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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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The Tampa Ten Join Operation Everglades City

November 18, 2017

During the weekend of October 27th-29th, a group of 30 veterans and civilians converged on Everglades City, FL, a small fishing community of roughly 400 residents. With a quarter of the community’s homes destroyed and deeply damaged by Hurricane Irma, our volunteers arrived with donations, tools and an unwavering spirit of service.

For the past two months, Floridians have faced the adversity of preparing for and recovering from the destruction that Hurricane Irma left in its wake. Measuring 650 miles wide and with storm force winds eclipsing 185 miles per hour, Irma was the strongest recorded storm in the history of the Atlantic.

With millions of residents without power and shelter, and thousands more with homes damaged and destroyed, the veteran leaders of The Mission Continues showed us once again why they are our country’s heroes.

Recognizing that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, veteran leaders and volunteers from our Service Platoons in Miami, Broward, Orlando and Tampa decided to join forces and pool resources to maximize their community impact in a community that is outside their normal purview.

Continue reading “The Tampa Ten Join Operation Everglades City”

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An Update On Our Response to Hurricane Irma

September 28, 2017

After Hurricane Irma struck the southeast, many communities rallied together to help each other.

Our platoons in Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville were no exception. They stepped up to help neighbors and community members recover from Hurricane Irma.

In Miami, the platoon mobilized to help the elderly, fellow platoon members, and veterans in the area with cutting downed trees in yards and debris removal. The Platoon is used online group chats and Facebook group to spread the word that members were looking to help out. Our City Impact Manager, Mateo and PLs in Miami and Broward got in contact with United Way – Mission United, Neighbors for Neighbors, Wounded Warrior Project, Team Rubicon, and the Red Cross to assist with additional recovery efforts. Continue reading “An Update On Our Response to Hurricane Irma”