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’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...
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 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...