY RACHEL LAPORTE

How can we support veterans and their families? That is a complicated question with a hidden simple answer. In some cases, the families, being mothers, fathers, etc, are the reason we have our veterans here today with us. We should celebrate them as well and give them what they need. It could be a break, a card, a gift, etc. These families were willing to let their family member(s) risk serious injury or potentially death, so we can use what we have today; freedom. I think we should at least give them enough to support themselves, financially speaking, with money provided by the government. We would have so many fewer veterans here if not for their supportive families and the help and encouragement they gave to get them to where they are now.

Sometimes we fail to understand how much they do for our country, by giving up their loved ones. When our veterans are injured and need to go home to be taken care of, their families are the ones who are taking their time and money to pay for housing our veterans, feeding our veterans, and more. These families also need as much support as can be given. They are doing their best and we need to know that they can only do so much for a seriously wounded or wheelchair-bound soldier who requires a lot of time and energy.

We need to make sure that we are sensitive towards our veterans, and their caretakers. While there is not a limit as to how much their will is directed towards helping their loved ones, there is a limit to how much they can physically help their loved ones. They need the financial support and the other help that we can offer. There are many ways. Today, just a smile, tomorrow, more.

“HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE FOR THEIR VETERANS?” BY DEANNA GRECH

When you are sick, who takes care of you? In most cases, it is your family. Imagine not being cared for by a family who loves you. Imagine asking for some medicine, and instead of your family, a person you have never met walks in to help. This is what many veterans go through. We can change this though. The least we can do is put families on the right track to start. That is why in my essay you will read and learn about the many ways we can help, not only our veterans but our veteran’s families.

Families without a way to care for their veterans do not really have a choice but to put their veterans in a nursing home. We cannot let this happen. Even though the home is in the name, it is quite the opposite. Veterans need the comfort of the family they worked so hard to fight for. It takes time and effort to rehabilitate veterans into a normal lifestyle again. Veterans don’t always come back home the same as they left. That is the hard truth. Families have to adjust their homes to suit and comfort their veterans. Many families have to do it on their own. But it does not have to be like that. We can make a difference!

Simply a positive card can boost the minds of families in despair. Programs such as the VA and H.E.R.O.E.S have programs that will help our beloved families. One big reason why families struggle to help their veterans is because of financial instability. This is why starting a fundraiser in your local community could really help families for the good! All these things little or big do make a difference. Our veterans are so important to our country that they could be called heroes. But so are the families who raised those heroes. They matter too! That is one thing we can never forget!

In conclusion, there are many things we can do to help families support and care for themselves while caring for their loved ones. Without them, the soul of our country would be in despair, and many veterans would not come home to a good life. We cannot let that happen! So please remember to support our families in any way you can. We can make a difference, we can help. But it all starts with you!

HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE FOR OUR VETERANS? BY THERESA RODDEN

“Military families take control of their lives and always move forward.”-Marcelina Hardy

Everyone has the tendency to think of the pressure that veterans have to endure to stand up for our country, but what about their families? When veterans come home, their families have to take care of their veterans, and that can be a burden. I will be discussing ways that we can give support to veterans’ families through The Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Fisher House Program, and the community.

An organization that helps veterans’ families is The Fisher House Program. It is a non-profit organization around the world that supports families when their veteran is being treated at the hospital. They provide them with one of 92 operating houses, “a home away from home”, and have covered 413,000 families with housing. We can do our part by suggesting for veterans and their families to go there if needed and donate money to help that organization expand.

Another organization that helps veterans and their families is The Bob Woodruff Foundation. The organization started when Bob Woodruff had survived a serious coma, and after meeting families of veterans at the hospital, he and his wife were inspired to give excellent service to veterans’ families. The foundation has reached over 11,000,000 families, and we can help today by contacting this organization if we know a veteran and their family. The Bob Woodruff Foundation will be able to give support to veterans, their families, and even their whole community!

While we can support The Bob Woodruff Foundation and The Fisher House Program, we can also help the veterans’ families directly. If students have a parent who is experienced in nursing, then they could volunteer and help a family. If there are local organizations in your area, get involved by contacting them and getting advice on how to participate with them. Whether we donate money, give food, or hug, we are doing our part.

People have habits of thinking about veterans’ needs, but we should think about the families of veterans too. I have talked about The Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Fisher House Program, and getting involved in the community. We need to appreciate veterans’ families more because we need to give the families of veterans what they deserve, just as their veterans had done for us.

“HOW CAN WE SUPPORT FAMILIES WHO PROVIDE CARE TO THEIR VETERANS?” BY SERGIO RAMIREZ

“How can we support families who provide care to their Veterans?” The typical answer would be to give money, food, water, clothes, and blankets. There is no right or wrong answer but more could be done to give the support that is needed. Going beyond that for the people who care for our veterans would be a wonderful act of kindness. When the Napoleonic War had ended, they left behind a field lifeless, desolted, arid and infertile, that field is known as Flanders Field. Magically, flowers bright and beautiful grew around the bodies of the fallen soldiers. Many viewed this as a sign of peace, resurrection, and eternal rest. A WW1 Veteran, Lieutenant- Colonel John McCrae, became famous for writing the poem named “In Flanders Field” The poem became famous for its heartfelt words.

Today, Flanders fields is a memorial for 368 American soldiers with poppies surrounding the area. Moina Belle Michael was a woman who lived in the years 1869-1944. One day, Moina read the poem that Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae had written. The inspiration she felt made her want to support the Veterans. So, she wrote her first poem named, “We Shall Keep Faith.” Once men and women around America read it, they were inspired to help! Moina started a campaign to help the Veterans. She was a wonderful woman who wanted to help the American Veterans who needed our help, and that is exactly what she did. I believe schools can help families who care for our Veterans. Moina was a wonderful example of a citizen who cares for our veterans.

We can help even with the simplest things beginning with thanking them for helping the veterans. If the people of America were to help support the Veteran’s caretakers they would strengthen the help in veterans with health, and all their necessities.Today, we don’t show our Veterans or their caretakers all the respect that they deserve. The sacrifices made in the war should encourage our families to care for the veterans, making a huge sacrifice by taking time out of our days to help them and care for them. It would be right to give them the respect, and love they deserve. Campaigns can be started, food drives, blankets donated, and our time donated to help the families anything helps! Today, supporting our families is just like supporting the veterans that fought for us!

 

Share