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New Financial Wellness Site

New Financial Wellness Site

​If you are a veteran who is struggling financially (e.g., mortgage/rent payments, changes in salaries/wages, being prepared for unexpected emergencies) here is a resource to help you address those challenges.

That’s where the collaboration between Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services and Prudential Financial comes in.

Dixon Center does not create new programs. Rather, we build programs and support for veterans through the existing or emerging efforts of other organizations. Prudential’s Digital Financial Wellness Center is a good example of how we do this.

The Center provides users access to information on key financial topics such as managing day-to-day expenses, savings and investments, and protecting for the future. The site, which contains educational articles, videos, infographics, and interactive tools for self-assessments, budgeting, and life insurance needs.

The co-branded Prudential/Dixon Center Financial Wellness Center is available at both www.prudential.com/DixonCenter as well as on the Dixon Center site directly.

Are you interested in working with us on a collaborative effort to assist veterans in their transition from military to the private sector? For a discussion, please contact Sam Whitehurst, Vice President of Programs & Services, swhitehurst@dixoncenter.org. 

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A Message from Our Chairman

A Message from Our Chairman

The fast-changing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. As with past crises, individuals are changing their habits and communities are standing together, helping one another and closely following the guidance of the CDC and local, state and federal health authorities.

At Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, we will continue to be the 24/7 beacon that our partners and those we impact can continue to rely on and seek out.Due to the geographically disbursed structure of our Center of Excellence, we intend to continue operations unabated.We continue to coordinate closely with The Fedcap Group and assist in addressing those most vulnerable to the effects of the COVID-19 virus and the impacts of disruptions to our daily way of life.

Many of our veterans and their family members are included in these vulnerable groups: those older than 60, those with weakened immune systems, those with underlying pulmonary conditions. We will work with donors and partner organizations fill the gaps in capability and capacity caused by this pandemic. The crushing isolation many veterans face on a daily basis may be further aggravated by the circumstances of social distancing that is required to limit the advance of this new virus.

Some resources you may use to minimize the impact on you and your family.

  • For veterans: Follow VA Public Health coronavirus updates, and get familiar with VA’s guidance on accessing emergency care, urgent care, and immunizations in your community.
  • For community leaders: Access and subscribe to National Veteran Intermediary’s “News You Can Use” to stay updated.
  • For those experiencing anxiety: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty, an article that includes a number of recommendations for supporting those who experience anxiety or other mental health impacts during this pandemic.
  • Need to talk? Dixon Center partner Vets4Warriors is a 24/7 confidential peer support network for veteran and military communities. This organization provides immediate, free, and long-term peer support through confidential phone, chat, text, and email conversations. Visit www.vets4warriors.com or call 1-855-838-8255.

We are honored to serve our nation’s veterans and those touched by military service.Together we will persevere through this challenge and come out of it stronger, united, and more dedicated to our work ensuring veterans and their families can lead healthy, vibrant lives in their communities.

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A Veteran Is Just That: A Veteran

A Veteran Is Just That: A Veteran

Diversity and inclusion frequently may take a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, recruiting and retention may focus on veterans as a whole rather than the divergent qualities that enhance thinking and execution.

It’s ironic that lumping veterans together as a category defined as “diverse” may cause us to ignore the individual characteristics that make them assets to organizations.

I like to say that if you’ve met a veteran, you’ve met “a veteran.” One veteran, one time, each one unique.

We veterans are more than just the sum of our parts. Yes, Veterans Day is a celebration of an amazing group of people. At the same time, we are remiss in not looking beyond the massed surface and into each one’s experiences and goals.

My wish is for you to get to know us as a unique group of people who have taken a different path to get to this point in our lives, and who may have hit roadblocks on this journey created by their service to our country. Let’s start with three areas key to ensuring that veterans succeed where they live:

  • Working with purpose. Those who served in uniform boast years of specialized training that make them experts in their fields, yet there remains significant underemployment and uncertainty. That’s why Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services works with employers, hiring managers, and recruiters to improve workplace hiring programs. This work goes beyond employment programs for veterans as a whole and instead seeks to establish a culture that considers the specific skill sets of each veteran and matches them to the position best for them.
 
