SDIA Receives Lakefront Property for Future Military & First Responder Retreats
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is excited to announce that they have been gifted a substantial parcel of land on Beaver Lake by Jeff Engleman and his family. The property will be used as a retreat for Sheep Dogs in need. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Monday, October 30, at 11:00 a.m., with board members, staff, members and volunteers in attendance, as well as local news station KNWA. You can view their news coverage here.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to enhance our National Outdoor Adventure program,” said SDIA founder and president, SgtMaj Lance Nutt. “Our sponsored Sheep Dogs – military and/or first responders injured in combat or the line of duty – have been through and endured so much to protect us and our freedoms. We hope that giving them the opportunity to relax in a quiet, serene setting with the option to hike or participate in various water activities will further encourage them to reengage in...
2017 National Outdoor Adventure: DC & Marine Corps Marathon
Last weekend (Oct. 19-23) SDIA descended upon Washington DC with more than 60 Sheep Dogs, SDIA members and family members converging in our nation’s epicenter for an incredible Outdoor Adventure to experience our nation’s history and beauty, and to run in the Marine Corps Marathon or 10K.
The weather was gorgeous all weekend, providing the perfect backdrop for all the tours, activities and the MCM in which the group participated! Jim Mulvihill Tours, guide Jace, and bus drivers Sam & Darwin, were phenomenal at navigating to the various landmarks, monuments and memorials that the DC and Arlington areas have to offer.
The group’s first tour was on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 19, at the Pentagon Memorial, a truly beautiful and moving tribute to the 184 lives lost on 9/11, followed by a leisurely walk around the US Capitol and the Supreme Court building.
On Friday, the group spent the morning at the incomparable National Museum of the Marine...
HURRICANE MARIA – PUERTO RICO DRM RECAP 10.18.17
Our Disaster Response (DR) Team covered nearly the entire island of Puerto Rico during their 11-day mission October 5-16. They made an immeasurable difference in the lives of all those they helped – all while fighting the same struggles as the residents…little power, scarcity of water and food, and the weather.
The DR Team:
assisted nearly 400 residents; cleared 30+ trees from properties & roadways; distributed 450+ cases water; and distributed food, batteries, lanterns and other supplies.
The need in Puerto Rico is still great with little aid getting to those in need. The DR Team did whatever work was needed – from repairs, clearing debris, removing trees, clearing roadways & driveways; they even helped to restore a house that was destroyed by a large palm tree falling on it. A Bayamon family they assisted had been without assistance of any kind for 25 days; the mother is a widow who lost her job when the Sears she worked at was...
HURRICANE MARIA – PUERTO RICO DRM UPDATE 10.12.17
Following closely on the heels of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma was Hurricane Maria - and she devastated the island of Puerto Rico. To date over 80% of the population is still with power and most businesses are still not operational, but SDIA was able to send a small Disaster Response (DR) Team to help. Since their Oct. 3 arrival, the 5-person DR Team has assisted many residents of central Puerto Rico. From 10/3-12, the DR Team has:
Assisted 200+ people; Cleared properties of 15+ trees and debris; Repaired 2 homes; and Distributed 1,300 gallons of water, as well as food and other supplies.
If you are willing and able, we need and greatly appreciate your continued financial support. Financial donations can be made securely online at sheepdogia.org/get-involved/donate. Cash and fuel cards can be dropped off at or mailed to: SDIA National Office, 1200 W. Walnut St., Suite 2301, Rogers AR 72756. THANK YOU to everyone who has donated and/or supported SDIA...
Run the Turkey Trot & Provide Christmas Gifts for Children
Most Americans live well enough to enjoy the holidays, but for many of our nation’s Sheep Dogs - former and current Veterans & First Responders (Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, and EMS/Paramedic professionals), that is not the case. These courageous men and women put their lives on the line for us each and every day, giving us the gift of protection and security. It’s time for us to give them and their children the gift of a Merry Christmas! Your participation in (or donation to) our Turkey Trot for Heroes 5K, Wild Gobbler 5K or 1-mile Fun Run/Walk provides the funding needed for our Christmas Outreach program, which gives the children of struggling Sheep Dogs gifts to open at Christmas. On Thanksgiving morning (Thur., Nov. 23) from 9:00 to 11:00am, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) will host its 10th Annual Turkey Trot for Heroes 5K at the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers. Join in the fun and competition all while raising needed...
