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Addressing Veteran Homelessness

Addressing Veteran Homelessness

Last week, Colonel Duncan S. Milne, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), President, and Eileen Greenlay, Manager, Donor Relations of Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services attended the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference in Washington, DC. It’s the largest gathering of community-based service providers working with veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The theme for this year’s conference was Building a Better Future.Dixon Center’s three key learnings:

  1. We are making progress, but there is still work to be done.
  2. Data and Collaboration are key to solving the veteran homeless crisis.
  3. Learning occurs nationally, implementation can only work locally.

We are proud and honored to have joined our partners who were also in attendance at the conference, such as Veterans Forward and Soldier On. Both are doing remarkable work in their local communities to provide housing services to veterans in Maine, Massachusetts and New Jersey.To learn more about Dixon Center’s approach to our Live with Hope pillar and our work in addressing homelessness, please visit: https://dixoncenter.org/live-with-hope/.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Memorial Day Reflections

Memorial Day Reflections

This weekend we celebrated Memorial Day, a sacred day of recognition in the United States and Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services participated in events around the country.We at Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, along with all of you, recognize Memorial Day weekend by remembering, honoring, and mourning the United States military members who died while serving in the Armed Forces.Members of our team, employees, ambassadors, contractors, volunteers, and their families, actively spent time in community and national celebrations.

These activities included:

  • Celebrating the lives and achievements of our fallen as part of the Stark County Ohio Honor Court Memorial Breakfast.
  • Attended the Malvern (Ohio) American Legion Valley Post 375 Community Memorial Day Celebration
  • Attending a memorial ceremony at the Wall, New Jersey Township Municipal Building.
  • Participating in the Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony at Memorial Hall, Veterans Park, on the University of North Carolina—Charlotte campus.
  • Attending the National Salute to America’s Heroes Air and Sea Show in Miami, FL.
  • Participating in a Memorial Service, in Williamstown, MA.
  • Visiting the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Augusta, ME.
  • One of our families played the trumpet as a member of Taps Across America.
  • Speaking at the Memorial Day Observance at Green Hills in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

These celebrations included speeches, flag placement, processions of colors, parades, flyovers, swearing in ceremonies of our newest service members, military bands, skydivers, soloists, and Taps.This past Memorial Day weekend, we hope that you were able to have time to reflect on the achievements and courage of our U.S. Service Members who died while serving in the Armed Forces. We will always remember, and they will never be forgotten.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Reflect and Remember

Reflect and Remember

Memorial Day Weekend is fast approaching, and we ask you to please keep in mind the reason for the holiday. Recently, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services mailed out 700 Memorial Day cards to partners, donors, veterans, and other veteran stakeholders.  Over the Memorial Day remembrance, Dixon Center will be supporting numerous events across the Nation.

What can you do? Share a moment of silence at your family gatherings, at the beach, or wherever you find yourself on this solemn day. Remember those families for whom every day is Memorial Day as they live without those they love. Some other ways to remember and reflect:

  • Visit your local Veterans cemetery and pay your respects. Let us never lose sight of what this day is for.
  • Share your photos and stories of your loved ones on our Dixon Center Facebook wall. We want to help you remember and honor your loved ones this Memorial Day.
  • Join the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Service Facebook Fundraiser in Memory of the Fallen here.
  • Recognize the sacrifices of those who died in service by making a memorial or honorary tribute.  
  • Plant a tree in honor of a member of your circle of friends or family that made the ultimate sacrifice.

As people start to prepare for the upcoming holiday weekend, please take time to reflect on the generations of men and women who have given everything for the freedoms we enjoy today.

 

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemoration

50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemoration

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services joined thousands of visitors, veteran organizations, veterans and their families on the Washington, D. C. National Mall., 11 – 13 May, for the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War Commemoration.

This three-day celebration included bands, speeches, information booths, military pomp & circumstance, and a huge gathering of advocates and veterans. This was an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge our nation’s Vietnam Veterans – their service, and example.

Dixon Center established an information booth to build public awareness and encourage involvement by individuals and organizations. More important, over the three days, we spoke with hundreds of Vietnam veterans and their families, listening to them, understanding what’s working and what’s not. With our partners, Angel Force USA and Cohens Veterans Bioscience, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is focused on ensuring that the evolving needs of Vietnam veterans continued to be met as they Heal with Honor.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Living with Hope – Mending the Line

Living with Hope – Mending the Line

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is pleased that we have been working with the producers, writers,  and leadership of the soon to release movie – Mending the Line.For several months, we have been providing influence, ideas, and actions to build awareness about an incredibly beautiful film that we think will be of interest to our network, our veterans and their families.The film Mending the Line is directed by Josh Caldwell and stars Brian Cox (Succession), Sinqua Walls (Friday Night Lights), Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond), Wes Studi (Last of the Mohicans), and many others. This film follows a wounded Marine veteran as he deals with his war trauma, eventually finding healing through fly fishing, mentorship, and community.The film will be released one month from today, 9 June 2023, in hundreds of theaters and then move to streaming.  In the coming weeks we will share more about this beautiful film in our Podcast, Service Before Self, our Blog, and with our partners – and the lessons that we can all take away from its message of hope.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Dixon Center Command Council National Network

