Aimee chats with Phillip Sheppard, a star of the hit television show Survivor, U.S. Army veteran, and former special agent, as they discuss how to support our military members and their families. Phillip, who comes from a large military family and has a son currently serving in the Army, knows firsthand the sacrifices that soldiers and their families make. He shares insights on how to remind soldiers and veterans they’re loved, tips for making mail day special, and how to help veterans access benefits. Episode Highlights Remind soldiers and veterans that they’re loved. Phillip comes from a large military family that now extends to his son. He knows from firsthand experience that soldiers like his son need to hear how much they’re loved while on duty. “Communication is number one,” Phillip said. “You are loved.” Even if you don’t personally know a military member or veteran, you can still find ways to remind soldiers and veterans they’re not alone. For instance, you can volunteer to do activities for veterans. “Once they get back home we have to embrace them and let them know that we love them,” Phillip said. Make mail day special. One part of military life is mail call, where military members get letters and care packages from people they care about back home. Even though soldiers today have email and cell phones, it’s still quite meaningful to get a letter from a loved one, Phillip said. “There’s nothing like a well-written letter, right?” Phillip said. “A letter is something you can feel.” Another way to let a military member know you’re thinking of them is to mail a care package, which can be especially nice for the holidays. Phillip recommends sending a soldier’s favorite item from home. “I send my son care packages where they have fruits,” Phillip said. “Fruits are his favorite goodies. Those are something he missed from when he was at home.” Don’t forget military families. It’s not just people enlisted in the military who make big sacrifices to protect the U.S. Spouses and children who live on bases in cities away from their home towns can also benefit from support, such as care packages of their own. “If your friend just had a baby, there’s not enough diapers, right?” Phillip said. “You can order everything online now and put in a note.” Help veterans navigate the system. Veterans are entitled to numerous benefits, including mental and physical healthcare and opportunities for education, rehability, and careers. However, the programs are sometimes difficult for veterans to understand or navigate. Friends and family can help support veterans by offering to go to the Veterans Affairs (VA) office with them. “They just need somebody to go in and hold their hand,” Phillip said. “The VA is not a bad place to go. Sometimes a first person isn’t suitable for you, but you will get the person you need to talk to, and they can get you on our journey.” Listen without judgment. Military members and veterans go through experiences that can forever change them, and in some cases, alter their perception of reality. One of the best ways you can help military members and veterans, particularly those who may have a mental health condition, is to listen without judgment. “The most important thing you can do with a loved one, or anyone, is to listen without judgment,” Phillip said. “I suspend any judgment about a person’s situation because you don’t know what they’ve been through, and you don’t know how that impacted them personally.” Resources + Links Kitchen Chats on YouTube Phillip Sheppard’s Books: The Legend of Things Past, The Russian Job Phillip Sheppard: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Aimee Kandrac: Website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn WhatFriendsDo: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn About Aimee and WhatFriendsDo Aimee Kandrac is a speaker, consultant, and the co-founder and CEO of WhatFriendsDo. Her work is instrumental for organizing support during life-changing events, and she speaks to organizations about creative ways to help friends and family during times of crisis. Aimee has been recognized as a Top 50 Mompreneur by Babble.com and is the first female CEO in the state of Indiana to close a $500,000 funding round. She has been featured in Forbes, Time, the LA Times, Oprah.com, the Indianapolis Star, and more. WhatFriendsDo is a simpler way to create organized and actionable support during a time of crisis. The free, online platform empowers healthcare facilities, HR departments, families, and friends to easily coordinate meals, errands, transportation, childcare, communication, and more for those in the midst of a life-changing event. The women-founded and women-led company started as a solution for a friend with terminal cancer. WhatFriendsDo is based out of Indianapolis.
