SDIA Hosting 10th Anniversary 10K Ruck March June 27 in Honor of Fallen Heroes
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is ready for their 10th Anniversary 10K Ruck March at a new location – Lawrence Plaza in Bentonville – on Saturday, June 27, 2020, from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Funds raised from the event will allow SDIA to continue its mission to help Sheep Dogs (Veterans and First Responders) Get Off The Couch™ and continue serving through their Disaster Response Mission, Outdoor Adventure and other programs.
Along the route, SDIA will be honoring five fallen heroes, including Fayetteville’s own Officer Stephen P. Carr, 27, who was killed in the line of duty on December 7, 2019. He was hired by the Fayetteville Police Department in April 2017, and was a patrol officer assigned to the Dickson Street Entertainment District. Officer Carr was known as a "gentle giant." He was calm, fair, and truly cared about the individuals he served in the entertainment district. The other honorees are:
Sergeant 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, died...
SDIA’s Response to COVID-19: Our Mission Continues!
HOW WE’VE HELPED From March 24 thru May 20, 2020, SDIA’s Teams & Chapters across the US have delivered food, masks, disinfecting supplies and other necessities to those in need.
16,777 People assisted 127,360 lbs Food, Water & Meals delivered 754 lbs Disinfecting Supplies delivered 56,525 lbs Donated Food Transported to Food Banks 5,998 N95, Medical & Handmade Masks delivered 29 Prescriptions & other items delivered
WHERE WE’VE HELPED From Hawai’i to New York City, our Teams & Chapters have been busy helping residents and frontline essential workers stay safe and healthy.
HOW YOU CAN HELP Your generous donations - large & small - will help us reach our goal of $100,000 by September 1. YOUR kindness, caring and support literally saves & changes lives!
Another option is to become a recurring donor in our 10th Anniversary campaign - "$10 for 10"! Sign up and your monthly donation will automatically come to us and be used to...
SDIA + CTL Honor, Remember Veterans & First Responders during Memorial May
#GetOffTheCouch with Carry The Load's 9th Annual Memorial May Campaign. From your home, your streets, anywhere!
If you're like us, you're itching to get out of the house - or at least do something different at home. Well, we've got a great idea for you!
As a 2020 Non-Profit Partner of Carry The Load (CTL), we look forward each year to sharing their mission to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day through Memorial May activities, and be part of honoring and remembering the sacrifices our military, veterans, first responders, and their families make daily.
In the past we would get large groups/teams together and walk in CTL's Relays and Rallies across the US, as well as their Memorial March in Dallas on Memorial Day. This year will look different as we all participate virtually in our homes and nearby areas, but your support and involvement are vital to the...
Veteran Forges New Life with Vet Programs & SDIA
Ralston “Rolly” Porro served with distinction during three tours with three separate branches of the military: Marines, Navy, and Army. During his third tour as an Army Paratrooper, he suffered significant injuries when he was thrown from the gun turret of his transport by an improvised explosive device (IED). He suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), was rendered unconscious, and was medevaced out of the Arghandab Valley to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He awoke the next day in the hospital, struggling with the trauma of his injuries, the lingering effects of a serious concussion, and a small scar on his forehead as a reminder. Rolly’s struggles with his TBI continued after returning home to Chicago, and he sought help with the US Department of Veterans Affairs and his local Vet Center. There he found traditional treatment, along with yoga and meditation, and learned about Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) and its mission. Rolly also began a...
SDIA Assists Those in Need During COVID-19 Crisis
CORONAVIRUS TAKES OVER As the world watched and began reacting to the coronavirus (COVID-19), SDIA started searching for responsible ways in which to help our members, volunteers, and fellow Sheep Dogs (veterans and first responders) Get Off The Couch™ and stay engaged. We also looked for safe ways to assist those in need during the pandemic…this new challenging type of disaster. SDIA has been hard at work and will continue with this effort as long as this health crisis affects our nation.
All of SDIA’s Chapters and Teams are led by Sheep Dogs, many of whom are currently on the frontlines in our communities serving in law enforcement, fire & rescue, or emergency medical services. Finding ways for our members and volunteers that are willing and able to serve during this pandemic was a challenge, but Jeff Watts (Central AR Chapter Commander) led the way. He worked with Little Rock area government and medical professionals to develop a protocol to deliver...
