Recently I was reviewing the logs and various interactions that were entered into our system over a 5-day period. I was blown away. In just that short amount of time, Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veterans accomplished the following:
Placed a homeless veteran in temporary housing
Connected a struggling veteran with mental health services
Referred 2 veterans to accredited service officers to work on compensation, pension, and disability claims for the first time
Linked 2 veterans with employment assistance
Assisted 3 veterans with legal predicaments
Although this doesn't tell the whole story of each of these interactions or cover all of the program's activity during that time period, it provides a snapshot of the important work that you as Volunteer Veterans do to serve your fellow veterans for Buddy-to-Buddy 365 days a year. We value the work you do for Buddy-to-Buddy and cannot say it enough.
We know you are motivated to help other veterans not for the personal recognition that it brings you but because of the positive impact it allows you to make in the lives of fellow veterans. But we here at Buddy-to-Buddy sincerely hope that you will allow us to recognize you and celebrate your accomplishments at the annual Volunteer Recognition Event on April 30 in Lansing. We will be sending invitations via email in the weeks to come but, until then, mark your calendars! We cherish the opportunity to formally recognize your contributions to the program because without you, none of this would be possible.
Stephanie Zarb, Buddy-to-Buddy Program Manager
Welcome, New Volunteers!
We welcomed the following volunteers to our team in February:
Adeyemi Obanjoko
Adam Dunn Angel Ayala
Volunteer Veteran of the Month
James Robinson was our Volunteer Veteran of the Month for February! James began volunteering with Buddy-to-Buddy in November 2014 and has been building solid relationships with soldiers at the Taylor Armory since then. Read more about James...
Top Log Submitters
The top log submissions in February:
McClellan21
Shipp 13*
Springer12
Alguire10
Turk10
Treme10
Thank you for taking the time to submit your logs and using the website to communicate with us. These submissions are key in helping us continue to serve Michigan’s veterans.
*In addition to working as the program's Outreach Coordinator, Valeria continues to serve Buddy-to-Buddy on a volunteer basis as well!
Buddy-to-Buddy Pics
Outreach Coordinator Valeria Shipp chats with an attendee of the Valentine's Day Sweetheart Dance in Saginaw.
Habitat for Humanity Site Supervisor David West poses with Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Dee Harris at the home of two veterans they helped renovate.
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Dick Overton presents the gift of a new flag to Captain James Stansbury at Fort Custer.
Our parent organization, M-SPAN, is doing a study to learn more about the experiences of women veterans and women serving in the National Guard or Reserves in order to develop future programs and services that respond to identified needs.
All information shared for this study is confidential and will help M-SPAN design programs to specifically support women veterans and service members. Participants will be reimbursed $50 for their time once participation is completed. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Stephanie Thompson at womenvets@umich.edu.
Where Will We Be This Month?
Click here to view a calendar of events that either our Outreach Coordinator, Valeria Shipp, or various Volunteer Veterans will be attending on behalf of Buddy-to-Buddy. This calendar gets updated on a regular basis and we encourage you to refer to it frequently.
If there are any events throughout the state that you think might be good for Buddy-to-Buddy to have a table at, please contact Valeria Shipp at vshipp@med.umich.edu or (734) 249-0380.
Feel Good Video of the Month
The singer Pink recently was joined onstage by her father, a Vietnam veteran who wrote a song about his experience there before he returned home.
It's a touching performance and it was the first time her father had ever performed on a stage. View the video here.
In the News
Two Iraq War veterans publish novels both set in Iraq. Read more...
How to find your "tribe" once you leave the military. Read more... A veteran in Texas is working on opening a restaurant that will be fully-run by veterans.Read more... Michigan National Guard soldier saves a Flint resident's life while distributing water. Read more...
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program 1-888-822-8339 | buddytobuddyvvp@umich.edu | www.buddytobuddy.org 2025 Traverwood Dr., Suite C | Ann Arbor | MI | 48105
