Let me share this article with you, and perhaps you will join us in our efforts to bring "Sentinels of Freedom" to Maryland:
'We Owe Them Our Support'
By Amanda Okker, RE/MAX Times Associate Editor
Mike Conklin knows something about the struggles disabled veterans face as they transition back into society after months of rehabilitation. He's personally helped four readjust to civilian life and their new physical challenges through a community program he founded: the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation.
Recognizing its sound framework and meaningful mission, RE/MAX International has become the foundation's first national sponsor and aims to support Conklin in expanding the Sentinels of Freedom program to deserving and qualified service members across the United States.
"We have a unique opportunity to be part of something that's never been done on this scale before," says Dave Liniger (ABR, CRB), RE/MAX International Chairman and Co-Founder. "I know our Broker/Owners and Associates have the heart and drive to get behind the program, too, and we're ready to see just how far we can go."
The father of three Army Rangers, Conklin - most recently an agent with RE/MAX Accord in Danville, Calif. - was inspired to reach out to wounded veterans after one of his sons was injured in Iraq three years ago. "I was so impressed by the level of care my son received at the military hospitals that I decided I wanted to do something tangible to support our troops - aside from wearing a yellow ribbon," Conklin says. "I wanted to put my support into action. It didn't take long before I realized that my community could sponsor a disabled veteran."
News of one soldier's impending return to the San Ramon Valley area of Northern California caught Conklin's attention. Jake Brown was severely injured when he was run over by a tank while serving in Germany in 2003. Word that Brown had no family or friends to turn to for support upon his return home motivated Conklin to create a program that would keep Brown from slipping through the cracks.
Conklin created the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation in 2003 just in time for Brown's return to the community just east of Oakland.
Criteria
The criteria for qualification are straightforward: Only service members who've suffered service-related amputations, blindness, paraplegia or severe burns on or after Sept. 11, 2001, are eligible for the program.
"The program applies to this war and all future wars," Conklin says. "Anyone with severe wounds directly connected to their military service are on my radar. They don't necessarily need to have served in Iraq or Afghanistan to qualify."
After enduring 26 surgeries and nearly a year of rehabilitation, Brown was welcomed back to San Ramon in 2004. He was introduced to the support system Conklin created by recruiting help from friends and business associates.
"We call the servicemen and women who join the program Sentinels, because that's just what they are," Conklin says. "They've guarded our country and protected our freedoms, and they deserve our thanks and support."
Today, Brown is on the dean's list at his college, has been promoted twice by his company, UPS, and is entirely independent.
Conklin saw potential for the program to extend across the United States and rally other communities looking to give back to men and women who've served the country.
"So many people want to help but don't know how," Conklin says. "Our program gives people a way to reach out."
The program
Started as a grassroots effort, the program remains community-focused. The foundation calls on volunteers to set up and carry out the program in their areas. A core team of mentors forms to coordinate local efforts and to provide friendship and guidance to the Sentinels.
"There are hundreds of support groups for disabled veterans popping up, but there's no telling how long they'll be around," Conklin says. "The Sentinels of Freedom is designed to go beyond this war to future wars. We've built it plumb level and square so others can follow our design."
The Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation framework includes assistance with rent-free housing, household supplies, adaptive vehicle needs, career-placement assistance, tuition assistance and mentoring - all for up to four years.
Each service member's needs vary, so not all scholarship recipients will require every component. However, communities commit to meeting a Sentinels' unique needs.
"We're not talking about a community helping hundreds of individuals," Conklin says. "We're talking about one community, one wounded warrior at a time. It's as simple as that."
By mid-2006 the foundation and the San Ramon Valley had accepted three more severely wounded veterans into the program: Manuel Valencia, Joey Bozik and Ben Crowley. Valencia, like Brown, was from the Bay Area; Bozik and Crowley were invited to build new lives there.
Each Sentinel is welcomed home with a ceremony in his or her honor. Local military leaders, dignitaries, veterans and community groups, and area residents are invited to show support and gratitude.
Word spreads
Soon after forming, the Sentinels of Freedom Scholarship Foundation established solid partnerships with local builders and corporations who hired the Sentinels, as well as with military leaders at the Pentagon. The program also attracted a good deal of high-profile attention in the area, including extensive local newspaper coverage and meetings with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and other state leaders.
It certainly caught the attention of RE/MAX Accord Co-Broker/Owner Jerry Stadtler, a Vietnam veteran who saw potential for the program to grow. He invited Conklin to join his brokerage in early 2006.
"I was just in awe of what he was doing - the time, effort, heart and soul," Stadtler says. "It struck a chord in my heart. I don't always have time to do it all, but this was something to be involved in vicariously by supporting Mike through RE/MAX."
Conklin sees the Sentinels of Freedom extending to other communities across the country - and says RE/MAX Broker/Owners and Sales Associates are uniquely positioned to support that mission.
"My vision is that if I get a call from the Pentagon and there's a guy from Biloxi on his way home, I can pick up the phone and give an agent or broker in Biloxi the heads-up," Conklin says. "Whether they're directly involved and become part of a mentor team or not, who knows better than a RE/MAX agent or Broker/Owner where to go in town to find the support these soldiers need?"
First national sponsor
Liniger, also a Vietnam veteran, was drawn to the program's potential as well.
"When Mike presented the program to me, I knew RE/MAX could play an important part in helping it become a national scholarship," Liniger says. "Like our sponsorships with Children's Miracle Network and Komen, supporting Sentinels of Freedom adds to our goal of Premier Community Citizenship in a way that really hits home."
Lending marketing and advertising support along with other resources, RE/MAX International encourages Broker/Owners and Sales Associates to be aware of how they can help, too.
"We can put our referral network to great use to get the word out," Liniger says.
Affiliate involvement can range from donating money to volunteering on a community team to picking up the phone and contacting a local builder about donating housing. Other business associates and acquaintances may be willing to help out also, and perhaps serve as mentors to a scholarship recipient.
"No one has refused to lend support yet," Conklin says. "People of all ages have pitched in at the community level. And politics doesn't come into it. It doesn't matter who sent the soldiers to war or who our president is. None of that matters. These wounded veterans are our responsibility, and we owe them our support."
Copyright © 2007 RE/MAX International Inc. 3/5/07
If you are interested in helping Larry and me bring The Sentinels of Freedom to Maryland, please contact me at mwoda@remax.net
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