Over the past few years, thousands of generous donors have contributed more than $5.9 million to

Transcription

1 The { N E W S F R O M F R E E D O M S E R V I C E D O G S O F A M E R I C A } Raising the Ruff on Our New Home WINTER 2016 Volume 23 No. 1 Over the past few years, thousands of generous donors have contributed more than $5.9 million to help us give service dogs to more deserving clients. to purchase and renovate the new home of Freedom Service Dogs. Because of your vision and inspiring donations, we were able to move into our new space on October 18, You helped us transform the building into a real home that will allow us to increase the number of people we serve and dogs we train. Located near the Denver Broncos training facility, our 2.4-acre lot is ideal for outdoor kennels and play yards and offers ample indoor space for training and caretaking. HERE S A LOOK AT HOW THINGS SHAPED UP OVER THE PAST NINE MONTHS: February 2016 Located on the west side of our facility was a former warehouse that was transformed into a home for our dogs in training. We repurposed this space with dividing walls that will aid in noise reduction. Reduced noise equals less kennel stress and dogs that are able to focus on training. May 2016 Letter from Board Chair PAGE 2 Faces of Freedom PAGE 3 Diamonds in the Ruff PAGE 4 Donor Spotlight PAGE 5 Awesome Volunteers PAGE 6 The indoor kennel area features 45 well-dog kennels and 26 isolation (for newly rescued dogs) kennels. The room was divided into kennel pods that work as sound barriers. August 2016 One of nine spacious kennel pods Our Partners PAGE 7 Send an E-Card BACK COVER training room that will allow us to partition the room into sections based on the training needs of our dogs. The room is of training hours for our incredible dogs. paw-ty, but for FSD, a parking lot means our volunteers, clients, and visitors will have a safe place to park on our own property. Most importantly, it will allow us to be more hospitable to our clients. Aerial view of our new building Designs by Sundown pruned the trees on our street side, and the building looks stunning! Soon, Designs by Sundown will be building a gorgeous walking trail that was made possible through the generosity of a family donation. October 2016 Here we are on move-in day! Your incredible generosity allowed us to transform a plain building into our new home, which will allow us to transform thousands of lives. We hope you ll stop by! Here s our new address: 7193 S Dillon Ct, Englewood, CO FSD staff, happy to be home

2 TheFREEDOMPRESS View from the Tall End of the Leash A MESSAGE FROM BOARD CHAIR: TOM SCANLAN, RETIRED, BRIGADIER GENERAL US AIR FORCE 2 Iam honored and excited to have been selected as the new board chair for Freedom Service Dogs (FSD). Our previous chair, Jon Hughes, left some big shoes to fill but has provided a great legacy on which to build. We are, indeed, blessed as an organization to have so many wonderful volunteers, donors, and staff members who make this organization great! The amount of hard work and dedication that the staff and volunteers commit to FSD is quite staggering and has created a solid base for future growth Tom Scanlan and Kodi to help even more of our clients who are dealing with disabilities. Your dedication and efforts have taken us to a new level of achievement and service as we prepare to double the capacity of our facilities with the completion of the new building and greatly improve the work environment for our people and dogs. Likewise, we would never have been poised to help more deserving clients without the incredible support of every one of our generous donors, both institutional and private. As a veteran, I know the importance and difficulty of a successful transition back to civilian life. The service dogs that we train make vast differences in the lives of the veterans who have given so much to our country and now need a helping hand to overcome their wounds, both physical and mental. The service dogs that you all make possible provide a new sense of security and stability that is unlike any other for both our veterans and others who live with serious disabilities. The new facility is a dream fulfilled. I am incredibly excited about the increased impact it will allow FSD to have. The move to the new facility means we can expand our services and reach more individuals. There are currently 50 deserving clients on our waiting list, and our new, larger space will mean a shorter wait time for everyone. With this expansion, we will strive to serve more people each year. The season for charitable giving means that thousands of you are considering donations to worthy organizations. I can only ask that you keep Freedom Service Dogs in mind as you donate this holiday season. You can always donate online at the FSD website freedomservicedogs. org/donate or give us a call at Remember to donate before December 31, 2016 to get 2016 tax benefits. Have a wonderful and memorable holiday season and joyous New Year. Thank you for your continuous and unfaltering support. We hope to see you at the new facility in 2017! ABOUT Freedom Service Dogs of America is a Denver-based nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by transforming shelter dogs into service dogs, and custom training them for individual client needs. Clients include children, veterans and active duty military, and other adults. Their disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord Injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Since being founded in 1987, Freedom Service Dogs has paired more than 350 client-dog teams at no cost to the client. For more information, visit freedomservicedogs.org S. Dillon Court Englewood, CO Phone: Fax: Freedom Press is published twice a year by Freedom Service Dogs of America President & CEO: Michele Ostrander BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS BOARD MEMBERS Board Chair: Tom Scanlan Retired, Brigadier General US Air Force Secretary: Margaux Trammell Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP Walter Ernst, Ernst & Associates Dr. Allison Friederichs, University College of University of Denver Ryan Godsil, Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP Kristi Graning, Loan Stop Margot Hampleman, Decorative Materials Blake Johnson, Addison & Maxwell Real Estate Brokerage Brittany Johnson, Starbucks Corporation Treasurer: Heidi MacIntyre Cherokee Financial Services Gabriel Koroluk, Wealth Management Portfolio Manager Leslie Longo, VCA Firehouse Animal Hospital Lee Mickus, Taylor Anderson LLP A Ralph Reed, Tall Grass Energy Lee Clayton Roper, MLC Publishing Neal Stanley, Insight Exploration Shon Wilson, Acker Law Firm

