Who is SDIA & What Do They Do?
At Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, we are committed to empowering our Veterans, military personnel, and First Responders through adventure, camaraderie, and community.
Your support allows us to provide opportunities for these brave men and women to engage in physical and mental challenges, build lasting bonds, and rediscover their sense of purpose.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for our safety and freedom. Visit sheepdogia.org to learn more and show your support today!
SDIA Yellowstone Outdoor Adventure
The #SDIA #OutdoorAdventure team is dedicated to organizing thrilling and awe-inspiring Outdoor Adventure experiences. Our participants gain insights into posttraumatic growth while relishing the exhilarating moments that Yellowstone offers. These men and women have experienced the thrill of the national park and the life-changing introduction to posttraumatic growth. Bringing home with them revitalized spirits and powerful insights into their trauma and their growth potential.
SDIA Yellowstone Outdoor Adventure
The #SDIA #OutdoorAdventure team is dedicated to organizing thrilling and awe-inspiring Outdoor Adventure experiences. Our participants gain insights into posttraumatic growth while relishing the exhilarating moments that Yellowstone offers. These men and women have experienced the thrill of the national park and the life-changing introduction to posttraumatic growth. Bringing home with them revitalized spirits and powerful insights into their trauma and their growth potential.
If you are interested in learning more about the #SDIA#OutdoorAdventures, please visit https://sheepdogia.org/mission/outdoor-adventures/
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Outdoor Adventure to Peru
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) recently had the privilege of partnering with another great non-profit, Legend Treks, for an exploratory trip to Peru to serve its indigenous people with eye care needs (eye exams, reading glasses, sunglasses, eye drops, etc.). Legend Trek team members were Boyd Nutt, Patricia Yabar, Mike Webster, Jason Cruz, Beth Morgan, Randy and Kelley Rose and Jim Main. SDIA team members included sponsored Sheep Dog, Jose Sanchez, and his wife, Dulce, and Danny Shaw, and SDIA staff members Fred Lawley, Scott West and Amanda Bullard. Staff members went on the trip to ensure that our sponsored Sheep Dogs were taken care of, and to determine whether this was a trip that could become a future National Outdoor Adventure. All three SDIA staff members were responsible for funding their own way, paying all personal expenses, including airfare to and from Peru. During the first clinic, Legend Trek (LT) and SDIA worked with the Cusco Lions Club to operate...
2017 National Outdoor Adventure: Washington, DC & Marine Corps Marathon
Looking for an adventure this October? SDIA has just the trip for you and your family! Each year, SDIA hosts one major Outdoor Adventure (in addition to the monthly experiences around the US), and this year's trip will be incredible. This October 19-23, SDIA Members, Volunteers, and Supporters from across the US will converge on Washington, DC, for 5 days of special tours and camaraderie - and some will even run in the Marine Corps Marathon or 10K on October 22. We are sponsoring 20 Sheep Dogs injured in combat or the line of duty for this trip, all-expenses-paid. We have estimated costs per person to be $1,000; this includes 4 night's accommodations, 8 meals, guide service, entrance fees & motor coach transportation to pre-arranged tours to National Museum of Marine Corps, Mt. Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, National Mall and the Pentagon, and airfare. (NOTE: participants are responsible for making their own air/travel arrangements).
For those interested in running the Marine Corps Marathon...
Outdoor Adventures
Throughout the year, we host challenging events in which our fellow Sheep Dogs can participate. These adventures give them opportunities to get up off the couch, be around their peers, and reengage in life. Particularly for those injured in combat or the line of duty, SDIA's Outdoor Adventures give our Sheep Dogs a chance to see how far they have come since being injured, and remind them that no matter the obstacle, they can overcome it with their brothers and sisters by their side. As a result, participants have a new focus, revitalized self-confidence, and are reminded that they can continue making a difference in their communities and for their country. Past adventures have included obstacle races, skydiving, whitewater rafting, big game & bird hunts, ruck marches, and scuba diving.
Testimonials: Asheville Adventure Weekend & Spartan Super, August 6, 2016 - U.S. Navy veteran and firefighter, Jamie Smith, felt the Spartan Super's grueling 9-mile course and 25 obstacles provided the challenge he...
Rafting & Racing Inspire Sheep Dogs
They started arriving in North Carolina on Thursday, August 4, and by Friday, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) had 70+ veterans, first responders and supporters gathered to participate in their Western North Carolina Chapter’s Adventure Weekend. This annual adventure culminates in running the Asheville Spartan Super, and for 30 of the participants, the race would be a test of how far they had come since being injured in combat or the line of duty - and a reminder that no matter the obstacle, they can overcome it all with their brothers and sisters by their side. The Sheep Dogs started their weekend with a hearty breakfast at the Dixie Diner in Hendersonville on Friday morning, followed by white water rafting on the Nantahala River.
James Hurn, Deputy Sheriff with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, summed up the experience the best. “I thought it was going to be a typical rafting trip,” he said. “But I quickly learned that when you...
Skydiving Events Renew Spirits of Sponsored Sheep Dogs
Ask someone if they want to skydive, and you are sure to get one of two adamant answers – “YES! Let’s do it!” or “Are you CRAZY?! Why would I jump out of a perfectly good airplane?!” Fortunately for the willing, both the Northwest Arkansas Chapter and Michigan Team of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) recently held skydiving events – with the others enjoying the excitement and camaraderie with their feet firmly on the ground. While some members of SDIA have jumped as part of their military training, not all did. For those who stayed on the ground or in the plane, skydiving may provide the rush of combat or other intensive training in a very new way. This was the case for sponsored first-time skydiver USMC Cpl Justin Denslow at the Michigan Team’s July 3 event held at Skydive Tecumseh. After being diagnosed with PTSD upon his return from Afghanistan, Cpl Denslow tried various treatments/training to manage his symptoms...