{"id":7020,"date":"2026-11-11T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/?p=7020"},"modified":"2026-11-11T09:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T14:55:16","slug":"veterans-discounts-are-a-dying-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imaginarygardens.org\/index.php\/2026\/11\/11\/veterans-discounts-are-a-dying-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans’ Discounts Are a Dying Art"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Olyver LaGabed, Special to the Journal<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can donate to Veteran students here at Pellissippi State Community College? As we highlight Veterans Day, we at Imaginary Gardens<\/em> invite you to join us in recognizing and honoring Veterans\u2019 valiant service by investing in their future through the Veteran Support Fund<\/a>. Just click the link below,  select your donation amount, and designate your contribution to the \u201cVeteran Support Fund.\u201d Imaginary Gardens<\/em> appreciates your generous support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you and have a blessed day honoring this nation’s current and retired soldiers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Emma G. Harrison, Editor-in-Chief, Imaginary Gardens<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give to the Veteran Support Fund.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Every year, around the month of November, Americans everywhere celebrate with barbecues, sales, and even have an entire holiday dedicated to remembering and honoring the sacrifices veterans have made for our country. But what about the rest of the year? Outside of Veterans Day, what is America doing to not only celebrate veterans\u2019 accomplishments but also to support their livelihoods as well? And speaking of livelihoods: what happened to the veterans discount?<\/em>
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Veteran at memorial | Chris F (Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you or someone you know has a family member that\u2019s ex-military, then the phrase \u201cdo you offer a veterans discount\u201d is likely something you\u2019ve heard before. Veterans discounts have played a huge role in supporting veterans for a long time; the mark-down on prices often lends a hand to veterans who may struggle to find work while dealing with the consequences of serving in the military (i.e., mental\/physical disabilities). Unfortunately, however, it\u2019s seemingly becoming a stranger to major corporations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to USA Facts, 22 of 10,000 Americans have experienced homelessness. Of those homeless, roughly 5% are veterans. While the number of homeless veterans has since gone down in 2024, the fact of the matter is that there are still tens of thousands of veteran Americans who are unable to support themselves due to issues that may have been caused by their time in the military. On top of that, even veterans who aren\u2019t homeless are still below the poverty line \u2013 37% of the impoverished community in Puerto Rico\u2019s district is made up of veterans, according to the Center for Research on Disability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Veterans experience a high level of poverty| RDNE Stock Project (Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because of this sad fact, the veterans discount plays a much larger role in supporting veterans than many people might realise. Despite this, many American corporations (such as Baskin-Robbins, Starbucks, and Cinemark) have slowly stopped offering such discounts. Even then, if an organization does offer the discount, it\u2019s not at a meaningful rate. In recent years, the highest I\u2019ve personally seen military discounts go is 10% off a meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there\u2019s more to be said about the general economy\u2019s mismatched wage\/inflation rates and how that impacts the general public, the lack of discount certainly doesn\u2019t help support veterans already living in an unstable economy like the rest of us. It especially doesn\u2019t help since many veterans are left unable to work after their time serving. The 10% off might not be much to an able-bodied person who can guarantee themselves another paycheck, but to an individual who can\u2019t hold a job thanks to an illness, that discount might be the only way they can afford a meal or groceries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The disappearance of the veterans discount is indicative of a larger issue regarding how our country treats those who serve in the military. We certainly haven’t done much to solve the housing crisis in America; the homeless rate rose by 3.3% in 2024, according to USA Facts.  If our nation enables corporations that are willing to pocket a little extra change at the expense of veterans, what else will America allow to slide? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes, the yearly barbecue is nice, but when it comes down to it, many veterans are not being given the support needed to even appreciate their own celebration. Veterans make up a large portion of our country\u2019s population, and they are also an incredibly important portion as well. Veterans are individuals who have risked their lives in order to protect their nation \u2013 the least their nation can do in return is offer them a few bucks off their coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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