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Why I Donated My Birthday to The Mission Continues

We just may have what you didn’t know was missing.

By Sean Tyler, volunteer

One of the biggest challenges in my life was leaving the U.S. Army after over 15 years of service as an enlisted Infantryman and a commissioned Medical Service Corps Officer.

I medically retired in December of 2013, and for lack of better words, I was not prepared. In 2012 I was diagnosed with PTSD and had significant damage to both my hip and back; I received a total hip replacement that same year. My last two years of active duty were full of surgeries, medical, and mental health appointments. The combination of these ailments led to my medical retirement.

To me at the time, being non-deployable was a death sentence for my career, and a PTSD diagnosis was a death sentence for my soul. I felt as if I was broken beyond repair and obliged to fulfill my new moniker as a “dysfunctional veteran.” I dove head first into self-loathing and alcohol abuse to numb my emptiness and despair.

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New Program, Service Leadership Corps Kicks Off in Newark

For the launch of our newest program, the Service Leadership Corps, 50+ veterans gathered in Newark, New Jersey to engage in innovative leadership training and community service. The weekend marked the beginning of their commitment as they embarked on our 6-month program to tackle some of our nation’s toughest challenges by partnering with community organizations on a local level.

We’d like to thank our sponsors, Bob Woodruff Foundation, Boeing, and CarMax, for making this program possible.

It was truly an energizing experience to have so many impact-minded veterans gathered in a professional setting. Conversations were productive. Connections were purposeful. Outcomes and goals were concrete.

The weekend was about the same three things that The Mission Continues is all about — connectedness, community impact, and personal growth.

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I Found a Home in Military Green, then Mission Continues Blue

October 16, 2018
By David Riera, Volunteer

  • Miami & Broward Platoons with GEN2050 Youth and NPCA Partners at Trinity Church Garden

Miami’s 1st and Broward’s 1st platoons have two unique things in mind: environmental stewardship and youth development. It is within this cross-sectional focus that the two platoons come together and literally build community, one nail and wooden plank at time.

As a member of this community, I have found strength, not through the force of hands; wisdom, not through the wealth of experience; and kinship, not through the number of bodies. I have discovered these attributes and more, like empathy, kindness and sacrifice through their capacity to accept me as I am.

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Why I’m Passionate about Veteran Community Leaders

What was at first a volunteer passion project has turned into a career.

By Nitza Rivera, volunteer

I have been able to see first-hand how something that may seem so insignificant to one person, can improve the quality of life for another.

I truly believe that veteran leadership in our communities is just as important for the veteran as it is for the community it’s impacting.

With all my military moves through the different parts of this country and abroad, one thing remains constant, and that is the lack of leadership within our communities. It doesn’t necessarily mean that communities don’t care, I think that a lot of the times community members don’t know who to reach out to or where to look for guidance.

Planting and Clearing Garden Beds at Seeds of Faith Community Garden

For me, and other veterans, leaving the service left a void in our passion to serve others. Having the opportunity to use our leadership experience to serve and help mentor members in our communities fills that void. It also provides a platform of peer support for other veterans within the community, and the opportunity for the community to interact and learn about veterans.

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Boston Veteran Finds a Home in Solving Homelessness

October 3, 2018
By Kat Saldana, platoon leader

Integration back into civilian life was a bit of a struggle for me. The biggest struggle was losing my soldier identity and the camaraderie that came with it. On top of that, I became a military spouse, and that in itself has its own set of obstacles. I never really had time to process what that loss looked like because I just went from one role into another and then straight into motherhood.

Kat Saldana

I was often lonely because I didn’t have anyone that understood what I went through. I struggled mentally and emotionally to find someone that would understand my loss, and when you don’t live close to military installations, it is near impossible to find those people.  

It took me a long time to reach out for mental health resources partly because of my busy schedule, but partly due to the stigmatization of reaching out for help — it made you weak.

I wouldn’t cry. Alcohol was my way of coping. I was slowly spiraling mentally and emotionally out of control.

As it would happen, I found The Mission Continues in 2017 at one of the lowest points in my life. My depression and anxiety were in high gear and I was having suicidal ideations.

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The Mission Continues Launches Innovative Veterans Leadership Program

PRESS RELEASE

The veterans’ nonprofit is kicking off the new six-month, intensive training program by bringing together more than 50 veterans for a weekend-long event in Newark

NEW YORK (PRWEB) OCTOBER 02, 2018

Veterans’ nonprofit, The Mission Continues, is empowering veterans as community-based leaders with the launch of its latest program, the Service Leadership Corps. The program is an opportunity for civic-minded veterans to serve on the community level, while further developing their leadership abilities. Through the implementation of the renowned Human-Centered Design framework by the LUMA Institute and custom designed educational objectives, veterans will learn new ways to identify and address our nation’s most critical issues as advocates for change.

The Service Leadership Corps (SLC) will provide veterans with an immersive curriculum that includes engaging workshops, online learning, collaborative assignments, and experiential learning. In partnership with non-profit organizations, Corps members will apply their training to address the most significant challenges within a given community.

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