3 3 WINTER 2016 his August marked the 4th Annual Faces of Freedom Sporting Clay Tournament, which raises money for Operation Freedom. Óä Î] Ài >L À>Ì À iã] > V Ài > ` yõ ` > > Þà à V «> Þ that serves the petroleum industry, approached Freedom Service }Ã Ì >Õ V >Vià v Àii` i ÛiÀ / à Þi>À] Ì iþ iý«> `i` Ì V Õ`i > iûi Ì ` > `] /iý>ã Ƃ ëiV > Ì > Ã Ì /i> Àià > ] who for the second year in a row, raised more than $100,000. To date, the events have raised more than $800,000 for veterans who are waiting to receive service dogs! Thank you!! Save the Dates for Faces of Freedom 2017! July 28, 2017 Kiowa Creek Sporting Club Denver, CO September 22, 2017 Windwalker Farms Midland, TX T h ank you Faces of F r eedom founding s p o nsor! Rally for Freedom David Vasquez of Steel Soldiers, Michele Ostrander, FSD President & CEO, Michael McGuire of MillerCoors Veterans Group, and friends O n July 16, hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts rallied together to show their support for veterans and service dogs at Rally for Freedom. Freedom Service Dogs teamed up with the Steel Soldiers and MillerCoors Veterans Group to host the ride and rally, kicking off at The Platte in Littleton and riding 85 beautiful miles through the Colorado mountains to end up at Quaker Steak and Lube in Westminster. FSD s service dog ambassador Cargo hosted a drawing and even picked out the winners by choosing numbered tennis balls. There Ü>à > L i Ã Ü Ü Ì ÌÀ «iã v À wàãì] second, and third place as well as the People s Choice. Many thanks to all the volunteers and partners who made this event possible! FSD client Dan and his service dog Knuckles Getting ready to ride