  • Healing with honor. Let’s look at the data. Burn pits, enormous craters where waste is openly incinerated, are this generation’s Agent Orange. These chemical hazards are responsible for creating cancers, tumors and respiratory issues. Opioid abuse among combat-exposed individuals is 7 percentage points higher among those who deployed but didn’t see combat. Further, the number of veteran suicides exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008 – 2017 – or more than 60,000 over a decade.Part of what drives these numbers is an epidemic of disconnection that happens when we look at veterans en masse rather than creating a culture that considers the unique needs and isolation of each individual. It’s about making it personal – for both the veteran and the civilian.
 
  • Living with hope. T.S. Elliot said, “Home is where our story begins.” Dixon Center and its partners, among them Soldier On and Freddie Mac, are working to expand affordable housing, educate community-based organizations on fair housing practices for veterans, and increase compassionate outreach to those who are, or are at risk of becoming homeless. The goal is not to create new programs. Rather, the goal is to enable the integration of housing services that consider each veteran’s needs into existing programs to increase impact.

This Veterans Day, let’s keep in mind that as with people, one size does not fit all. In fact, one size often fits none. 

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Dixon Family Wreath Laying

Dixon Family Wreath Laying

On Saturday September 28th, members of the Dixon family traveled to Washington, D.C. to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honor of SSG Donnie Dixon who was killed in action while serving in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We remember and honor SSG Dixon and his family. We will never forget him, our fallen and their families. Sunday, September 29th marked 12 years since the loss of a son, husband, father, and friend.

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How One Man’s Desire to Help Impacted 1.4 Million Veterans

How One Man’s Desire to Help Impacted 1.4 Million Veterans

It seems prescient that Ross Perot’s death this past Tuesday coincides the week of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services’ seventh anniversary. Perot was one of the first champions of a center for excellence that would connect the dots between organizations and individuals who wanted to assist veterans with those in the community who would be able to go about it.

I first met Perot in my role as Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, where I served as the point man for the office of Warrior and Family Support. This meant traveling the country, aligning local support for veterans and their families among government agencies, organizations of all sorts (nonprofit and benevolent, faith-based, employers), educators, and wellness providers.

I needed a champion in Dallas – someone whose patronage would provide impetus for these myriad organizations to collaborate. As a Naval Academy graduate and national influencer with deep ties across Texas, Perot was one of the top candidates to fill this gap.

Surprisingly, Perot answered his own phone, and he immediately expressed interest, although not how I expected. He asked, “What do you need, Colonel? Do you want a check?”

My response that the goal reached far beyond funding did not throw him. In fact, it resonated with him. Like most Americans, he knew that he had the platform and network to help but didn’t know how to use it. He just needed a little bit of guidance to be off and running.

This response – an immediate desire to better the lives of veterans and military families predicated on knowing what to do – became the impetus for the creation of Dixon Center.

As we celebrate Dixon Center’s seventh anniversary on 13 July 2019, we also celebrate how Perot captured the so-called Sea of Goodwill for America’s service members: “Just tell me what I can do to help.”

I realized at that moment, in 2010, that this goodwill ran through the core of our country’s citizens. They wanted (and still do) to assist, but were simply not sure how to do so.

America needed a center of excellence, a place with staying power where people and organizations could come for relevant advice, consultation, and leadership. Two years later, upon retiring from the U.S. Army after 29 years, we founded Dixon Center.

Today, we work in concert with our parent organization, The Fedcap Group, to ensure that our veterans and military families can succeed where they live.

Since 2012, our team of experts has worked with communities, organizations, and individuals so that they can find strategic, practical solutions for the most challenging issues facing today’s veterans and military families. We are familiar with the grassroots solutions that work – and those that may need some fine-tuning.

As a result, Dixon Center has become the “go-to” resource for employers, educators, wellness providers, certification and training institutions, service-minded individuals, and those who want veterans to reach their potential and participate fully in their communities.

