My personal journey into volunteering began in 2013 when I flew home to Texas to be by my grandpa’s side before he died.

Grandpa was an Army veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars and was forever changed by service. His kidneys and liver were shutting down because of the effects of toxic exposure. He knew his time was short, but he wanted to spend that time at home, not in a hospital.

So, we set him up with home hospice care. He died peacefully not long after.

It was then, sitting by his side, that I realized how meaningful it is to be with people during their final moments. After he passed, I began volunteering in a hospice facility to sit with veterans who faced dying alone.

That sparked me finding other ways I could help more veterans. I didn’t have to look far. Right in my own town were motorized scooter batteries that needed changing, dangerous tree limbs that needed cutting and overgrown lawns that needed trimming before residents faced eviction. Each of these were simple tasks but ones that meant a lot to the veterans who couldn’t do them on their own.

I learned that an hour of my time really could make a difference in a veteran’s life. And it felt pretty good.

I want others to experience that feeling. So many people, including veterans, feel like they don’t have purpose in life. Many feel as if they’re squandering their gifts and talents. Too many head down a path to some pretty dark places in their minds.

But by encouraging them to give back—whether it’s mowing a lawn, driving a veteran to a medical appointment or sitting by a dying veteran’s side—lives are transformed, and not just those on the receiving end of someone’s generosity.

On April 5, we’re hosting our second annual DAV Community Impact Day. It’s a great opportunity to give a little of your time to veterans in your neighborhood, and we hope you join us by pledging your time at communityimpactday.org.

You can coordinate a local chapter event or do something on your own. It doesn’t have to be grand, just heartfelt. We share lots of ideas on the website.

Here in Erlanger, Kentucky, we host events throughout the year, such as assembling backpacks for our Homeless Veterans Stand Down and putting together our Forget-Me-Not flowers for chapter fundraising drives.

Receiving that flower could be the first time someone learns about DAV’s mission. Receiving that backpack could be the touchpoint that changes a veteran’s life by getting them connected to the benefits they earned from service.

But whatever you do, you can be sure you’ll get far more out of it than you give.

And it just may be your spark to do even more.

Thanks, Grandpa.