Epic Marine Reunion at Heroes Ranch: A Week of Brotherhood, Adventure, and Camaraderie
At Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA), we are deeply committed to helping veterans and first responders connect, heal, and find their next adventure through our Outdoor Adventures (OA) program. Last week, we were honored to host a group of Marines at Heroes Ranch for an unforgettable reunion and a week filled with outdoor exploration, camaraderie, and shared experiences.
FVC STORY: Farmer Veteran Coalition Responds to Texas Flooding with SDIA
When disaster strikes, communities often look to their heroes, military members, veterans, first responders, and their families to help rebuild. In the aftermath of devastating floods across Central and Southwest Texas, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) has continued to engage these brave individuals, providing vital disaster response missions that foster camaraderie and promote post-traumatic growth. Recently, SDIA teamed up with the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) Texas Chapter, led by President Dan Legereit, to support flood cleanup efforts in Kerrville, TX.
Texas Flood Disaster Response Mission: Impact and Purposeful Volunteering
From July 6 to July 19, 2025, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) organized a large-scale Disaster Response Mission (DRM) in Texas to provide essential support to those affected by severe flooding. The event brought together 190 dedicated volunteers who contributed 1,900 man-hours, assisting 53+ individuals, including 4 veterans and 49 civilians. The mission's impact was profound: 13 properties were cleared, 588 trees were removed, 14 structures were mucked out, and 617,600lbs of debris were removed from affected areas. Volunteers also assisted with salvaging 150+ items, which included locating, cleaning, restoring, and cataloguing these items, which held high sentimental value. Donations during this time played a critical role in supporting these efforts and restoring hope to the community.
Dr. Adrienne Heinz, a clinical research psychologist at Stanford University, explains the healing power of volunteering in times of adversity: “When something awful happens, a powerful human response can occur called 'purposing.' This is when we rise to meet moments of sorrow...
15 Years of Impact: Sheep Dog Impact Assistance Celebrates a Legacy of Service and a Future of Growth
Founded in 2010, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is a national nonprofit led by military and first responder veterans committed to transforming hardship into healing. For 15 years, SDIA has empowered our nation’s heroes, our Sheep Dogs to Get Off The Couch and discover renewed purpose, connection, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) through community, service, and outdoor adventures.
Celebrating 15 Years at Heroes Ranch
On Saturday, July 12, 2025, SDIA proudly hosted our 15th Anniversary Celebration at Heroes Ranch near Northwest Arkansas, in Jane, MO. A joyful evening of reflection, gratitude, and community connection.
More than just a celebration, the event marked a powerful milestone in the mission to serve those who serve. To date:
Over 3,800 Sheep Dogs have been sponsored in SDIA’s core programs.
7,000+ Sheep Dogs have volunteered in Disaster Response Missions, assisting more than 300,000 disaster survivors.
Through Warrior PATHH, our innovative, peer-led mental wellness program,...
SDIA DRM TEAM DEPLOYS TO CENTRAL TEXAS
This morning at 9:30am, the Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) Disaster Response Team (DRT) of 18 volunteers from Arkansas, Missouri and Wisconsin departed from the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers, AR. This team will meet up with 85+ volunteers from 17 states when they arrive in the Kerrville/Liberty Hill area this evening. Prior to the mission briefing, Lance Nutt, Founder & CEO of SDIA, read an email that he received last night that drove home the meaning of this mission. In part, he read:
“I'm reaching out because I saw you have teams deploying to Texas tomorrow morning from Rogers. Last week on July 4th, I lost my parents and 11-year-old niece in a Hunt, Texas flood…they were just down river from Camp Mystic… I'm sure tomorrow morning is a bit hectic and I don't know if you have a...
KFSM STORY: Sheep Dog Impact Assistance deploys to Texas to help with flooding crisis
Originally aired/published on July 8, 2025, at 7:14AM CDT; reported by Jacob Luthi. View the story here.
While not involved in active search and rescue operations, Sheep Dog will deliver supplies to flood victims, clear debris, and provide support to first responders.