Our goal is not to create new programs. Rather, the goal is to enable the integration of military and veteran services into existing programs and groups in order to increase impact. And it works. Since inception, our collaboration has impacted 1.4 million individuals and organizations.

It is with great pride that I reflect on our seven years, and it is with gratitude that I acknowledge everyone’s contributions to our success.

Happy Anniversary, Team! 

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All Gave Some. Some Gave All.

All Gave Some. Some Gave All.

Memorial Day is a day for reflection, dedicated to the memory of those who have died in service for our country. In my opinion, it is our obligation as a country – and as United States citizens – to never forget their achievements or sacrifice. And we should also remember the sacrifices of their families.

I will carry the memory of those who died while we served together with me always. Their accomplishments were many and their sacrifices were great.

I plan to cross post this list to the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Facebook page, which we’ve turned into a virtual Tribute Wall for Memorial Day. Greywolf, you will never be forgotten.

Operation Iraqi Freedom

3rd “Greywolf” Brigade Combat Team

1st Cavalry Division

Oct. 2006-Dec. 2007

(in order of life given in service to their nation)

1SG RICKY MCGINNIS ◊ SPC KENNETH HAINES ◊ SFC SCHUYLER HAYNES ◊ SGT MITCHELL MUTZ ◊ CPT JOHN DENNISON ◊ CPT RHETT SCHILLER ◊ SSG DANIEL MORRIS ◊ SGT JAY GAUTHREAUX ◊ SPC TROY COOPER ◊ CPL JOHN BARTA ◊ CPL JONATHAN SCHILLER ◊ CPL RICH SMITH ◊ SPC STEPHEN RADERSTORF ◊ SPC RYAN BERG ◊ SSG GREGROY WRIGHT ◊ SPC NATHAN FAIRLIE ◊ MAJ ALAN JOHNSON ◊ SPC ERIC SIEGER ◊ SPC CLARENCE SPENCER ◊ SPC LEEROY CAMACHO ◊ SSG ALAN SHAW ◊ SSG ERIC ROSS ◊ CPT DONNIE BELSER ◊ PFC BRANDEN CUMMINGS ◊ SGT JOHN RODE ◊ SGT CARL SEIGART ◊ SPC RONNIE MADORE ◊ SPC JEREMY BARNETT ◊ SPC RYAN RUSSELL ◊ SPC BLAKE HARRIS ◊ PV2 BARRY MAYO ◊ SPC ADAM ROSEMA ◊ SPC STEPHEN KOWALCZYK ◊ CPL BRIAN CHEVALIER ◊ SFC BENJAMIN SEBBAN ◊ SPC ANTHONY KAISER ◊ PFC JASON NUNEZ ◊ SGT JASON SWIGER ◊ PFC ORLANDO GONZALEZ ◊ PV2 ANTHONY WHITE ◊ SPC JASON SHAFFER ◊ CPT JONATHAN GRASSBAUGH ◊ SPC EBE EMOLO ◊ SPC LEVI HOOVER ◊ PFC RODNEY MCCANDLESS ◊ 1LT PHILLIP NEEL ◊ SGT JESSE WILLIAMS ◊ SGT BRICE PEARSON ◊ SSG WILLIAM MOORE ◊ PFC JERRY KING ◊ 1LT KEVIN GASPERS ◊ SGT KENNETH LOCKER ◊ SPC RANDELL MARSHALL ◊ SPC MICHAEL VAUGHAN ◊ PFC MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ ◊ PFC GARRETT KNOLL ◊ PFC JEFFREY AVERY ◊ PV2 MICHAEL PURSEL◊ SPC MATTHEW ALEXANDER ◊ SPC JOEL LEWIS ◊ SPC ANTHONY BRADSHAW ◊ SGT JASON HARKINS ◊ SGT VICENZO ROMEO ◊ SPC DAN NGUYEN ◊ SPC JASON VAUGHN ◊ 1LT ANDREW BACEVICH ◊ SGT ANSELMO MARTINEZ ◊ SPC JOSHUA ROMERO ◊ SPC CASEY NASH ◊ SGT IOSWIO URUO ◊ SPC ALEXANDER ROSA ◊ SPC FRANCIS TRUSSEL ◊ SPC ZACHARY BAKER ◊ SGT ANTHONY EWING ◊ SPC JAMES SUMMERS ◊ PFC ALEXANDRE ALEXEEV ◊ 2LT KILE WEST ◊ SGT JONATHAN MARKHAM ◊ SGT DARRICK DEHN ◊ SGT ANDREWS HIGGINS ◊ SSG TIMOTHY COLE ◊ PV2 SCOTT MILLER ◊ SPC DAMON LEGRAND ◊ SPC JOSIAH HOLLOPETER ◊ PFC DARRYL LINDER ◊ PVT MICHAEL BALOGA ◊ SSG JOAN DURAN ◊ PFC WILLIAM WARFORD ◊ PFC DANE BALCON ◊ SGT TERRY WAGONER ◊ SPC TODD MOTLEY ◊ PV2 CHRISTOPHER MCCLOUD ◊ SPC JONATHAN RIVADENEIRA ◊ SPC NICHOLAS OLSON ◊ SPC DONALD VALENTINE ◊ SPC JOSEPH LANDRY ◊ PFC LUIGI MARCIANTE ◊ SPC DAVID WATSON ◊ SSG KEVIN BROWN ◊ SSG DONNIE DIXON ◊ SPC VINCENT MADERO ◊ CPL ADAM CHITJIAN ◊ SPC JERMAINE FRANKLIN ◊ SPC CHRISTOPHER KRUSE ◊ SPC PETER SCHMIDT ◊ SGT KENNETH BOOKER ◊ SPC CHRISTOPHER NELSON ◊ PVT MARIUS FERRERO ◊ SPC JASON LEE

