22in22

As 2-22-22 comes to a close, we want to leave you with 22 things you can do today and tomorrow...and all throughout this year and next to let your support of our Warriors be tangible. These are just some thoughts we had, so adapt them, build on them, use them...and it's just a small percentage of the amazing ways you can love a warrior around you. So, in no particular order...

22 MINUTES OF SACRIFICE
- Do something hard, such as vigorous exercise or learning a new skill. Dedicate yourself to 22 mins each day to test your limits and appreciate sacrifice. You will learn to empathize with what warriors are asked to do and appreciate their efforts, all while reaping the benefits of your struggle. If you’re going to sacrifice, choose wisely.

HIRE 22 VETERANS/MILITARY SPOUSES
- If you are hiring, set a goal to hire military veterans and spouses for your opening, if not reach out to civic groups to set that goal. Veterans don’t want handouts, they want opportunity. They face unique challenges and through their efforts overcoming them (moving, licensures, childcare, etc) you will see they are more resourceful than you thought.

DON'T LET VETERANS DAY BE THE ONLY DAY OF FREE MEALS
- Spend $22 on meals for our warriors. Challenge 22 friends to show the same appreciation. This would make a huge impression that our community cares about those that work on the local military installation.

GIVE DEEPLY DESERVED DEEP DISCOUNTS
- Create a 22% military discount all year, use this as a part of your marketing budget. The word of mouth alone will make up for it and more warriors and their families will come to explore your local establishment.

ELIMINATE THE EXCESS
- Take 22 Days and really ask yourself what you can get rid of. Maybe it's stuff around your house. Maybe it's part of a process you have that just makes things complicated. Maybe it's something else. Less is more, we've all heard it. There is a lot of attention to the stress in a warrior’s life post-deployment, but we fail to realize that conversely, the “death by a million pinpricks” that we all face day in and day out has a lasting effect on the psyche. How can we eliminate excess in our personal life AND in our professional life? YOU are the catalyst for this change. Take the time to ask the hard questions, to truly evaluate, and to act. Ask a friend or trusted coworker for their input, too. Then turn around and thank them with a coffee at your nearest Starbucks as an expression of your gratitude for their honesty.

SUPPLY THE NEED
- Buy 22 socks or sweatshirts or coats or underwear and donate to local veteran shelters.

GIVE TOWARD THE FIGHT
- Donate $22 to action-oriented military support nonprofits – your money is fuel for their engines!

PAY IT FORWARD
- Put $22 on the tab at a local coffee shop, tell them it’s for the next veteran that comes in. Leave a note of appreciation for that military member AND ask them to put a social media shout out or check-in for the business that facilitated this random act of appreciation

SHARE A MEAL
- Have 22 conversations this year over a lunch or a beer you buy for a military member. Ask them what you can do to improve a warrior’s interaction with their community. Ask them what they would do if “king/queen for a day” to improve an area you have been struggling with – their insight and advice will likely surprise and help you.

LOOK AT THOSE THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU
- Spend 22 minutes today examining your barriers to understanding others. Our warrior family sacrifices for ALL Americans...never reaching out to lend a hand to only folks that look or act like them. If you miss how diverse this group of heroes are, you may miss their diversity of thought. You may miss out on their amazing innovative ideas if you are paying TOO much attention to sex, age, race, religion, orientation or political party.

LET THEM LEAD IN YOUR WORLD
- Give our warriors 22 minutes to speak or interact with your schools, boards, city council meetings or businesses. As stated above, there is so much value in the ideas of our warrior family, don’t let the ideas die in the “frozen middle”.

PRACTICE GRATITUDE
- Take 22 minutes to be truly grateful today. If you flipped on the light switch and it worked—GREAT! If you have running water, enough food to eat, family around you, etc, etc etc. Because if you take 22 whole minutes, you will find you very grateful for the freedom our warrior family provides us all. And gratitude will help anyone’s attitude.

PRACTICE YOUR FAITH
- Are you a person of faith? If so, practice that for 22 Warriors. We know that there are many faiths represented by our EW Fam, including those that practice no faith. At the foundational levels of many faiths is the good of those around you. So practice that good for our Warriors. If giving, then give for them. If prayer, then pray for them.

LET THAT YOUNG WARRIOR EXERCISE HIS/HER PURPOSE
- Bring a 22-year-old onto your board. Warrior or military spouse on your board, council, Rotary, Elks club, etc can inject some new ideas, brainstorming, and a fresh set of eyes on some of your concerns. Best outcome – you get an amazing solution to your problem set; worst outcome - you spend some valuable time empowering one of our warriors.

DO NOT NEGLECT THE KIDDOS
- Gather the experiences of 22 military brats. Ask them where they are from – the answers will surprise you. Ask them how many schools they have had – the answer will shock you. Then ask them for their advice with stagnant issues you haven’t seen from an outsider’s perspective.

GIVE THE FAMILY A PLACE TO STAY
- Earmark 22 hotel rooms for visiting families of your local military. This incentive to come to visit our warriors at their base helps alleviate the stress of military taking a whole family “home”, but also can be a boost to tourism, advertising for your local community. Ask for a significant social media blitz from the warrior and his family and you’ll see better results than a benign marketing plan.

LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT
- Spend 22 minutes today “leaving it better than you found it”. Veterans are taught this critical skill at all entry-level training bases, we can make this mindset a critical life skill that honors them and improves your community.

GATHER AROUND THE TABLE
- Challenge 22 folks in your friend circle to open your home and table this Thanksgiving to local warriors. The Every Warrior Network was founded from a potluck Thanksgiving dinner for our military...and little did we know that this would manifest into the work for good we get to do. Who knows what comes from your kind gesture.

SPREAD THE GOOD THAT IS HAPPENING
- Give 22 shout-outs to veteran-owned small businesses, nonprofits and events. It costs $0.00 to help promote good people doing good things!

SEND THE LOVE AROUND THE WORLD
- Send 22 care packages this year. Challenge your network to contribute to a box of love sent forward in the form of snacks and goodies to those serving downrange.

LET TRUTH HAVE A VOICE
- Share 22 quotes from military leaders or patriotic heroes. Share their wisdom on leadership, patriotism, and fundamental roles of citizenship.

22 MINUTES OF KINDNESS
- Your local veteran service organization has a list of vets in need of everything from meals, lawn care or fellowship. Dedicate 22 minutes acting in your feeling of thankfulness.

So there you have it, just a few practical things you can do to show the love to the Warrior around you. Some can be done right here and now, some may take a little planning. You don't have to do them all, or any. Get creative. All we ask is that you just (as we like to say around here) DO SOMETHING NOW.