4 TheFREEDOMPRESS 4 Diamonds In The Ruff AN EVENT TO HELP MAKE THE FUTURE OF FSD SHINE O n Saturday, October 8, more than 350 guests attended the 5th Annual Diamonds in the Ruff at w ÌÞ *>À Ûi Ì i ÌiÀ i `> i TaRhonda Thomas of Denver s 9News was the evening s emcee, and former Denver Broncos running back Reggie Rivers hosted the auction. Service dogs in training along with their trainers showcased the amazing skills that dogs learn in order to assist their humans during a special performance to Diamonds by Rihanna. Love Letters, a video short from Big Pictures Media, premiered at the event, and the w vi>ìõài` - 7 Ã ] > ÛiÌiÀ> ] Ü Ì Ã ÃiÀÛ Vi ` } Rommy and Kalie Lewis with her service dog Slider. The room was full of emotion, and longtime FSD supporter Gilda Kaplan was moved to donate $30,000 to sponsor a client dog team during the paddle raiser. She received a standing ovation from the crowd in honor of the 8th client dog team she and her husband Werner have sponsored. Over the course of the evening, our generous supporters raised $215,000. Save the date for next year s Diamonds in the Ruff, October 14, To view photos from the evening visit: bit.ly/2fclryw Photos courtesy of Pamela Cress, Black-Tie Colorado Reggie Rivers prepares to auction off 25 stuffed labrador retrievers Doggie Plunge What could be more fun than hundreds of dogs swimming, splashing, and lapping up the last days of summer? Freedom Service Dogs hosted the 9th Annual Doggie Plunge on September 10 at Pirates Cove Family Aquatic Center in Englewood. Nearly 600 dogs enjoyed having the water park all to themselves during three soldout swim sessions. Outward Hound was on site to distribute life jackets to keep all the dogs safe, PetScoop picked up after the pups, and dogs received a Pawbender frozen treat from Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard at the end of each swim session. Overall, $7,000 was raised during this day of fun! A special paw up to our media sponsor 9News. Loretta & Steve Davis

5 Spotlight 5 Îä Þi>ÀÃt 7i Ãii wàãì > ` Ì i ` vviài Vi >`Õ Ì] À ÛiÌiÀ> - à ÕÀ º«iÌ» «À wì Deckers Dogs THE ERIC + JESSIE DECKER FOUNDATION T he Eric + Jessie Decker Foundation (EJDF) has been an instrumental partner for Freedom Service Dogs since its inception in September of In three short years, EJDF through its Deckers Dogs program has funded the «>Vi i Ì v Ã Ý > >â } ÃiÀÛ Vi ` }Ã Ü Ì military veterans, and now they are taking their support of FSD to another level. The foundation recently made an incredibly important pledge to FSD when they announced in June that they would match, dollar for dollar, any donation made to EJDF for the FSD capital campaign up to $250,000! This much needed funding will go toward sponsoring the Eric + Jessie Decker Foundation Training Space in our new facility. Visit ejdeckerfoundation.com for more information or to donate to the fund. Eric and Jessie Decker with Deckers Dogs teams from left to right: Johnny & Baloo, Dianna & Decker, Shon & Rommy, John & Marbles, and Randall & Fresca

6 TheFREEDOM 6 Thank You Volunteers Therapy Dog on a Mission to Provide Hope NUTMEG S STORY Everyone at Freedom Service Dogs is so grateful to all the volunteers who worked on projects preparing us to move into our new building. They have made an enormous impact with their generosity. Over the past Helped with humanely relocating friends from our prairie dog colony Cleared brush and trash from the property Inventoried furniture Painted interior walls Removed carpet Helped with a pre-move deep clean Moved donated furniture from IKEA and other businesses Moved furniture out of the training studio and deep-cleaned Built room dividers Made repairs Installed blinds And so much more! We estimate that more than 600 hours of work were donated by our regular volunteers and several groups from local businesses. Their generosity and hard work saved FSD more than $10,000 in labor. In addition, many of our volunteers made donations to our various fundraising campaigns related to the move, including the capital campaign, our paintpawtners drive, and the playground fundraiser. This support really made a difference for us, and the move was only possible because of all the people who generously contributed their time and resources. Thank you to everyone who helped out! For information about volunteering visit: freedomservicedogs.org/volunteer Nutmeg came to Freedom Service Dogs from Weston County Humane Society in Wyoming in December of Nutmeg had been adopted and returned three times in Wyoming. When she was returned by the third adopter, the reason they gave was because she was too stupid to learn. Nutmeg did not agree with this assessment and proceeded to astound her Nutmeg set off on a plane bound for Connecticut to begin her therapy A child checks Nutmeg s heart rate during a therapy session about calming ourselves when we re upset dog career with Lori, a children s social worker. Lori and now Nutmeg is a member of Soul organization that began in 2003 with the goal of incorporating animals into therapy sessions. They participate in therapy groups for at-risk children aimed at increasing empathy and hopefulness, and improving peer relationships. Nutmeg and Lori also attended the K9 response training provided by the Federal Emergency teams are trained in traumatic stress response and crisis management. One were called to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Nutmeg does very well when deployed she just seems to know when she s working and that she s needed. Nutmeg found her forever home in the heart of Lori, who shares her life, her home, and her calling with an amazing, loving dog. For more information about FSDs professional therapy dog program, contact Marie Giezendanne at Lori and Nutmeg, FSD graduates

