How You Can Help Carolina Flood Victims
ConnectingVets.com story by Phil Briggs (9/20/18, 12:45pm)
Sergeant Major Lance Nutt had barely finished his retirement ceremony last Thursday, when he packed his bags, loaded up trailers and headed to Wilmington, NC, along with members of the organization he founded, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA).
“Just getting into areas like Lumberton and Wilmington, NC was next to impossible because the roads were either completely flooded, or washed out,” he says.
SDIA’s Initial Response Team members are no strangers to disaster relief. The veteran-staffed relief organization was on site to assist residents after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas one year ago. Now, as a tent city comes together in a Home Depot parking lot in North Carolina, they have 60-100 veterans who break into teams to perform chainsaw work and delivery of food and supplies.
“Home Depot and Operation BBQ Relief have been great. They’ve partnered with us and are making it possible for us to get the supplies and deliver meals. We’re currently packing over 300 meals for delivery today,” says Nutt.
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SDIA’s 6th Annual Heroes Gala to Help Veterans, First Responders Get Off The Couch
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) will host their 6th Annual Heroes Gala on Saturday, April 21, 2018, from 5:30-11:00PM at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. This year’s Heroes Gala will include a limited-seating VIP Reception at 4:30pm, followed by a social hour and silent auction bidding, a short ceremony, dinner and dancing. Awards to honor those Sheep Dogs who have lived out the SDIA motto, “Helping Others is a Way of Life,” will be presented to Military, Law Enforcement, and Fire & Rescue “Sheep Dogs of the Year.” Funds raised during the evening will be used to help more of our nation's Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch with SDIA’s Disaster Response and Outdoor Adventure programs.
Guest speaker, SSgt Jose Sanchez (USMC, Ret.), and emcee, Cpl Aaron P. Mankin (USMC, Ret.), will entertain and inspire attendees with their life stories and anecdotes throughout the evening. SSgt Sanchez is an active SDIA member who suffered severe injuries...
SDIA Outdoor Adventure to Machu Picchu this July!
Want to check hiking Machu Picchu off your bucket list? Join Sheep Dog Impact Assistance July 24 - August 5 and travel to Peru with Legend Treks to serve the people of Cusco, Pisac, Puno and Lake Titicaca with much needed eye clinics. Halfway through the trip, you will have your opportunity to hike Machu Picchu and be guided on a tour of this archeological site’s history and significance. (Visit our Facebook page to see images from our 2017 exploratory trip.)
The total cost of this trip is estimated at $2,000-2,500. Expenses include the following. (Note: There are no sponsorships available for this trip.)
Flights are $950-1,250 round trip; it is recommended to fly through Houston (IAH) to Lima to Cusco; flights also go through Bogota, Columbia, to Cusco. The earlier you book your flights, the more money you will save. Land Cost package is $950 and includes transportation to/from the airport in Cusco, baggage fees, Machu Picchu...
SDIA & Fallin Feathers Partner for Final 2017 Hunt
Last month, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) sent three Sheep Dogs in Need on our final Outdoor Adventure of 2017 . They were welcomed by Fallin Feathers Duck Club in Pocahontas, AR, for two exciting days of duck hunting December 12-14, 2017. In addition to incredible hunting grounds, the atmosphere at Fallin Feathers helped foster the camaraderie many Sheep Dogs search for outside their military and/or first responder professions. Getting injured veterans and first responders off the couch and around other Sheep Dogs who have been through similar situations is vital to inspiring a positive state of mind and perspective for the Sheep Dog and their family.
We are excited to announce Fallin Feathers will partner with SDIA for another hunt this month (January 15-18), and hopefully many more to come. Know of a Sheep Dog in need who would benefit from the camaraderie and excitement of our Outdoor Adventures? Go to sheepdogia.org for more...
Christmas Outreach Makes Holiday Bright for Sheep Dog Families in Need
The scene at SDIA's 4th Annual Christmas Outreach Party on Saturday, December 16, was one of joy and excitement for all the children and families in attendance. Because of the generosity of so many giving and caring people, SDIA made Christmas wishes come true for more than 250 children! All of these kiddos have parents that are currently serving, or have served, in the military or first responder community, and are struggling with financial difficulties this holiday season. The ability of SDIA to help those that make our country a safer place - our nation's Sheep Dogs - truly brings the meaning of the holiday season to life. Our Christmas Outreach party is an event that we look forward to every year; we invite the families we are helping for Christmas and make sure they know how much we appreciate them during this special time of year. We cannot say Thank You enough to the many volunteers and businesses - like Walmart...
Give to SDIA on #GivingTuesday and Your Donation Could Be Doubled!
Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday. Beginning at 7am CST on Tues., Nov. 28, Facebook and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will match up to $50,000 per nonprofit or $1,000 per fundraiser/donate button - meaning YOUR DONATION could be DOUBLED! It's simple - just visit our Facebook page on Tuesday at 8am and make your donation with our Donate button. Your donation to Sheep Dog Impact Assistance will allow us to ENGAGE, ASSIST and EMPOWER more of our nation's Sheep Dogs - military & first responders - than ever before. Every dollar you give will help fund our Disaster Response, Outdoor Adventures, and Holiday Assistance programs. These programs are a crucial element in helping our heroes - especially those injured in combat or the line of duty - continue to have a positive mindset and perspective. How do these programs help?
For Sheep Dogs, the standard of camaraderie and peer support is very high. Without...
Christmas and Hunting Don’t Go Together…or Do They?
While they may not seem to go together - Christmas and hunting - for Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) and the brave men & women we serve, the idea behind both is the same: Helping Others is a Way of Life. We help the children of Sheep Dogs in need have a Merry Christmas by providing them with gifts and necessities their families are unable to give. And we help Sheep Dogs who have been wounded in combat or the line of duty go on all-expenses-paid Outdoor Adventures by collecting donations to sponsor them.
Why do we sponsor them for Outdoor Adventures? By getting them off the couch and engaged in a healthy activity - like obstacle course races, hunting, fishing, skydiving - with others who have been through similar traumatic experiences, they feel a sense of belonging and camaraderie that is non-existent in civilian life. Being able to share their struggles and emotions facilitates organic healing, and reminds them they...
SDIA Members Sending & Delivering Supplies to PR
Since their Disaster Response Mission to Puerto Rico in October, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) members from Florida have worked tirelessly with local churches and area residents to purchase and collect a truckload of supplies for those devastated by Hurricane Maria.
They have partnered with Flight of Hope, who will deliver many of these items today directly to Puerto Rican residents in need as well as other relief organizations for distribution. Included in this shipment are 250 generators, 3,000+ pounds of food & medical supplies, over 1,000 water purification systems, clothing, cleaning supplies, tarps, batteries, and hygiene products. We are incredibly proud of these members and all they are doing for our fellow citizens!
But they aren’t stopping there. Early next month, these members from Florida (and one from Kansas) will head to Puerto Rico to bring a bit of joy and happiness to the holidays. The six-person team will be in Puerto Rico from December 5-9 to deliver more needed supplies,...