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A War Widow Reflects on Memorial Day

A War Widow Reflects on Memorial Day

Saturday morning I got up early to take our son to football practice. At 9:15 there was a knock on the door, and I figured it was a neighbor.

But it wasn’t.

The 29th of September. 9:15 that morning. That’s when I learned my husband had died in Iraq.

________________________

No matter how many years pass, it’s never easy. Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for our fallen service members, is never easy.

I find that people who don’t have a connection to the military tend to think of Memorial Day as a long weekend with barbeques. And that’s okay, as long as they also keep in mind that this is a day to honor our men and women who have sacrificed their lives so that we can have those barbeques.

In my experience, it’s not that people forget. People want to care. But I believe that they don’t really understand (and to be fair, it’s hard to understand when less than 10% of our country has served in uniform) what it means to get that knock on the door and hear about the sacrifices that our loved ones have made. It’s my hope that by sharing my story, and perhaps some of my pain, that it helps to bridge that gap.

I’ve grieved. But the most important thing I want to tell people is that I don’t grieve any more. Rather, I honor.

I don’t wait until a holiday comes up to recognize those who have fallen – and the families of the fallen. I feel these service members – and the families who are left behind – should be recognized daily. We shouldn’t wait for a particular day to honor them.

It is every day that we should honor them.

I’m often asked how to do this. It’s not too hard. Just say “thank you.” Don’t wait for a special day or a time that “feels” appropriate. I don’t think people understand how powerful a simple spoken expression of gratitude can be for those of us who are Gold Star family members – someone who has lost a loved one to military service.

When I’m introduced as a military widow, people offer their condolences for my loss. May I make a suggestion? Please add, “And thank you for all that you’ve given up for this country.”

I know it can feel uncomfortable. I understand. That’s why I’m sharing my story, because it’s not as simple as what you may see on TV. If you talk to me, you’ll have a better sense of what is happening. And, you may not realize it, but you are helping every person to heal when you allow them to tell their story.

Even 12 years later, it’s hard to go back and reflect on what happened. I don’t like to go back but there is purpose in knowing that this will help people better understand the real impact of Memorial Day to the families left behind.

