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Greetings!
In this season of vacations, fireworks, and barbecues with family and with friends, I hope you will join me in taking some time to reflect on the military men, women, and families who have made--and who continue to make--the sacrifices that make possible our way of life. Many are fighting far from home, others are struggling to reintegrate back into their communities, and all deserve our thanks and our support.
I thank them for their service to our country and you for your service to them.
Take care, Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D. Founder and President Give an Hour™ |
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Give an Hour™ Announces Community Blueprint Demonstration Projects to Address Needs of Military Families
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Awards $2 Million Grant to Fund Initiative
In June, Give an Hour™ announced two demonstration projects of the Community Blueprint, a collaborative effort to help communities address the needs of veterans and military families on a local level.
Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at the announcement of the projects, held at the Women in Military Service Memorial in Washington, D.C. The event included a discussion about the need for communities to support and assist military families in their area.On the panel were Mr. Rob Gordon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense; Ms. Tracy Hoover, Chief of Staff for Points of Light; Mr. Jim Lorraine, Executive Director of Central Savannah River Area - Wounded Warrior Care Project; and Mrs. Deborah Mullen, military advocate and wife of Adm. Mullen.Mark Thompson of Time magazine facilitated the discussion.
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has awarded Give an Hour™ a $2 million grant for the demonstration projects in Norfolk, Va., and Fayetteville, N.C.
The Walmart Foundation has committed $144,000 in support of the program, which will be used to provide grants to a total of 16 local organizations in Norfolk and Fayetteville, with the goal of improving the services they deliver to the military community. These organizations will be eligible to apply for grants of up to $15,000.
There is universal public support for service members, veterans, and their families. Federal, state, and local governments, as well as nonprofit, private, and philanthropic resources and services, have grown and improved in communities across the Unites States. But supporting veterans, service members, and their families is about ensuring that communities are prepared to organize the resources and services that help military families lead healthy, successful lives. There remain significant gaps in services and a great deal of untapped potential for providing effective and sustainable care through focused planning and coordination.
To address these needs by leveraging the combined experience and expertise of collaborating organizations, volunteers from several leading nonprofits are creating an online Community Blueprint tool that will help local community leaders assess and improve their community's support for veterans, service members, and their families. The nonprofits on the Community Blueprint Advisory Council cover a wide range of areas of focus and expertise: American Legion Auxiliary, American Red Cross, America's Promise Alliance, Armed Forces Services Corporation, Blue Star Families, Give an Hour™, Military Child Education Coalition, Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association, Operation Homefront, Points of Light Institute/HandsOn Network, ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, and the Veterans' Innovation Center.
With the grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, Give an Hour™ will lead the implementation of the Community Blueprint in the demonstration cities.Give an Hour™ is inviting local and national organizations to help implement the program and to evaluate successes.
"War has both short-term and long-term consequences that can influence the emotional and physical health of returning veterans and their family members for many years to come. There are a multitude of resources available to soldiers and their families, but in many instances these resources are disconnected and underutilized," says John Damonti, president of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. "Strategic, coordinated community partnerships can support the military in its efforts to address this important issue. The Community Blueprint will guide community leaders, local governments, and the military as they work together to develop the supportive communities that our veterans and their families deserve."
"We are grateful for the generosity of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and to Walmart for recognizing the importance of harnessing the goodwill of communities in supporting the military families who are left behind when their service members deploy and in supporting the service members as they return home," said Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour™. "This kind of support, we've found, is critical to the successful reintegration of military families back into their communities.These grants will help us to evaluate vital services and highlight innovative examples, ensuring they are available and easily accessible to military men and women and families, wherever they live."
