Repairing Homes for Our Veterans in Order to Repair Families
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Military veterans are faced with an array of challenges after their active duty military service is complete. Due to physical & emotional disabilities, many of veterans are unable to complete home repairs and remodels for themselves. As veterans age, being elderly can be that disability.
In order to understand the mission of Military Missions In Action (MMIA), you need to be introduced to its founder and Executive Director, Mike Dorman. Mike retired from the US Coast Guard after a 20-year career. After his military career, during a quiet moment on vacation, Mike felt a higher calling to help his fellow veterans. Out of this rose the idea for MMIA.
In the Fall of 2007, Mike met with a social worker at one of the local VA Medical Centers to discuss his idea for MMIA. Originally, he saw the need for injured soldiers returning from the current war. Mike was informed that he could be referred one veteran a day for a year and not begin to scratch the surface due to the great need that was in our communities. After this meeting, Mike was more determined to make MMIA a reality.
As his work developed, he realized many soldiers injured in previous wars had just as great a need. Now in its fifth year after being founded in January 2008, MMIA has proudly served our military veterans and active duty military with services that have exceeded $1.5 million. MMIA has focused its energies on five primary programs: Operation Building Hope, Homes for Healing, Ramps & Rails, Fill the Footlocker, and Operation Warrior Golf.
Homes For Healing assists veterans who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It is estimated that over 320,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003 suffer from TBI, which causes neurological damage and can impact one’s behavior, emotions, memory, body functions, speech, and an array of other disorders. For someone suffering from TBI or PTSD, what once was a simple task can seem an insurmountable obstacle. MMIA assists veterans who suffer from these conditions, which in turn helps them in their healing process.
A project in Beulaville is an example of the changes that can be instituted for a veteran suffering from PTSD and TBI. Prior to the renovation, the young Marine spent 80 percent of his waking moments in a shed behind his house. For this Marine, the shed was place to escape the stresses of the real world. But since the renovations he has not stepped inside this shed. The project played an instrumental role in helping the veteran work through his PTSD.
Veterans suffering from PTSD and TBI react differently to issues in their homes. When something breaks or stops working, they become frustrated because they can’t fix something they used to know how to fix. For them, it becomes a daily obsession and they cannot continue healing their minds. This Marine said he found it was hard to finish projects, hard to spend time with family and he felt like he was losing himself.
‘I think the physical part wasn’t so much what stopped me. It was the emotional part. I didn’t feel like I could do anything.’ The house had mold, needed new flooring, new kitchen, laundry room and bedrooms. But this project was all about rebuilding a home to rebuild a life.
More About This Charity
Region
South
Category
Human Services
Name
Military Missions In Action
Mission
Dedicated to assisting veterans with disabilities to achieve independent living while continuing to support our troops.
Impact
- This Achievement raised $2,200
- This charity raised $150,000 in the past year
- This Achievement helped 3 people
- This charity helped 150 people in the past year
- $2200 worth of renovations/repairs for disabled veteran’s home
Works In
United States
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