Happy Monday 👋

Did you know that ex-soldiers are 50% more likely to be homeless than other Americans due to poverty and lack of support networks?

Veterans may face health problems, employment issues, and have a tough time transitioning back to civilian life…

So, today, I would like to share an event with you that raises awareness of the struggles faced by veterans and rallies support to help them integrate back into society!

Here are the impactful insights that I have for you today:

• Honoring our heroes 🪖
• Wood batteries could lead the way to a more sustainable future 🔋
• The new global fight against illegal deforestation 🪵
• Discussion of the week: making sustainability the easy choice 💬
• And more… 💚

🪖 Event of the Week: Veterans Day

👉 Did you know that tomorrow (November 11) is Veterans Day? This event is an opportunity for Americans to hold public celebrations, commemorative events, and patriotic displays to honor living veterans, their families and friends, paying respects to all those who served.  

1️⃣ The big picture: Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was established in 1938 as a US legal holiday to commemorate the end of World War I (which officially took place on November 11, 1918), honor its veterans, and the ideal of world peace. In 1954, after World War II and the Korean War, veteran service organizations urged the US Congress to proclaim November 11 as a day of gratitude and honor for veterans of all wars and call it “Veterans Day”. Today, Veterans Day is a federal holiday when many American citizens are off from work or school, allowing them to participate in community events dedicated to war heroes. 

2️⃣ Why is this important: Every veteran is affected by service. They may face health problems, employment issues, and have a tough time transitioning back to civilian life. Moreover, ⅔ of them are unaware of the benefits they have earned under their military service, and over ⅓ of veterans have trouble paying their bills years after leaving the military. In addition, ex-soldiers are 50% more likely to be homeless than other Americans due to poverty and lack of support networks. What’s more, 30% of post-9/11 veterans have service-related disabilities, and 22 of these ex-soldiers commit suicide daily, with one occurring roughly every 80 minutes. 

3️⃣ How can you get involved: You can participate in Veterans Day by joining a local parade or gifting gratitude packages to local veterans. You can also spread the word about the struggles faced by veterans on social media using hashtags such as #VeteransDay. Alternatively, consider volunteering your time to support veterans in your area. For example, you can share your skills or experience to help them transition to civilian life or assist a VA hospital. 

Below are our favorite charities that are especially relevant for this awareness event:

• 9 Best Charities for Veterans
• 9 Best Charities That Help With Veterans’ Bills
• 9 Best Charities That Support Wounded Veterans

If you are looking for additional inspiration, you can find a wide range of charitable causes to support in our charity support blog.

📢 Three Good News

🪵 Interpol announces a new global fight against illegal deforestation:

• Interpol and partners have launched a global law enforcement effort to dismantle criminal networks behind illegal logging, timber trafficking and gold mining.
• The announcement follows a major crackdown in the Amazon Basin last week, when Brazilian police, supported by Interpol, destroyed more than 270 illegal mining dredges operating on the Madeira River.
• The effort announced ahead of the U.N. COP30 climate summit in Brazil will focus mainly on tropical forests in Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Peru.

🔋 Wood-based battery research is unlocking safer, more sustainable energy storage:

• Wood-based battery development is gaining momentum as researchers and companies look for alternatives to mined minerals.
• Lignin, the raw material behind this technological innovation, is a natural polymer found in plant cell walls and produced in huge volumes as a waste byproduct by the pulp and paper industry. 
• At Michigan State University (MSU), scientists have shown that a battery separator made from lignin can last 60 percent longer than traditional plastic separators. This battery component also withstands heat up to 300°C, making it safer and more reliable than conventional parts.

🎄 The most impactful Advent calendar that gives back this season:

• Did you know that Impactful Ninja has launched its very own Advent calendar? Not only is it fully sustainable, but with every purchase, you automatically support 24 real-world good deeds done on your behalf by our partner organizations.
• 75% of the purchase price goes to 24 great organizations. And each door you open reveals a new good deed, along with a QR code that links to a web page with more information and a personal video. The good deeds cover diverse causes from gifting a free tree for a child to plant to providing hygiene kits to those in need and empowering orphans. 
• “I loved surprising my family members with this very special advent calendar and my family members told me their Most Impactful Advent Calendar was their favorite gift this year! They loved opening the windows each day to see the good deeds. I will definitely order them again next year. This was a really special gift!”

💬 Discussion of the Week: Making Sustainability the Easy Choice

Welcome to our new section, where we spark meaningful discussions about everyday topics that can create a real positive impact in our lives!

This week’s discussion topic: How can we make sustainable living more accessible to everyone?

• What challenges do you see people facing when trying to live sustainably?
• What creative solutions have you come across that remove barriers to eco-friendly choices?
• How can communities support each other in making sustainable habits stick?

Let’s share our favorite ways to make green living the easy choice!

For our founding community members, keep the conversation going in our forum here.

Want to join our community when we reopen? Just reply to this email—I’d love to personally add you to our waitlist so you’ll be the first to know all about it 💚

🤝 Three More Important Awareness Events

🧪 November 10, World Science Day for Peace and Development:

• World Science Day for Peace and Development raises awareness for the importance of science in mainstream culture, as well as the accessibility of scientific information and science as a force in sustainable development. 
• We celebrate the scientific strides we have made and promote funding for scientific research worldwide.

🫁 November 12, World Pneumonia Day:

• World Pneumonia Day is dedicated to spreading awareness for the ongoing deadly threat of pneumonia around the world. 
• For those who have suffered from the illness, or those at risk, this day is very important. 

💰 November 10-16, Talk Money Week:

• Talking about money can be hard, which is why Talk Money Week encourages people to open up about their financial issues. 
• In an era of increasing economic instability, it’s more important than ever to open lines of communication about money. 

Related: You can discover all the 97 most important awareness events (for the month, days, weeks) in our awareness calendar for November 2025!

📜 These Days in History

🎥 November 10, 1990: American comedy Home Alone, written by John Hughes and starring Macaulay Culkin, had its world premiere. Its huge success spawned a number of sequels and became a TV staple during the Christmas holidays.

💎 November 10, 1958: The Hope diamond, one of the largest blue diamonds known, was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., becoming one of its most-popular attractions.

🇺🇲 November 10, 1775: The United States Marine Corps was founded when the Continental Congress ordered that two battalions of marines be raised for service during the American Revolution.

💭 Quote of the Day

“I am a collection of thoughts and memories and likes and dislikes. I am the things that have happened to me and the sum of everything I’ve ever done. I am the clothes I wear on my back. I am every place and every person and every object I have ever come across. I am a bag of bones stuck to a very large rock spinning a thousand miles an hour.”

― Macaulay Culkin; American actor and musician

Share the news with your friends to make a bigger positive impact on the world and society together!

Stay impactful 💚