SDIA, NWA COVID–19 Task Force Seeking Donations of PPE
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is pleased to be partnering with the NWA COVID–19 Task Force to collect critical Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and distribute it to Northwest Arkansas-area public safety officials to help protect them as they serve those in need.
Due to supply-chain constraints, availability of necessary PPE is limited. To help, SDIA and the NWA COVID-19 Task Force are asking the community for donations of the following items during this public health crisis. CRITICAL NEED:
Protective Coveralls (cotton, Tyvek or like material) Face shields N95 masks
OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS NEEDED:
Alternative Cleaning/Disinfecting Solutions Clorox or PDI wipes Digital thermometers Exam gloves Eye protection Gowns Hand sanitizer Isolation gown Masks Plastic gowns Sewn homemade cotton masks Shoe covers Surgical masks
Items may be dropped off Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM at the following locations.
Fayetteville Fire Station 1, 303 W Center, Fayetteville, AR 72701; leave the donations inside the Entr Rogers Police Department, 1905 South Dixieland Rd,...
SDIA Day of Giving: Our Mission Continues
You're invited to participate in our SDIA Day of Giving: The Mission Continues online fundraising event this Thursday, April 2, from 8AM - 8PM that will allow you to support those who protect us every day.
Our Social Distancing Hosts, Jayme Lingo and Michael Nimmo, will be LIVE on Facebook and Instagram at 8AM, 12PM and again at 7PM. We will also be posting information and videos every hour on the hour throughout the event on our Facebook Event page.
This event is open to those in the Northwest Arkansas area, as well as those around the US, because we want all of our supporters to have access to our exclusive live Telethons, to hear from our Teams & Chapters across the country, and to have the opportunity to engage and have fun with some of our staff.
All money raised will go towards our efforts to support vulnerable populations during the current pandemic as well as continuing our...
SDIA RESPONDS: COVID-19 DISASTER RESPONSE INITIATIVE
As our nation continues to adapt to the growing number of confirmed cases and lifestyle changes resulting from coronavirus (COVID-19), Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) continues to do what we can to engage and assist our nation’s Veterans and First Responders, as well as our communities in need.
SDIA is now testing processes and procedures to safely and responsibly assist those in our communities who are quarantined due to a diagnosis of COVID-19 or self-quarantined due to high risk of contracting the virus. We are working with local authorities and organizations to coordinate critical assistance (delivering food, water, and/or required medications/supplies) to the elderly, disabled, and other high-risk individuals who may not recover from a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Our representatives involved in these tests are following the guidelines provided by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), the White House, and Arkansas State officials to ensure the safety of our representatives and those we are assisting, including, but not...
SDIA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Statement
Like the rest of the world, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is very closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and is following the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to prevent our employees, their families and our supporters from contracting the virus. In the CDC’s “Interim Guidance for Businesses” it states, “For the general American public, such as workers in non-healthcare settings and where it is unlikely that work tasks create an increased risk of exposures to COVID-19, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low,” except for those at high risk which includes older adults, those with compromised immune systems, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease). According to the CDC and Arkansas Department of Health (ADH)’s COVID-19 websites, the incubation period for COVID-19 to manifest symptoms appears to be 2-14 days after exposure, and quarantine periods are for 14 days. With our 8th Annual Heroes Gala...
Yellowstone Adventure Provides Camaraderie, Healing for Veterans & First Responders
Sheep Dogs Arrive at Yellowstone for Camaraderie & Snowmobiling Wednesday, January 29, was a beautiful day at the Bozeman, Montana, airport as Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) welcomed more than 35 veterans and first responders to town for a weekend of camaraderie and snowmobiling in West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park.
Many of the Sheep Dogs were participating in an SDIA Outdoor Adventure for the first time, and there was nervous excitement, and some anxiety, on many faces. Roger, a Navy veteran, was one of them. He sat alone for a while, and though he spoke with anyone who talked with him, he was quiet, watchful and apprehensive among so many strangers. He had taken a monumental step in helping himself by going on this trip – simply leaving his house was a battle he often didn’t win. But that day he had left his house…and went to an airport, and flew on two planes to get...