Sheep Dog University Course 4 Graduates
Last week, Sheep Dog University (SDU) Course 4 graduates joined the ranks of Sheep Dogs across the nation who have taken their next step in service, leadership, and growth. This latest class completed the fourth cohort of SDIA’s national training and development program, designed to equip our members with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to better lead within their teams, communities, and beyond.
💡 What is Sheep Dog University?
Sheep Dog University is SDIA’s professional and personal development platform, a core part of our strategic vision for 2025 and beyond. Through a series of in-depth online and in-person courses, SDU helps our members grow as leaders, ambassadors, and change agents who live out our mission every day: to Engage, Assist, and Empower our nation’s heroes to #GetOffTheCouch.
Each course integrates post-traumatic growth (PTG) principles, leadership skills, and program-specific knowledge on Outdoor Adventures,
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance Hosts Hawaii Outdoor Adventure 2025
The waves of Waikiki set the stage for an unforgettable week as Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) hosted its Hawaii Outdoor Adventure 2025, culminating in the prestigious Na Koa Wounded Warrior Regatta. For the 10th year in a row, SDIA proudly fielded canoes in the Regatta, joining teams from across the U.S. to celebrate resilience, camaraderie, and healing on the island of Oahu.
Congratulations to Our Sheep Dog University FY25 Q3 Ambassador Class Graduates!
Sheep Dog Impact Assistance (SDIA) is proud to celebrate the incredible graduates of Sheep Dog University (SDU) Class 003! These dedicated Sheep Dogs came together from across the nation for a three-day, intensive training at our headquarters and Heroes Ranch. Through classroom instruction, hands-on facility engagement, and practical field exercises, they sharpened their leadership, communication, and outreach skills to serve as powerful SDIA Ambassadors.
We are thrilled to welcome them to the team and can’t wait to see the impact they will make in their communities and beyond.
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.
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...