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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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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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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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$347,000 Grant Received for Work with Purpose

$347,000 Grant Received for Work with Purpose

Creating and growing opportunities for veterans and military families to Work with Purpose.  Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is honored to announce a $347,000 grant from a partner foundation.  This investment allows us to continue to grow our work with organizations assisting transitioning service members, veterans, and their families to achieve economic empowerment. At Dixon Center, we have one goal – to see every member of the military become a successful, contributing member of their community once they leave military service. A key factor in that success is what we call meaningful employment.  It’s not about having a job, it’s about a career.  Though our partnership and the foundation’s investment over the past year, Dixon Center has enabled 3,856 military-connected individuals to be trained, licensed/certified, and placed in careers in the utilities sector, building trades, transportation and maritime industries, and other industries.  As this partnership enters our eighth year, this grant will allow us to build on the success we’ve achieved in assisting thousands of veterans across the nation with the opportunity to work with purpose. If you are interested in learning more about our projects leading to Work with Purpose for veterans and their families and joining our partnerships contact Vanessa Stergios, Director of Development at vstergios@dixoncenter.org.

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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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2022 Annual Impact Report Release

2022 Annual Impact Report Release

Today, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services released our 2022 Annual Report. This report tells the story of our approach and how we challenge – and change – the status quo based on the evolving needs of our veterans and their families. Our theme, Striking a Balance, means expanding our global footprint while preserving our local relevance; offering the right mix of expertise to assist organizations of all dimensions, sectors and geographies; and staying true to our values and culture.


Download our Dixon Center 2022 Annual Report
 

Last year, we impacted 404,336 individuals and organizations through our work with business and industry, service providers, and training institutions to develop and operate direct service programs for veterans and their families. Since 2012, our collaboration and capacity building has impacted more than 2.8 million individuals and organizations.

In 2022 we celebrated 10 years of making the lives of our veterans and their families better. Our Annual Report comprises descriptions and impact across our three pillars, and 13 programs by using examples of the nearly 80 projects executed in 2022.

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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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Our Work within The Fedcap Group

Our Work within The Fedcap Group

Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is a proud member of The Fedcap Group.  One of the great things we get to do is work across the width and breadth of Fedcap’s portfolio of top tier non-profits and assist them in the integration of veterans and those touched by military service into the existing and emergent programs. This week Dixon Center will be visiting Community Work Services (CWS) of New England to tour the new Apex Clean Energy Institute’s training program in Boston. Utilizing Fedcap’s new Virtual Reality program, this technical training will enable students to learn valuable skills and gain the credentials required to participate in the growing renewable energy sector. Dixon Center has been working with CWS for the last 6 years providing influence and actions they can use to integrate veterans and their families into existing programs. To learn more visit Dixoncenter.org.

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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for

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Jan-Feb Heal with Honor Update

Jan-Feb Heal with Honor Update

At the end of 2022, Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services led a convening of likeminded organizations that have embraced the eight dimensions of wellness (spiritual, environmental, occupational, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and financial).  Through their focus on enhancing the well-being of veterans and their families, they are reducing the isolation and disconnection that burdens many who have served and is often a precursor to the tragedy of death by suicide.

(from L to R: Rick Passarelli, UMAP; Eric Stetson, FourBlock; Joshua Zabler, Vets4Warriors; Erin Lester, Hope for the Warriors; Tina Atherall, PsychArmor; Derric Brown, Dept. of VA; Sam Whitehurst, Dixon Center; Chris Fitzpatrick, VeteransPlus; Damion Cook, K9s for Warriors

As a result of this collaboration, and together with our partner, Angel Force USA we have formed a coalition of veteran organizations.  This coalition will visit communities across the country over the next year, raising awareness, listening, learning, and increasing our understanding of the impact of suicide in these communities.  Our goal is to learn what approaches are working, where there are gaps, and to share solutions that will enhance the lives of veterans and their families.

Stay tuned to the Bugler in the coming weeks as we finalize dates and locations. To learn more about being part of solutions to ensure that veterans and their families “Heal with Honor,” contact Colonel (Ret.) Sam Whitehurst, Vice President of Programs and Services at Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services.   

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Fighting Together for Veterans & Families

“Together we stand strong.” – Colonel Duncan Milne, USMC (RET.), PresidentDixon Center for Military and Veterans Services Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Services is

National Vietnam War Veterans Day

“Our nation owes an eternal debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and that of their families”. – Sara Heidenheimer, Program & Administrative Manager, Dixon Center for