And so I leave you with this: every day is a time to honor veterans, those in uniform, and families of soldiers. It’s appropriate to say “thank you.” You know those signs “If you see something, say something?” The same is true for all of us touched by military service.

Stop…really stop. If you have time, ask if you can sit down with them. But above all, just give an honest “thank you.” Your heartfelt words will mean more than you will ever know.

This column originally ran May 22, 2019 via Inside Sources. [link on Inside Sources to: www.insidesources.com]

About the Author

Latrese Dixon is the Blue and Gold Star Family Partner for Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, the non-profit that is named for her husband. SSGT Donnie Dixon was killed in action in Iraq in September 2007. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

This story was also shared on the following news outlets:

NEW YORK NEWSDAY (Long Island)

https://www.newsday.com/opinion/commentary/memorial-day-service-members-iraq-sacrifice-1.314209

HOLLAND (Michigan) SENTINEL

https://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinion/20190526/latrese-dixon-war-widows-thoughts-on-memorial-day

ROANOKE (Virginia) TIMES

https://www.roanoke.com/opinion/commentary/dixon-a-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day/article_3729eece-a534-5f4a-ab47-84466f8e1874.html

CHARLSTON (South Carolina) POST-COURIER

https://www.roanoke.com/opinion/commentary/dixon-a-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day/article_3729eece-a534-5f4a-ab47-84466f8e1874.html

PALM BEACH (Florida) POST

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/20190526/point-of-view-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day

DAILY INTER LAKE (Montana)

https://www.dailyinterlake.com/letters_to_the_editor/20190526/a_war_widow_reflects_on_memorial_day

CAPE COD (Massachusetts) TIMES

https://www.capecodtimes.com/opinion/20190527/war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day

MONROE (Michigan) EVENING NEWS

https://www.monroenews.com/opinion/20190526/latrese-dixon-war-widows-thoughts-on-memorial-day

fREDRICKSBURG (Virginia) FREE LANCE-STAR

https://www.fredericksburg.com/opinion/commentary-what-to-say-to-war-widows-on-memorial-day/article_4942b31a-6501-5038-8c20-0ad3cf8167c8.html

DAILY TELEGRAM (Michigan)

https://www.lenconnect.com/opinion/20190526/latrese-dixon-war-widows-thoughts-on-memorial-day

THE ALLIANCE (Ohio) REVIEW

https://www.the-review.com/opinion/20190527/commentary-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day?template=ampart

THE DAY (New London, CT)

https://www.theday.com/op-edguest-opinions/20190526/war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day

THE TIMES AND DEMOCRAT (South Carolina)

https://thetandd.com/opinion/columnist/a-war-widow-reflects/article_9a5ae48e-a799-5a64-88b7-1919824d1689.html

SENTINAL-STANDARD (Ionia, Michigan)

https://www.sentinel-standard.com/opinion/20190526/latrese-dixon-war-widows-thoughts-on-memorial-day

LAS VEGAS SUN (Nevada)

https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/may/27/a-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day/

THE LIMA NEWS (Ohio)

https://www.limaohio.com/opinion/columns/357481/opinion-a-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day

GV WIRE (Fresno, California)

https://gvwire.com/2019/05/27/opinion-a-war-widow-reflects-on-memorial-day/

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Prepping Vets for Jobs – Before They Leave the Military

Prepping Vets for Jobs – Before They Leave the Military

Even with record-low unemployment, it’s a myth that service members who get out of the military will find employment right away.

That’s where the Teamsters Military Assistance Program (TMAP) comes in. TMAP has been engaged in the transition of military soldiers into civilian sector careers since 2008.

What differentiates this program from others is its close cooperation with the Armed Forces, particularly the Army’s Soldier for Life Program, to develop a defined pathway toward employment in advance of a service member leaving the military. This allows a newly-minted veteran and successful TMAP program graduate the opportunity to secure a private sector job before he/she leaves the military.

