Hurricane Laura Disaster Response Missions 1.0 & 2.0
SDIA's Hurricane Laura 1.0 Disaster Response Team (DRT) worked hard last week assisting people in the DeRidder, Louisiana, area. The Team of 53 volunteers from Arkansas (Central and NWA), Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas:
assisted 1,608 people (including 168 Veteran and First Responder families); cleared 66 properties of 265 downed trees; mucked-out and performed mold remediation in 6 homes; covered 111 structures with tarps; and distributed 8,046 lbs of food, water and supplies.
Despite the work done, there is much more to do. SDIA will be deploying a second DRT to Louisiana Sept. 14-18, 2020. The DRT will conduct chainsaw operations, tree & debris removal, tarping structures, mucking-out homes, distributing food/water, and other recovery tasks. If you are available to deploy and are not high-risk for COVID-19, please CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. After registering, you will be added to the list of DR volunteers and will receive deployment...
SDIA Deploying Disaster Response Team for Hurricane Laura Recovery
Overnight Hurricane Laura slammed into the Texas/Louisiana coasts with Cat 4 strength. The need for assistance in recovery is great, and Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is responding. SDIA will deploy a Disaster Response (DR) Team from Sunday, August 30, to Friday, September 4, to the Lake Charles, Louisiana, area to perform chainsaw operations, trees & debris removal, tarping roofs, and other assistance as needed.
The Northwest Arkansas DR Team, along with volunteers from other SDIA Teams and Chapters, will depart from the Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s at 10:00am on Sunday, August 30.
Those who are not high-risk for COVID-19 and are willing/able to deploy next week, may register to volunteer at this form.
While this is a challenging time for most Americans, SDIA would greatly appreciate the public joining their DR Team by making any financial donation possible. No donation is too small - and every bit will help SDIA assist those affected by Hurricane Laura and...
Come Celebrate with Us on October 9!
Join us for SDIA's Outdoor Celebration October 9, 2021 Village on the Creeks - Rogers, AR Doors Open 4:30pm Program Begins 6:30pm VIP Reception 9:00-10:00pm
Join us for a night of celebrating 11 years of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance and our nation's heroes! Over the past 11 years, Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) has grown into a national 501c3 nonprofit. With your help, SDIA has been able to engage, assist and empower thousands of Sheep Dogs in need by helping them #GetOffTheCouch. This is accomplished through our three programs:
Outdoor Adventures to engage them with camaraderie and healing; Warrior PATHH training to assist them in learning to transform their struggle into strength; and Continued Service where Sheep Dogs are empowered to discover the power of "Helping is Healing" as they serve others through Disaster Response Missionst and community service.
The Celebration will be held in the courtyard area between the shops, and will also have Sheep Dog vehicles and family-friendly activities in the parking lot. We'll have...
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 + 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 is Celebrating 10 Years of Helping Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch in 2020
SDIA IS TURNING 10! It's hard to believe, but on July 13, 2020, SDIA will be 10 years old. That's:
10 years of helping our nation's heroes #GetOffTheCouch; 10 years of Disaster Response Missions and Outdoor Adventures; 10 years of lives changed by bringing Sheep Dogs together; and 10 years of working with amazing volunteers, supporters and sponsors to make it happen.
Here's a quick look at where we started, and how we got to where we are today.
OUR HISTORY When Hurricane Katrina wiped out entire communities in 2005, people the world over were shocked by the devastation, and the fact that people sat for days without help…hungry, thirsty, injured, suffering and even dying. As most watched the horror unfold helplessly from their living rooms, the idea of Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) began to take shape when then USMC Gunnery Sergeant Lance Nutt used years of emergency and logistical training to lead a strategic relief effort to Pass Christian, Mississippi. It...
Happy New Year 2020!
Happy New Year! 2019 was an incredible year, and we've got big plans to make 2020 - our 10th Anniversary - our biggest and best yet! We can't wait to share it all with you, because YOU made it all possible. It's hard to believe, but on July 13, 2020, SDIA will be 10 years old. That's:
10 years of helping Sheep Dogs #GetOffTheCouch; 10 years of Disaster Response Missions and Outdoor Adventures; 10 years of lives changed by bringing Sheep Dogs together; and 10 years of working with amazing donors, supporters and sponsors to make it happen.
We have many things planned to make 2020 our most exciting year yet. We'll soon be launching limited edition merchandise, and have a special event in the works - as well as incredible guests like American hero Noah Galloway and US Army veteran and country singer/musician Matt Williams lined up for our Heroes Gala on April 18. For now, we simply want to wish...
There’s Still Time to Give & Change a Hero’s Life
Please Give and Change a Hero's Life! The heroes we have helped in 2019 are incredibly grateful for your generous support. Without YOU, they could not #GetOffTheCouch and feel the camaraderie and sense of belonging they desperately needed. They could not be part of something bigger than themselves. They could not help their fellow Sheep Dogs. Won't you please give a tax-deductible donation of $25, $50, $100 or $500 or more before December 31 to guarantee that in 2020 - our 10 year anniversary - more Sheep Dogs can participate in SDIA’s Disaster Response Missions and Outdoor Adventures, and experience the positive life change that comes from being with brothers and sisters who have been through similar experiences? To make a secure online donation, visit www.SheepDogIA.org/get-involved/donate. Or mail your donation to Sheep Dog Impact Assistance, 1200 West Walnut Street, Suite 2301, Rogers AR 72756. Watch this video to see how YOUR DONATION changes the lives of our nation's heroes. And thank you for investing in the...