ROGERS, Ark. — A group known for running toward the storm is heading south to help flood-stricken communities in Texas.
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA), a Rogers-based nonprofit made up of military veterans and former first responders, is mobilizing this week to provide relief in the aftermath of devastating flooding across the Lone Star State.
While the group won’t be involved in active search and rescue operations, they are playing a vital support role: delivering supplies to flood victims, clearing debris, and providing relief to overwhelmed first responders.
“Us having boots on the ground to begin helping sometimes in those outlying areas where they're not getting a lot of attention, is where we specialize best,” CEO...
SDIA Deploys to Texas Flood Zone
After devastating floods swept through Kerr County, Texas over the July 4th weekend, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) answered the call with a plan to put boots on the ground, tools in hand, and hearts ready to serve.
As Ambassador Josh Duggan shared:
“We work from sunup to sundown getting sleep and food when and where we can. We don’t stop until it’s time to rotate out… and then, if necessary, a second round of Sheep Dogs takes our place and picks up right where we left off.”
SDIA team members and ambassadors have begun to assess the situation this week, so when we as an organization deploy, we have a clear plan of operations and can maximize our impact. SDIA is not a search and rescue mission; however, when the search and rescue efforts conclude, there will be a need for assistance with clean-up work, and that's when we activate. Our focus is on supporting those hit hardest, especially local first responders...
THV STORY: Arkansas volunteers assist victims of Texas flash floods
Originally aired/published on THV11 July 7, 2025 7:09 PM CDT; reported by Maya Ellison. You can view the story on their website here.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Deadly storms in Texas over the weekend have many people in Arkansas looking to help — and for some, the catastrophe hits home.
"It was heartbreaking and gut wrenching," Kelly Franklin, an alum of Camp Mystic, said.
These past couple of days have been the hardest for her to face.
"I went to Camp Mystic starting in '98 and then all the way up to '03," Franklin said. "It's just devastating to see how it looks right now."
Camp Mystic is one of many locations in the Texas Hill Country affected by "catastrophic" flooding over the Fourth of July weekend.
Officials reported that at least 27 campers and counselors lost their lives, adding to the rising death toll.
"I want to keep having hope, but it feels like somebody's gripping my heart and squeezing it...
Yahoo News: SDIA deploys dozens to Texas to help with flood recovery
Originally published on July 7, 2025 at 6:42 PM CDT; reported by Gabriella Phelan. View the story on their website here.
ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Local organizations from Northwest Arkansas, including Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, are sending resources to Texas following catastrophic flooding.
As Monday’s death toll rises to over 100, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance says it is one of the many groups sending volunteers to help out.
“We had members on the ground within 24 hours,” said Sgt. Major Lance Nutt, the founder and CEO of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance.
Sheep Dog regularly assembles teams to send to disaster relief areas all across the country.
“We’ve got a total of five staff members on the ground assessing now and leaning into doing what they can while they’re there, especially to identify supplies and equipment that we can bring into the area. The objective, probably going into next week, will be to have 30 to 40 members on the ground,” said Nutt.
He...
KATV STORY: Arkansas group, SDIA, sends support to help Texas recover
Story origianlly aired/published Mon, July 7th 2025 at 5:49 PM; reported by Kylon Williams, Isley Gooden, Kaelin Clay
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, based in Arkansas, is mobilizing to support flood recovery efforts in Texas.
The organization's CEO and founder, Lance Nutt, explained that their teams are currently assessing the damage and awaiting a clearer picture of the disaster's evolution before deploying more resources.
"The biggest issue they've had the past few days is twofold," Nutt said.
"One, storms continued to dump quite a bit of rain on the region, so even last night, they had to evacuate volunteers and search and rescue teams off of that area just to keep them safe. And then, twofold, they almost have too many people in the area trying to assist."
Nutt noted that the influx of well-intentioned volunteers has led to congestion, hindering recovery efforts.
He anticipates deploying a team later in the week to focus on debris removal and chainsaw work, helping the...