Wounded Warrior Project
This initiative is entirely focused on veterans supporting veterans. You can provide mentorship, be a supporter at community events, or maybe even just listen to a veteran who truly needs it. The Wounded Warrior Project is dedicated to recovery, confidence, and connection. Volunteering here reminds you that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off; it just changes shape. Every hour spent helping someone rebuild is another victory for the veteran community you know and love.
Habitat for Humanity
If you enjoy working with a group of people and doing work that involves getting your hands dirty for a good cause, Habitat for Humanity needs you. Veterans are ideal volunteers. They contribute to building homes and giving families a fresh start. It's practical, it's social, and it's meaningful. Habitat has provided safe housing for more than 46 million people around the world. You might show up to build walls, but you’ll leave feeling like you built something much bigger.
The Mission Continues
Eager to serve again, but on your own terms? The Mission Continues offers veterans the opportunity to engage in community projects, mentor kids, and help neighborhoods thrive. You’ll be working alongside other vets who miss that sense of purpose and teamwork. It’s service without the salutes, but you’ll make a difference and make new friendships.
Team Rubicon
If you are a veteran who enjoys high-stakes situations, Team Rubicon would be a great fit for you. You will work with other veterans responding to disasters around the world. The mission combines military precision and strategic work ethic with community compassion. You will sweat, laugh, and perhaps cry, but the reward of helping people move forward is ultimately unbeatable. And you might get to drive heavy machinery once again.
Honor Flight Network
Honor Flight is truly heartwarming. All volunteers help escort aging WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans to Washington, DC, to visit their memorials. The gratitude, the tears, the stories, you won't forget them. Whether you're coordinating the flights or traveling with the vets in person, you will be a part of something beautiful.
Fisher House Foundation
Fisher House is a second home for military families. You are welcome to volunteer by cooking, cleaning, or simply being a friendly face for families visiting sick service members. It is like being a part of one large extended family filled with gratitude and shared stories. Fisher House has saved families over $500 million in lodging and transportation. It is the type of volunteering experience that reminds you that kindness and comfort go hand in hand.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
DAV provides opportunities for veterans to continue supporting each other. You can help with rides to appointments, assist with benefit claims, or volunteer to help with local events. It’s hands-on and heartwarming work that directly improves lives. Most importantly, you will be surrounded by people who understand your story and journey. With more than one million veterans served each year, you’ll see your efforts make a visible difference fast.
Operation Gratitude
If you love the idea of spreading cheer, Operation Gratitude is your jam. Volunteers assemble care packages for deployed troops, veterans, and first responders. Veterans especially shine here since they know exactly what little comforts mean the most. Each package delivers a reminder that someone’s thinking of them, and honestly, it’s impossible not to smile while packing one.
USO (United Service Organizations)
Remember those morale-boosting moments during service? The USO is where you can help create them for today’s troops. Volunteers greet service members at airports, support family events, or run entertainment programs. You’ll laugh, listen, and maybe share a few of your own stories. The USO has been lifting spirits since 1941, and with your help, that tradition stays strong. It’s all about keeping the connection between home and service alive.
Toys for Tots
The Toys for Tots foundation is run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and it makes the holiday season magical for children in need. Veterans fit perfectly into the program, helping organize drives, sort toys, or play Santa for the day. The program has given out over 650 million toys since 1947. You’ll walk away with a full heart, maybe a few candy canes, and the joy of knowing you contributed to spreading a little wonder.
American Red Cross
The Red Cross is a great fit for veterans who thrive under pressure but want to channel that energy into something meaningful. You can help with disaster relief, blood drives, or first aid training. There’s always a need, and your leadership skills will shine. You’ll also meet great people, learn new skills, and make a real impact right in your own community.
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The VFW is more than a hangout spot for swapping stories, though there’s plenty of that, too. Volunteering means planning events, supporting families in the area, and mentoring younger vets who are trying to figure out civilian life. It’s still the same spirit of service, just without the uniforms. You can count on brotherhood, a sense of purpose, and possibly some lifetime friendships. And since the VFW has been around since 1899, you’re joining a tradition that has been lifting up veterans for well over a century.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Veterans make amazing mentors, and Big Brothers Big Sisters knows it. You’ll be a steady, positive influence for a young person who could use some direction. Your guidance goes a long way. You could shoot hoops, help with homework, or just listen. Most vets find it surprisingly rewarding, and hey, it’s hard not to smile when you realize you’re someone’s hero all over again.
Meals on Wheels
Do you have a car and a little time on your hands? Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers to deliver meals and often a friendly chat to seniors. Veterans really seem to love this gig because it combines mission, movement, and meaning. You are not simply dropping off a meal; you are helping someone’s day become brighter.
Sierra Club Military Outdoors
If you miss the outdoors more than the mess hall, Sierra Club Military Outdoors might be your new home base. You’ll help other veterans reconnect with nature through hiking, camping, and kayaking trips. The goal is healing through adventure. It’s less about the trail and more about the transformation that comes from fresh air, shared stories, and finding peace outside the noise of daily life.
Operation Homefront
Operation Homefront's mission is to assist military families during times of need, and who better than veterans to assist military families? You can help by participating in a food drive, organizing fundraisers, or helping with family events. The work is rewarding and helps strengthen the community you once served in uniform.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Veterans inspire kids, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America use that to their advantage. As a veteran, you could coach a team, help with homework, or just be a role model who listens and encourages. Kids look up to veterans. They love the stories, the jokes, and the stable presence. It’s a great reminder that the leadership doesn’t stop when your service is over. It just shifts from the field to the community, one child at a time.
Local Animal Shelters
If you've got a soft spot for wagging tails and wet noses, animal shelters are always looking for extra hands. You can walk dogs, clean kennels, or just sit with anxious rescues in need of some love. This is honest, feel-good work that helps both animals and humans. Many shelters have programs specifically for veterans since spending time with animals is known to reduce anxiety levels and boost your mood. And who knows, you could even find your new best friend.
Team Red, White & Blue
The mission of Team RWB is to bring fitness and friendship together. You will help plan events such as 5K races, yoga classes, and weekend hikes that get people moving and connecting. This is less about competition and more about finding your people once again. The workouts are great, however, it’s the laughter and personal stories shared that truly make it special.
American Legion
For more than a century, the American Legion has stood strong for veterans, and you can continue that legacy by volunteering. You can organize community events, mentor youths, or support fellow veterans adjusting to civilian life. Here, you’ll laugh together, swap stories, and find that same sense of purpose and camaraderie you once had in uniform.