7 7 WINTER 2016 Whole Foods Employees at Whole Foods visit with service dog in-training Hamlet Foods Market, a longtime supporter of FSD, has made a $25,000 pledge to our capital campaign. Their contribution will sponsor the Whole Foods Market Staff Kitchen & Training Area in the new facility. Representatives of FSD and some of our best and brightest service dogs in training have visited some of the Denver-area Whole Foods Market locations to promote the partnership. So far, more than $14,000 has been raised through the Your Change Creates Change program in which shoppers who bring their own bags can donate their 10 cents-per-bag credit neighborhood Whole Foods Market and donate your reusable bag credit to FSD. CH2M Employee Golf Tournament CH2M held its annual employee golf Dogs on August 29, raising more than $30,000 in donations enough to fund the placement of a service dog with a client on the ever-growing FSD waiting list. FSD is grateful to have been the charity recipient of CH2M s employee golf tournament for the past several years, and we might add that this is one of FSD ambassador Cargo s favorite events to attend each year! Adoption Pupdate Soda (now Ginny) is doing wonderful and we feel very fortunate to have her as part of our family. Her socialization has improved dramatically and we ve been able to take her to public places with zero challenges. I think the dog park and all the dogs/ dog owners she s met in our apartment community have helped tremendously. She has gone on several camping trips, and loved every second she s an outdoorsy type of girl for sure. Thank you so much for introducing her to us. The Whitcomb Family FSD Development Director, Lindsay Ganassa with Julie Arnold, CH2M employee and FSD volunteer Soda (now Ginny) on her way to the mountains with her family FSD Awarded $75,000 from the Janus Foundation J-Tank Initiative When Janus Capital employee and treasured FSD volunteer Katy Foster heard that her company s charitable foundation was interested in the causes that matter personally to its employee community as part of its new program, the J-Tank Initiative, she had to tell them about Freedom Service Dogs. As one of 55 proposals from employees, Katy s submission was judged by a panel consisting of the president of the Janus Foundation, Tiphani Krueger (pictured right); former Denver Broncos running back Reggie Rivers; Nelson Garcia, education reporter at 9News; Denver Business Journal reporter Monica Mendoza; and Bruce DeBoskey, owner of the DeBoskey Group, which acts as a consultant to philanthropic organizations. Freedom Service Dogs is enormously grateful to have been named the winner and recipient of the $75,000 prize, which will fund the Pawsitive Connection Program Corner in our new building, helping us to continue to serve at-risk youth in Colorado. We are honored to you to the Janus Foundation! Katy Foster accepts $75,000 prize on behalf of FSD