The Teamsters, who represent hundreds of professions and thousands of contracted employers requiring state credentials, are also working with state lawmakers to recognize the certifications and credentials those transitioning into the civilian sector have earned while on active-duty.

Michael “Mick” Yauger, National Director of TMAP, is a passionate advocate for veterans and military families. He recently sat down to talk about TMAP and how other organizations might expand this model.

What do you see as the biggest impediments to employment when a service member gets out?

Employers recognize a college degree as verifiable proof of knowledge. But they don’t recognize a DD214 [military discharge papers specifying experience] as proof that you know what you’re doing. This is especially important with credentialing. Think about all the professions that require a credential – truck drivers, fire fighters, pilots, auto mechanics. So many of those in these industries get their experience in the military.

I’m not saying that because you drove a truck for the military it should automatically qualify you for certification, but it should count for something and it shouldn’t be an impediment to successfully transitioning from the military to the civilian workforce.

Since the inception of TMAP, and due to partnering efforts specific to CDL licensure, the nation now recognizes transitioning service men and women who hold a military CDL license. Some states offer an even exchange of the license; in others, it is a waiver. We hope to soon see more credentials recognized by state regulators and credentialing entities. For example, we are now exploring an even exchange for pilots and licensed mechanics as well as reciprocity for nurses and teachers.

What differentiates TMAP from similar programs?

First off, this is a program that starts before the service member exits the military. We provide We recruit and train right where they’re stationed. Next, if candidates pass our program – and it’s not automatic, you have to work for it – they are now extremely competitive for a job at the location of their choosing. Now they have a defined pathway to more than just a job, but to a meaningful career.We’ve also updated our program to add military spouses.

Why does this program work?

This program specifically works with companies that not only provide good wages and great benefits, they go beyond by offering a career ladder – promoting from within.

There are certain companies that truly understand what service members bring to the table.For instance, Tim Thorne, CEO of ABF Freight, who served as an infantry officer started his career out on the docks with ABF. His understanding of vets goes beyond what they did in combat. In fact, that’s just a small part of their career skills. For Tim, it’s about what military members are taught: Work as a team. Never leave a buddy behind. Stay drug- and crime-free. That’s the kind of employee that every employer wants but is increasingly impossible to find, and Tim puts them on the front-line, working face-to-face with his clients.

Last thoughts…any anecdotes that made you sit up and think, “This is working, we are doing a good job.”?

As a Vietnam veteran, I am proud to sit at the table and offer resources to our younger service members as they return home. I’ve never slept better than the time I had a young kid come up, tell me I recruited him for TMAP and now he just got his first home. That’s what I’m most proud of. Less than one percent of the population has the smarts, desire, sense of honor, strength and responsibility to wear the uniform. And I intend to do my best until my last breath to make sure that these folks succeed.

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Three Ideas to Advance in 2019

Three Ideas to Advance in 2019

This column original ran on InsideSources.com on December 26, 2018.  

I disagree with the statement that our country has never been more divided.

The United States has weathered serious divisions previously, the Civil War and the challenges of the 1960’s being just two. President George Washington was actively undermined by his Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, because of ongoing disputes with Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton.

Differences aren’t new. But today, it appears that people take disagreement as disrespect. The instantaneous response cycle both amplifies and stifles discussion in a way we may not have seen before. With a new year upon us, how do we look ahead when there is so much bitterness looking back?

First, both personally and within our organizations, we can commit to moving forward, embracing change, and unshackling innovation. Institutions tend to squash things that are good for them. “We’ve always done it this way” is not the answer. When leadership gets bogged down, esprit de corps and morale are jeopardized. When leadership fails, and managers take over, followers hunker down and wait for better days. That’s why I admire Mary Barra at General Motors. Her recent tough decisions are a bet to keep the company a global contender in the years ahead.