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Give an Hour™ Partners with Logistics Health Incorporated
to Better Serve Our Nation's Heroes
Give an Hour™ and Logistics Health Incorporated (LHI), a company that provides health care to U.S. service members, recently teamed up to better address the 
needs of our nation's heroes. The partnership allows Give an Hour™ to tap the marketing expertise and organizational resources at LHI to reach a wider audience of potential volunteer providers. Simultaneously, LHI will offer Give an Hour™ volunteers the opportunity to extend their commitment to service men and women by joining LHI's nationwide provider network. Based in La Crosse, Wis., LHI is dedicated to providing care for mission critical: offering the best in health care services to the men and women who keep America safe and running. With a nationwide provider network of more than 25,000, LHI offers both on-location and in-clinic services, and is currently looking for behavioral health providers to add to its workforce. Providers are compensated for their time and enjoy flexible scheduling and the opportunity to give back even more to our military. LHI shares GAH's deep-seated commitment to service members who encounter difficulties post-deployment. LHI providers help identify potential post-traumatic stress and behavioral health and chemical dependency issues and then refer service members in need of follow-up care. Last year alone, LHI identified more than 300 service members who indicated they had immediate plans to harm themselves or others. LHI has been awarded the highest honor given to an employer by the U.S. Department of Defense: the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award. In addition, LHI supports veteran causes through generous planned giving and is a proud supporter of Give an Hour™. To learn more about LHI and how to join its provider network, go to www.logisticshealth.com. |
 Provider Spotlight Reverend Brandon Dunman Besides serving as pastor for a church in his community of Eureka, Mo., Reverend Brandon Dunman wears a number of hats. He is a husband and father of two children with a third child on the way. He is H.E.R.O.E.S. Care (www.heroescare.org) Outpost Coordinator working out of the Missouri Operation Homefront headquarters, and he is a active liaison between military families and Give an Hour™. With H.E.R.O.E.S. Care he spends a lot of time on the road, traveling around Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan creating program partnerships to support military families in the communities where they live. H.E.R.O.E.S. stands for Homefront Enabling Relationships, Opportunities, and Empowerment through Support, and the organization has a close relationship with Give an Hour™ thanks to Brandon. "After launching in May 2009 H.E.R.O.E.S. now serves 600 military families and has about 400 volunteers in four states including over 30 Give an Hour™ providers," Brandon says. "We focus mostly on Reserve and National Guard service members, and we try to connect with them before they deploy. That way they have someone to lean on when they return." "Give an Hour™ providers are a critical part of our work," he explains. For example, "I was invited to present the H.E.R.O.E.S program to a group of Marine spouses and mothers. One of the women had a son who had returned from combat in Iraq with PTSD and was being redeployed.I connected her with a Give an Hour™ provider who helped her through the son's redeployment. Soon afterwards the woman and the Give an Hour™ provider started a support group for other military families going through deployment of loved ones." When Brandon sees the need for mental health support he immediately goes to the GAH Web site and looks for providers in the community. First he reaches out to the provider himself to double-check contact information and find out if they are interested in helping. Then he matches the provider with the service or family member. "I do all the legwork but it's worth it. I've had tremendous success with Give an Hour™. The providers are wise about military culture and incredibly dedicated to giving these men and women the help they need. In one case a woman contacted me after her son deployed. She had lost her own mother and had recently had breast cancer. She and her husband both went into therapy with a Give an Hour™ provider." Brandon finds that military families who have a family member deploying to a war zone can use "mental health support to heal the fear they feel not being in control of what will happen." When service members return home, "issues of marriage and changes that have occurred in the person often require mental health support as well." As Brandon works to expand the H.E.R.O.E.S. program throughout the country, he's counting on GAH providers. "Every person I come into contact with, I give them a Give an Hour™ brochure." |
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Give an Hour™ Proudly Supports
Graffiti of War Project
The Graffiti of War Project is collecting unconventional art created by military service members. The book that will be produced will offer a unique perspective and a chance to experience the wars through the eyes of those living and dying through these conflicts. Each image represents a moment in time, when an emotion was captured in ink, paint, or pencil, an unconventional historical record of this generation's war. Founder Jaeson Parsons hopes that sharing these images will begin a dialog between soldier and civilian, to bridge the ever-widening divide between warfighters and civilians. His mission is to bring understanding and true empathy of what our military men and women experience during their deployments.
