May Buddy-to-Buddy Newsletter

Our Goal for 2017

Dear Volunteers,

At the beginning of each year we set a goal for the number of service members and veterans we hope the program will assist. In 2016, you helped a total of 878 service members with a range of issues including finances, mental health, and housing. Our goal for 2017 is to assist 1000 of Michigan's service members and veterans. Without you (and your logs!), reaching this goal would never be possible.

Stephanie Zarb, Buddy-to-Buddy Program Manager

To this end, you will see that we're introducing some new items to the newsletter. In the "Current Program Statistics" section, you'll see an accounting of how many individuals you've helped and submitted logs about this year so far. Just below that you'll see the percentage of the year's goal we've reached. Farther down, there's a new section that we'll use each month to answer frequently asked questions. We hope these new additions make it easier to understand how the work you're doing as a volunteer is furthering Buddy-to-Buddy's mission.

We know that this program is not simply about numbers or statistics. The numbers are tools that help us measure the amazing impact your efforts have on the lives of others. We can't do this work without you.

Stephanie Zarb
Program Manager

Volunteer Veteran of the Month

Mark Reynolds was our Volunteer of the Month for April! Not only does Mark consistently attend drill, he has made a significant impact on the lives of service members at Selfridge and veterans in his community by tirelessly going above and beyond to help them get the services and resources they need. His gracious nature, dedication to his unit, willingness to take on challenges, and commitment to helping veterans in need make Mark a tremendous asset to the program. Read more about Mark...

Current Program Statistics

The number of service members and veterans assisted from January 1 to May 15:

362

Percentage of our 2017 goal reached so far:

36%

Top issues we handled in April:

Financial Concerns - 63
Mental Health - 31
Health - 28
Housing/Homelessness - 27
VA Benefits/Claims - 24

The top interaction log submitters in April:

Steve Alguire - 15
Ron Springer - 11

Cliff Tholen - 9
Mark Reynolds - 9

Delia Baker - 8

Most events attended and logged in April:

Bruce Binns - 3
Steve Miller - 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:

Five Years
Phil Presnell
David Thomas

Thank you for your service!

FAQ: Why Do I Need to Log?

Log content is the foundation of the program. You know what you do and how you help veterans, and your logs allow us to learn about it.

The website itself provides a secure space for volunteers and staff to communicate directly about specific and often complicated situations. Utilizing the website, as opposed to emails or phone calls to a specific staff member, lets us get back to you quickly with any suggestions for resources or for help handling challenging situations.

Last but not least, logs (and the information gleaned from them) are integral to obtaining future funding for this program. As a nonprofit, we can’t sustain ourselves without documenting the good work that we do and the number of people helped by all of you. These logs are the evidence that funders need.

Lightweight Shirts Available for Purchase

Due to popular demand, last year we began offering lightweight performance material shirts for sale with the Buddy-to-Buddy logo on them. As the weather gets warmer, these might be the best option for wearing to drill and community events. If you're interested in looking over these shirts and other program merchandise, visit Ivy Promotion’s website...

Buddy-to-Buddy Pics

Volunteers Dick Overton, Bob Short, and Fred Turk; Dick, Fred, and Burr Tolles (not pictured) received Volunteer Southwest Michigan STAR Awards for their work as Buddy-to-Buddy volunteers

Buddy-to-Buddy staff members Heidi Frankenhauser, Stephanie Zarb, and Mallory Mareski meeting with Bruce Freimark and volunteers Mike Bachand and Adam Obanjoko; Bruce, Mike, and Adam are Regional Coordinators for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency

Volunteer Fred Turk (right) received a Hometown Hero award for his outstanding contributions to the community as the post commander of the VFW Post 6248 in Decatur

Do you have pictures to share? Send them to us!

Where Will We Be This Month?

Click here to view a calendar of events that 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 email us at buddytobuddyvvp@umich.edu or call (734) 998-5825.

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.