(no subject)

[winterbadger]

While I'm feeling sick and sorry for myself, a reminder that came my way via the pages of Historic Scotland of those who are really in straightened circumstances, not just for a few days a year, but every day.

The Gurkha Welfare Trust is a charity that supports and assists ex-Gurkha servicemen and their families. Part of the UK's historical links to India, the Gurkhas are Nepalis who enlist and serve in some of the elite regiments of the British Army. Those who serve for 15 years receive military pensions, but many do not qualify or face other hardships when they return to their homes in Nepal's remote and grindingly poor countryside. The Trust provides support to those who retire in the UK, supplementary assistance to those who return home, and engages in community infrastructure development in the towns and villages where Gurkhas come from and return to.

Here's a general list of charities supporting servicemembers (from the MOD) and a similar list from the US Army (I couldn't easily find a corresponding list at DOD).