We The Veterans and Military Families Partners with America250 to Usher in a Seminal Year of Volunteerism
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the nation prepares to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, We the Veterans and Military Families today urged the veteran and military family community to take part in America250’s America Gives initiative, a new program aimed at making 2026 the largest year of volunteerism in U.S. history. We the Veterans and Military Families, a founding partner of the recently-launched initiative, is among the leading corporations and nonprofits that will help transform 2026 into the largest wave of volunteer service the U.S. has ever seen.
The announcement follows We the Veterans and Military Families’ successful, year-long Military250 campaign, which commemorated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps in 2025. The landmark campaign engaged 250 organizations and 2,100 locations, and collected over 1.2 million hours of civic service – far surpassing its goal of 250,000 hours – from veterans and military families. Now, through America Gives, We the Veterans and Military Families will continue to encourage veterans, military family members, and all Americans to embrace patriotic service.
“Veterans and military families led the way in 2025 with over 1.2 million hours served during our Military250 campaign. Now, we’re calling on them once again to join the entire nation in giving back to the country we love as part of America Gives,” said Ellen Gustafson, a Navy spouse and Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of We the Veterans. “For our community, service is a lifelong value, extending far beyond the time spent in uniform. Against the backdrop of MLK Jr. Service Day, We the Veterans and Military Families is honored to spur more patriotic participation this Semiquincentennial and work alongside an illustrious group of like-minded corporations and nonprofits to make 2026 a record-setting year of volunteer service.”
We the Veterans and Military Families encourages Americans to visit America250.org/America-Gives to find local service opportunities nearby and log their volunteer hours.
Veterans and military family members continue to play an outsized role in strengthening America’s civic fabric. Last year, We the Veterans and Military Families and the National Conference on Citizenship released the fifth edition of the 2025 Veterans Civic Health Index (VCHI), which found that veterans volunteer an average of 93 hours annually with local charities—24 hours more than their non-veteran peers.