SDIA’s DRM to South Texas 8/20-9/4/17
As SDIA Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) work to assist those affected by Hurricane Irma in Florida, DRTs will also redeploy on Thur., Sept. 14, to Rockport, Texas, to continue with muck-out operations in that area.
While we await news of their hard work, here is a recap of – and a few stories from – the recent Disaster Response Mission (DRM) to Texas.
The first DRT departed from Northwest Arkansas the evening of 8/29, stopping at Bethel Ranch in Texas to rest for the night - THANK YOU for your generosity and hospitality, Bethel Ranch! The next morning the DRT continued to Houston. On the way, they stopped to visit Non-Profit Partner, Carry The Load (CTL), in Dallas. CTL blessed SDIA with a $20,000 contribution toward assistance efforts, and 3 truckloads of supplies the next day. Thank you, Carry The Load!
After arriving in Spring, TX, the DRT set up their Command Center, and once they began...
SDIA Hurricane Harvey DRM Update 9.3.17
Over 130 SDIA Members, Volunteers and 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment Marines have been working long, hard days in 90+ degree heat helping the people of Texas begin recovering from Hurricane Harvey's devastation. Yesterday alone, the DRTs worked in 7 different areas to:
Deliver water, food & medical supplies to residents and aid stations;
Boat assist 7 families in Beaumont and Memorial to retrieve medications and IDs/needed documents;
Muck-out 14 homes; and
Chainsaw 13 properites clear of trees & debris.
Today - the last day of this deployment, 130 SDIA members, volunteers and Marines will be mucking out 14 homes in Spring, Texas. Most homes in the area had water up to the ceiling on the first level, which requires removal of all flooring, sheetrock and insulation. One of many moving moments during this mission happened after the teams finished their work yesterday. One group had mucked out a Marine Vietnam Veteran's home the day before; in a closet the team...
SDIA Hurricane Harvey DRM Update 9.1.17
Over the past 72 hours, much work has been done by your SDIA Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) and volunteers from the 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment Marines - all 130+ of them!
800lbs of food & medical supplies, and 300cs water were distributed.
7 boat crews rescued and/or assisted more than 170 Houston residents.
5 chainsaw teams cleared trees & debris from 9 homes in and around Rockport.
13 homes were mucked-out in northwest Houston.
Today, more than 70 SDIA members, volunteers and 1/23 Marines will be hard at work.
Boat crews were dispatched to Houston & Beaumont. Muck-out teams will clear homes in Northwest Houston and the Rockport areas. Non-perishable food, medical supplies, and bottled water will be distributed by all DRTs.
At this time, SDIA will not be deploying additional DRTs to Texas. When fuel and other issues are rectified in the next week or two, SDIA plans to deploy DRTs again to continue muck out, chainsaw, and food/water distributiion operations. Watch...
SDIA Carries The Load in East Coast Relay
A few months ago, SDIA announced that they were named a 2017 nonprofit partner of Carry The Load (CTL), a nonprofit dedicated to restoring the true meaning of Memorial Day and providing active, meaningful ways to honor and celebrate the sacrifices made by our nation’s heroes throughout the year. Sheep Dogs who have given the ultimate sacrifice are honored and remembered – their load carried – at CTL events. One of CTL’s largest events is the National Relay, which has teams of people raising money and walking, running or bicycling 5+-mile legs of the over 6,200-mile routes throughout the month of May. The routes begin on the East and West Coasts, and meet in Dallas, TX, on Memorial Day weekend for the Memorial March. CTL’s founder carried one pound of weight for each of the people he carried on that first Memorial Day walk; now participants are encouraged to carry weighted backpacks with the names of those they are carrying...
SDIA’s 5th Annual Charity Ball is on Sat., April 22, 2017
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is honored to announce that our 5th Annual Charity Ball will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017, from 5:00-11:00PM at the Embassy Suites Hotel & Spa in Rogers, with guest speaker, USMC Cpl Aaron Mankin (Ret.). Held each year, the Charity Ball is a formal fundraising event that includes dinner, silent auction, dancing, and an awards ceremony which recognizes our nation’s Sheep Dogs – those in Military, Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue, and EMS professions – who have lived out the SDIA motto, “Helping Others is a Way of Life.” Funds raised will be used to sponsor Sheep Dogs injured in combat or the line of duty to go on an Outdoor Adventure to Washington DC and participate in the Marine Corps Marathon in October.
Guest speaker, Cpl Mankin, is a well-known inspirational speaker within military circles, and will share his story at the Charity Ball. Cpl Mankin graduated with honors from...