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Get involved
The Warrior to Citizen Campaign is a part of Minnesota Works Together, a statewide initiative to renew civic life. It is organized by the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute. For more information on the Warrior to Citizen Campaign, call 612-625-0142 or e-mail cdc@umn.edu.
What can YOU do as a citizen?
Invite a veteran to speak to your group
A Twin Cities group that wanted to become educated about reintegration and how veterans and their families have served our country invited a recent veteran to meet with them and tell his story.
Find ways to tap new skills and experience of veterans
In addition to inviting veterans to share their experience and knowledge through public speaking, ask them to serve on municipal or organization boards and committees, to join volunteer fire departments and rescue squads, and to teach youth groups skills like orienteering.
Organize your friends, book club, or church group for a study circle
A study circle is a facilitated conversation that helps a group move through discussion to action. Several churches, and veteran and non-veteran students on the University of Minnesota campus, are already using study circles to understand the issues and take action that’s appropriate for their community. Facilitator's guide
Organize your professional group for training
Members of a church-based group in St. Paul are working with their school contacts to convene teachers for awareness training on how deployment impacts kids and families. Teachers can earn continuing education credits by participating in this training, which is offered through University of Minnesota Extension’s Operation Military Kids program.
Mental health professionals from across Minnesota gathered at a November conference organized by the Minnesota Dept. of Veterans Affairs to work towards a more comprehensive approach to caring for veterans returning from combat. Training on combat stress is available for other professionals, including law enforcement and health care workers, and clergy and lay staff.
Support military families
An employee at Thomson Corporation organized her colleagues and worked with the Minnesota National Guard to find a military family for her department’s annual adopt-a-family holiday tradition. In addition to gifts collected by Thomson, the family of four will receive a $250 check from Ziegler Caterpillar.
A Minnesota sales rep for Atlanta-based Zep Manufacturing worked with his company and a contact at the Minnesota National Guard to get 108 kits of Zep cleaning supplies distributed to military Family Assistance Centers around the state.
In southwestern Minnesota, a family regularly plowed snow from the driveway of a neighbor while her husband was deployed in Iraq.
Across the nation, communities have sponsored free or low-cost summer camps for kids with parents who have been, are currently, or will be deployed. Campers experience a memorable week of fun and adventure as well as learning coping skills to better deal with a parent’s deployment. University of Minnesota Extension offers camps through Operation Military Kids.
Submit a letter to the editor
Talk to friends and colleagues, or make a presentation to a church
group, Rotary Club or other community group
For other ideas about how you can be involved, contact the Center for Democracy
and Citizenship, at 612-625-0142 or cdc@umn.edu.
The Work | Additional Information About the Coalition
Why this work is important for Minnesota | Get involved | Links
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