8 7193 S Dillon Court Englewood, CO Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Denver, CO Permit No. 400 DONATE: Freedom Service Dogs is one of the few organizations in the United States to transform shelter dogs into custom-trained service dogs and provide them to clients at no cost. Your tax-deductible donation helps us continue our work of giving dogs a new purpose and changing the lives of individuals with disabilities. Visit freedomservicedogs.org/donate or call to donate today. Send a Card in Honor or in Memory of... SHOW THE PEOPLE (AND PETS!) IN YOUR LIFE HOW MUCH YOU CARE BY SENDING A FREEDOM SERVICE DOGS E-CARD. Each e-card you send does twice the good! You honor a loved one and give a donation to Freedom Service Dogs at the same time. Your donation will not only honor those you love, but it will also immediately help us rescue and train dogs! A win win (or, rather, woof! woof!) scenario. Options include cards for Veteran s Day, Thanksgiving, Sympathy, Hanukkah, Christmas, Wedding, Birthday, Congratulations, and much more! Check them out at: FREEDOMSERVICEDOGS.ORG/STORE

9 Our veterans need help: the kind of help therapist s office S Dillon Court Englewood, CO FreedomServiceDogs.org Learn more about the work we do for veterans or make a donation today at FreedomServiceDogs.org/ FreeAHero My dearest, I hope this letter finds you and brings clarity and understanding to what has happened. I fought until I could not fight anymore; this world was simply not for me. My pack was too heavy, filled with the guilt of not being able to save everyone and knowing that my friends did not return with me. My boots too worn from walking the same memories and flashbacks over and over, hoping for a better outcome. My uniform tattered and torn, stained with the relentless nightmares and cut by the endless waves of depression and panic attacks. My helmet, not enough to keep it all in. The never-ending voices telling me that I should not be here, that I m not a hero. I have given in to the pain in my joints, the aching in my heart, and the debilitating thoughts in my head. I want you and everyone else to know that there was nothing anyone could have done to stop this from happening. I have fought a good fight, and in the end, there just wasn t enough left in me to fight another day. I m sorry I won t be there to walk Emily down the aisle she will become a beautiful girl, strong and determined just like her mom. I hope that Jonathon and Austin will one day understand that I loved them much more than I ever loved myself. My love, I pray that God will have mercy upon my soul and send me to a place where soldiers cry no more.

10 That is the start of one of many such letters I have written. They all amount to the same story. I fought hard, but it was not enough. For me, the physical battle ended two years ago. The psychological war has been a relentless one. For me, it s the feeling of severe guilt, feeling that somehow I could have done more. If only then they would still be here. If you are on the fence about whether to donate to or sponsor FSD, please let my story push you to do it. wounds; they also help with the most dangerous and number one contributor to the {22 completed suicides a day by veterans} our heads. The one place we can t escape. A service dog can make the difference between a full recovery and the tragic delivery of a letter beginning the way so many of mine did. Freedom Service Dogs of America has given me what years of therapy could not: It has given me a buddy in the foxhole, someone who has my back no matter what. Kanga does not do much for me physically even though he has been trained in many physical tasks but that will likely change in the coming years. What he does do for me is the one task that we tried to discourage him from doing: He licks, he licks, he licks. This may not seem like much for a service dog, but for me, it means the world. It lets me know that, no matter how sad, mad, depressed, or anxious I get, my buddy is always there to fight with me. He brings me back when I am lost in flashbacks and panic attacks; he comforts me when I feel like I can t go on anymore; and he is there, always looking at me, never saying a word, not one judgment against me. As a young combat medic, I promised the mothers and spouses of my brothers in arms that, no matter what, I would bring their kids and spouses home. Fifteen coffins draped in American flags plus six suicides later, the question still lingers in my head: What more could I have done? I am truly thankful to the volunteers and staff at Freedom Service Dogs of America. In addition, the hard work of all those involved in this program would be in vain if not for the wonderful hearts of the donors. If you are on the fence about whether to donate to or sponsor FSD, please let my story push you to do it. Your money is doing the one thing that it should not be able to do, and that is buy time for our veterans time filled with happiness and companionship, time of peace and comfort. Jonathan Jose Castillo Retired Staff Sergeant A service dog can make the difference between a full recovery and the tragic delivery of a letter beginning the way so many of mine did. Our veterans need help: the kind of help that you can t get at a therapist s office. The dogs provided to veterans by FSD not only help with physical Please donate in honor of Veterans Day FreedomServiceDogs.org/FreeAHero or by returning enclosed envelope.