Second, this is the time for us to show courage and be bold. Having courage does not mean avoiding fear; rather, it is about managing fear. Brave leaders go to uncomfortable places, particularly in the pursuit of purpose. As leaders, we should be mindful of the adage widely credited to Dean Martin: “Good judgment comes from experience. And experience? Well that comes from poor judgement.” Not everything will be a success. When we learn from our experiences and try even harder the second time around, we illustrate courage and boldness.

Finally, it’s time to build relationships and trust. I say this not because of politics, but because opportunity exists. Our economy is strong. Technology makes our lives easier and more efficient. New employees from different generations are joining the workforce. Let’s be opportunists taking advantage of these factors. It’s time to take risks – and who better to collaborate with than those with whom one already has a relationship and trust.

I suggest that 2019 is the time to be disruptive by rejecting a paradigm of negativity. We can and should embrace discourse and discussion, recognizing that organizations thrive when new ideas and conflict are embraced. Rather than being a personal attack, divergence and origination make us better.

Thirty-five years after it debuted, I still find relevance in the very untraditional Christmas movie Trading Places. Like Eddie Murphy’s character Billy Ray Valentine, we all have the opportunity to make ourselves over. And, similar to Dan Akeroyd’s Louis WInthorpe III, we get myriad chances throughout our lives to change and better ourselves.

If we don’t like what we’re doing, what better time is there to take advantage than a new year? We don’t have to accept where we are right now. We can trade places with the person or organization we aspire to be. This is the time to embrace new ideas, step out, take a risk, and lead the way through an environment of trust.

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Living a Life of Service

Living a Life of Service

Last night Dixon Center was honored to recognize two people pivotal to our organization’s success through the presentation of the first annual Herbert Metzger Service Award, named for Herbert R. (Herb) Metzger (June 9, 1923 -October 7, 2013).


Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he trained on and flew a PT22 Steerman biplane during World War II. He followed his Air Corps service by enlisting in the Naval Reserves and attending college on the GI Bill.

His style was to touch numerous organizations and projects without a lot of fanfare, helping them achieve their goals and expand their minds.

We value the contributions of the Freedman family, who exemplify service and a purpose-driven life. From left to right: COL David Sutherland, US Army (ret.), Rick Freedman, Nancy (Freedman) Remak, Col. Duncan Milne.

 

Generous with his time, talent, and treasures, Herb served on the boards and foundations of multiple community-based organizations and was devoted to community service. One of the many organizations he and his family have touched is Dixon Center.


It is this same spirit that we found in Rick Freeman. From Day One, Dixon Center has benefitted from Rick’s encouragement and support. He’s gone above and beyond to build awareness of our work and to integrate his family and the communities with whom his family foundation’s collaborates.

 

That’s why, in front of families and friends, we are so proud to present Rick with the Herbert Metzger Service Award.

An active member of Dixon Center’s Command Council, Rick is also involved in many organizations and activities that focus on making people’s lives better. Amongst these is the Boys and Girls Club of America, where Rick is a vocal advocate for inclusion of the children of our service members and veterans.​


The first annual Herbert Metzger Service Award is named for Herbert R. (Herb) Metzger (June 9, 1923 – October 7, 2013).

Rick and his family recognize that the needs of our veterans and their families are evolving, not disappearing. Medical needs haven’t gone away, but they’ve evolved from Agent Orange, environmental, burn pit issues, and cancer to diabetes and healthy lifestyles. In this economy, veterans’ employment and homelessness transitions to underemployment and affordable housing for the 3.9 million veterans living paycheck-to-paycheck at family incomes less than twice the federal poverty level.

The Sea of Goodwill, first identified in 2010 by the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, still exists. It exists in the hearts of people like the Metzger’s and the Freedman’s – friends of Dixon Center who want to effect the lives of others.

In the movie It’s A Wonderful Life, the guardian angel Clarence leaves a message for the businessman he’s been shadowing. It reads, in part, “Remember, no man is a failure who has friends.” It’s a gentle reminder to all of us that every life has purpose, and small acts of kindness to friends and strangers alike make a difference.

To Rick and Herb, good friends of Dixon Center, thank you. We value you and your many contributions to us, your communities, and, importantly, your friends.