The Graffiti of War Project will continue to accept images through its Web site,
www.graffitiofwar.com, and via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/GraffitiofWar until there are enough images for an accurate and complete book. Proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to the Graffiti of War Foundation as well as to organizations supporting service members and veterans suffering from silent wounds of war such as PTSD.
The Graffiti of War Project has no political affiliation and no agenda other than to ensure our brothers- and sisters-in-arms receive the help and support they deserve.
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 At TroopSwap.com, Exclusive Deals for Those Who Have Served TroopSwap.com was founded by two veterans who are passionate about creating an outlet for businesses to connect with the 30+ million members of the military community. TroopSwap offers deeply discounted deals, along the lines of Groupon, or Living Social, only the discounts are tailored to military families -- defined as veterans, service members, military spouses and their immediate family members. The site debuted in Hampton Roads, Va., where TroopSwap employs 12 military spouses for community outreach. The company has plans to expand to more military bases by the fall. It will continue its early policy of hiring only military spouses to source deals and drive community engagement. Ten percent of the site's profits are donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Visit http://www.troopswap.com or e-mail blake@troopswap.com to learn more. |
 Study Seeks Military Members and Veterans Who Have Deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan A doctoral student in clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles (CSPP-LA) is working on a research practicum project and requests survey takers.
The brief online survey is for military troops who have served at least one tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. It asks about experiences in close relationships, combat exposure, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. To participate in this study, you must be 18 years or older and have served at least one tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. If you participate in this study, you will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win a $20 gift card. Questions can be directed to Rebecca Vivrette at rvivrette@gmail.com.
This study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at CSPP-LA.
To participate, please click on the link below:
http://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4TuV1aCgvqpACC8
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 You may also make an online donation here: Donate to Give an Hour. |
 Bethesda Barracudas Host 5th Annual Swim for Troops Fundraiser The Bethesda Barracudas have done it again! To support Give an Hour™ (www.giveanhour.org) in its effort to provide critical mental health care to troops and their families, the Bethesda swim club hosted its 5th annual Swim for the Troops fundraising event on July 1, 2011, at their pool in Bethesda, Md. Swimmers obtained sponsors and pledged to swim laps for the troops. Sponsors chose the amount they would donate per lap. And participants swam long and hard and received a prize for giving their time to this important cause. If you are interested in hosting this type of fundraiser at your local pool, we'll tell you what to do. Send us a message at info@giveanhour.org. |
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American Corporate Partners Offers Free Career Counseling and Mentoring for OIF/OEF Veterans
Professionals from America's Finest Corporations Participate American Corporate Partners (ACP), a nationwide mentoring program, matches employees from some of the nation's finest corporations and universities with OIF/OEF veterans. Mentors are high-level employees from one of ACP's numerous participating institutions. A veteran is matched for one year with a Mentor for the purpose of networking, career counseling, and mentoring. While not a "jobs program," ACP is dedicated to helping transitioning service members develop the valuable relationships, key skills, and action plans needed for success in the civilian sector. Anyone who has served on active duty since 2001 is eligible to participate. Those who were deployed in support of OIF/OEF and those with service-connected disabilities are given preference in the program. Participation is free. ACP offers in-person mentoring in the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, San Antonio, San Francisco, Topeka, and Washington, D.C. For those who live outside of these cities, ACP offers a robust e-mentoring program.
Current participating institutions number 30: Alcoa, Aon, AT&T, Barclays, BlackRock, Bloomberg, Campbell Soup, Deloitte, Energy Future Holdings, General Dynamics, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Harvard University, HP, Home Depot, IBM, JP Morgan Chase, Kansas State University, Liberty Mutual, MacAndrews & Forbes, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, Occidental Petroleum, Omnicom Group, PepsiCo, Siemens, Travelers, University of Texas, URS, and Verizon.
To learn more about the program or to apply as a Protégé, please visit www.acp-usa.org or contact American Corporate Partners at info@acp-usa.org.
