Taking Care of Yourself and Others This Holiday Season
I’d love to say the holiday season is a time during which we all take time to rest, recharge, and reconnect with our families. While many of us are blessed with such an opportunity, the holidays can represent something very different for others. As we interact with Michigan Veterans during this season, please remain mindful that the holidays can be a source of stress and anxiety, and please watch for mental health red flags.
As you know, Dr. Beau and Jamie Wright are available to you, and most counties now have Community Mental Health Veteran Navigators. Please make use of this support, and make certain you are taking care of yourselves as well.

For me, practicing self-care means meditation through knitting. I get to quiet my mind by counting stitches, and I feel productive as I have something physical to show for my “med-knit-tation” time. Giant crowd at the Michigan vs. Ohio State game making me anxious? Pull out the knitting!
 
Take time to do what works for you. Find the joy in this holiday season and recharge for another year in service to Michigan Veterans.
 
Happy Holidays, and thank you for all you do!
 
Kate
Volunteer Veteran of the Month
Pete Raciti was our Volunteer of the Month for November! Pete describes himself as “the luckiest Marine alive” because of all of the opportunities he has had in his life, including the opportunity to serve other Veterans through B2B. “What I like the most is articulating to someone that there’s help, and that we can help get them that help.”  Read more about Pete...
New Volunteers
We are thrilled to welcome these new Volunteers to our team this month!
Richard Clark
Marine Corps Veteran, Escanaba
Turnera Croom
Army Veteran, Portage
Landon Dupee
Army Veteran, New Boston
LeRoy Euvrard
Navy Veteran, Zeeland
Ryan Ranger
Air Force Veteran, Battle Creek
Mara Reid
Navy Veteran, Charlotte
Ron Richards
Army Veteran, Jackson
Hailee Strong
Army Veteran, Montrose
Zach Thomas
Navy Veteran, Belleville
Month in Review | November 2017
Number of service members and veterans assisted from January 1 to November 30:

2017 : 800
2016 : 795
   
November referrals:
Top interaction log submitters in November:

Steve Alguire - 17
Cliff Tholen - 17
Brandon Dunlap - 14
Mark Lindke - 10
Carl Underhill - 10

Most events attended and logged in November:

Burr Tolles - 4
Bruce Binns - 3
Fred Turk - 3
Alfonse VanHese - 3
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.
This Month's Training Anniversaries
The following volunteers are celebrating their training anniversaries with the program this month: 

Seven Years!
Wilson Coomer
Debby Hardeman

Four Years
Lloyd Putman
Julia Treme

Three Years
Burr Tolles

Two Years
Richard Roberts

One Year
Iris Bruin
Sal Cutino
Jack Jackson
David Williams

Thank you for your service! 
Office Closed December 23-January 1; No Support Calls
Our office will be closed for the holidays from Saturday, December 23 through Monday, January 1. We will not hold support calls on Monday, December 25 or Monday, January 1. We wish everyone the happiest of holidays!
Helpful Tool Spotlight: Most Commonly Used Resources Document
We have updated the Most Commonly Used Resources for Veterans document. We first developed this helpful guide for a Veterans Day Phone Bank in 2015 and have revised and expanded it to include key resources throughout the state since then. This is one of most helpful program documents and we recommend you add it to your arsenal today! Download it...
Need Any New Program Supplies? Let Us Know!
If you are running low on program supplies, such as business cards, brochures, or other documents, please contact Jamie Majer at (734) 998-5825 or jmajer@umich.edu and the supplies will be ordered and sent to you as soon as possible.
Save the Date for the 2018 Volunteer Recognition Event!
Mark your calendars! Our 2018 Volunteer Recognition Event will be held at the Yankee Air Museum in Belleville on Saturday, April 7 . We will send more information as the date gets closer. It will be an event not to be missed!
Interested in Representing Buddy-to-Buddy at an Event?
Would you like to represent Buddy-to-Buddy at a veteran-focused event in your community? Do you know of an event that you think someone from Buddy-to-Buddy should attend? If so, contact Outreach Coordinator Nathan Cross at crossna@umich.edu or (734) 998-5827. 
Buddy-to-Buddy Pics
Dee Harris with Medal of Honor Recipient James McCloughan
Kate Melcher with Tim Hunnicutt, CEO of Zero Day, at Silver Star
Buddy-to-Buddy is part of Military Support Programs and Networks (M-SPAN), a portfolio of military mental health programs within the University of Michigan Depression Center.
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program
2025 Traverwood Dr., Suite C | Ann Arbor | MI | 48105