After all these years I have become more active in volunteering with two very different groups. The first group is call Team Rubicon. The Mission of Team Rubicon, from their website, is:
Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams.
Team Rubicon Saves Lives.
Since its creation in January 2010, TR has impacted thousands of lives – in Haiti, Chile, Burma, Pakistan, Sudan, and here at home, in Vermont, Maryland, Missouri, and Alabama. TR reaches victims outside the scope of where traditional aid organizations venture; victims on the fringe.
Team Rubicon Engages Veterans.
Hundreds of US military veterans, many returning home after fighting ten years of war, find a renewed sense of purpose for their skills and experiences through TR.
Team Rubicon Sets Itself Apart In the Nonprofit World.
Is it a disaster relief organization? A veteran-focused enterprise? The truth is it’s both. TR pioneered a new paradigm in disaster response while redefining the meaning of veteran reintegration into society.
Team Rubicon Pioneered the Concept of Veteran-Focused Disaster Response.
On the streets of Port-au-Prince, in the immediate aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, TR’s military veterans realized a simple truth – natural disasters present many of the same problems that confront troops in Iraq and Afghanistan: unstable populations, limited resources, horrific sights, sounds and smells. The skills cultivated on those same battlefields – emergency medicine, risk assessment and mitigation, teamwork and decisive leadership – are invaluable in disaster zones.
The second group I have started to volunteer with is called the Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network (URRKN). The Underground Railroad Rescued Kitty Network (URRKN), started on October 31, 2011, is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) organization that arranges safe transportation for rescued cats from foster/shelter to forever homes. We smile every mile! Safety and security are always our first consideration.
Both groups have a wide range of volunteer opportunities so most anyone can find the time to help out. I have found both groups to be very worthwhile in their missions and they both fit my background and personality very well. In today’s society I truly believe that volunteering is something anyone can do and should do. It is a way to give back to your community.
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