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Cognitive-Behavioral Models for
Suicide Prevention
Continuing Education and Training Webinar
Thursday, July 21, 2011 12pm - 1pm EDT Click Here to Register
GUEST SPEAKER: Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP Assistant Professor / Research Director of Education, STRONG STAR Trauma Fellowship; Department of Psychiatry University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Program Moderator: Jill Harrington LaMorie, MSW, LSW, ACSW, Director, Professional Education, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Discuss the problem of U.S. military suicide and the impact of military culture. Learn the fundamental assumptions of fluid vulnerability theory. Describe models of cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP) in working with suicidal service members. CONTINUING EDUCATION INFORMATION FOR SOCIAL WORKERS AND CHAPLAINS: Certificates of Attendance can be provided for those who attend the entire webinar. The Association of Professional Chaplains will accept certificates of attendance for use in reporting continuing education hours. This program is approved by the National Association of Social Workers, Provider #886505639, for 1.0 continuing education contact hours. Please check with your state licensing board for professional requirements for continuing education. PROGRAM FEE: There is no program fee for military personnel, Department of Veterans Affairs Employees, and Give an Hour Volunteers. There is a $25.00 program fee for all others to attend the program (with or without CEUs). Students with a valid school e-mail address will receive a $10.00 discount. The program fee includes attendance and certificate fees. CEU FEE: For anyone receiving free program attendance and seeking to receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs), due to high costs of CEU administration, a $25.00 CEU fee is required. For more information, contact education@taps.org or Jessica Duane at jessica@taps.org. |
 Give an Hour™ Partners with Army Homefront Fund Under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army Warrior Transition Command, Operation Homefront has created and will administer the Army Homefront Fund. This fund will provide emergency financial and other support to Soldiers and their families, with a focus on Wounded Warrior care and transition assistance.
Wounded Soldiers and their families face many challenges--physical, psychological, emotional, and even financial. They have to define a new normal for the Warrior and the family. Many in transition have to go back to school and get job training and placement; or their spouses have to become primary wage earners. The Army Homefront Fund provides emergency assistance, sometimes just to put food on the table or keep a family from homelessness.
The fund's approach is a simple one: accept donations and then quickly get cash grants, not loans, to the Soldiers who need them. Grants are usually paid directly to mortgage lenders, auto mechanics, utility companies, doctors, and other providers. Assistance is usually provided within 24-72 hours after receiving pertinent information from the Warrior or family member.
Although the Army Homefront Fund will leverage the infrastructure, staffs, policies, processes, and expertise of Operation Homefront, the U.S. Army provides no funding and does not control the fund. It is a separate nonprofit with its own board or directors and a resource advisory committee led by retired Chief of Staff General Dennis J. Reimer.
The Army Homefront Fund will offer the same services that Operation Homefront provides to military families of all branches of service, including assistance for rent and mortgage, utilities, emergency food, emergency home repair, critical baby items, budget counseling, transitional housing, vehicle repair, furniture needs, moving assistance, emergency healthcare, and vision care.
Linkages with 12 other organizations including Give an Hour™ are making it possible for Soldiers with particular needs to be referred to the appropriate organization. Currently, the following organizations have been formally linked to the fund:
- American Legion Auxiliary
- American Red Cross
- Coming Home Project
- Give an Hour™
- Military Child Education Coalition
- National Military Family Association
- Our Military Kids
- Semper Fi Fund
- Soldiers' Angels
- USA Cares
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Yellow Ribbon Fund
For more information, visit www.armyhomefrontfund.org.
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 Give an Hour™ to be Featured on Global Giving in August
GAH has just been approved for inclusion in an August 2011 giving challenge. Please visit www.globalgiving.org beginning August 1 and look for Give an Hour™'s project. We need to raise $4,000 or more from 50 or more donors during the month of August, so please mark your calendars and tell your friends. In addition to receiving the money donated, Give an Hour™ will win the opportunity to stay listed on this site, which draws many interested donors and corporate giving programs. |
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