Dixon Center Command Council National Network

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is advancing our national network by leveraging our Command Council.  “Today, I’d like to welcome our command council to our routine 2023 update and review.” announced our Chairman, David Sutherland, during our Dixon Center Command Council virtual review, on 27 April 2023. “We regularly attempt to update you on our nearly 60 projects that we are executing quarterly, and the projects we are assessing, planning, and evaluating outcomes. This year we’re on track to successfully achieve balance with our most important resources: people, time, and money.”Dixon Center Command Council serves as an advisory board. The members work with our leadership and provide advice on matters that directly concern programs and fundraising efforts.“All the members of our Command Council are passionate advocates for veterans and their families, as well as staunch supporters of Dixon Center. They empower us as we expand our reach and national network.”  – Retired USMC Colonel Duncan Milne, President.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Thank You TWUA for $2,500 Donation

Thank You TWUA for $2,500 Donation

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services would like to extend our thanks to John Samuelsen, International President, the Executive Board, members of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) International Veterans Committee and the members of Transport Workers Union of America for their leadership, commitment to those touched by military service and their financial support.Dixon Center and the TWU of America  have created a relationship that began after spending a day touring Arlington National Cemetery and laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The bond created by reflecting on service and sacrifice reinforced our shared common purpose and commitment to bettering the lives of America’s veterans and working families.Donations like these go to work everyday to change the lives of veterans and military families.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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PsychArmor-A Mutually Supportive Partnership

PsychArmor-A Mutually Supportive Partnership

Core values are the principles and priorities that guide an organization’s actions. They represent the foundational commitments and deeply held beliefs that we capture to solidify the way we, as organizations, think, act, and interact with others.
 
Recently, we spent a day in San Diego to facilitate a PsychArmor staff development session to navigate complex situations while keeping PsychArmor’s identity and culture at the forefront.

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services has been cooperating with PsychArmor for years. However, spending a day together moved our relationship to a new level of collaboration. The purpose of the meeting was to discover the leadership characteristics that will best define the essence of what is expected of the staff leadership at PsychArmor.
 
It was a special day resulting in the identification of the characteristics of great leadership in PsychArmor; and, creating a collective understanding of the need for, and importance of, internal collaboration.
 
Through education and training, Psych/Armor is transforming the lives of veterans and their families. They are always exploring new ways to create opportunities for veterans and their families and help them Live with Hope.

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is proud to be a resource for our partners where we can use our influence, ideas, and actions to assist them in their mission to serve veterans and their families and assisting them in increasing their impact.

 

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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Task Force Movement’s Report

Task Force Movement’s Report

On April 5, Task Force Movement (TFM) for Trucking will publish the report, Life Cycle Pathways for Military and Veterans into Trucking. This report is the result of convenings, research, and collaboration over the last year with leaders in the trucking industry, academic institutions, government partners, and organizations serving veterans and their families. TFM’s goal was to identify best practices, solutions, and opportunities for recruiting, training, integrating, and retaining veterans in the trucking industry and developing a “playbook” for organizations and communities looking to better integrate veterans and their families into their existing programs.

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services was honored to lead the convening of veteran-serving organizations that contributed to this report. Providing transitioning service members, military spouses, and veterans with a career and an opportunity to continue to serve in an industry that is vital to our country’s economic security is a great example of Work with Purpose. Stay tuned for the launch of the report and how you can access it. We are looking forward to TFM’s next goal—creating opportunities for veterans in cybersecurity.

To learn more about being part of solutions to ensure that veterans and their families have Work with Purpose, contact Colonel (Ret.) Sam Whitehurst, Vice President of Programs and Services at Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services.   

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with

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National Vietnam War Veterans Day

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

March 29th is established as National Vietnam War Veterans Day, a day to recognize the sacrifice of those who fought in Southeast Asia. There are 610,000 living veterans out of the 2.7 million who served in Vietnam.Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families. Today’s veterans can talk about their combat experiences in large part because our Vietnam veterans could not or would not. Much of our battlefield knowledge and effectiveness can be attributed to what we learned from our Vietnam veterans. Thankfully, our nation has learned how to separate the warrior from the wars because of the way this generation of veterans dealt with the adversity of coming home from combat.Today and every day, at Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services, we work to honor their service and vow to double-down on our efforts to include this generation of veterans and their families. With your help we have been able to make the lives of all generations of veterans better.

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Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony

On 10 December Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services hosted our 13th Annual Holiday Reception and Awards Ceremony. This year we moved the event to align with