Veterans Moving Forward Inc

TO BE A LEADING SOURCE OF SERVICE DOGS AND CANINE THERAPY SERVICES PROVIDED AT NO COST TO VETERANS WITH PHYSICAL AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES. TO MAKE A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR VETERANS AND INCREASE THEIR SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE WITHIN THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES. AND, TO EDUCATE VETERANS, THE HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY SERVICING THEM, AND THE PUBLIC ON THE EFFICACY OF ASSISTANCE/SERVICE DOGS AND CANINE THERAPY.

VMF'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SERVICE DOGS, FACILITY DOGS, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS TO VETERANS WITH PHYSICAL AND/OR MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES AT NO COST TO THE VETERAN OR THEIR FAMILY. AS SUCH, VMF SERVICE DOGS ARE THE ORGANIZATION'S MOST VALUABLE ASSETS. IT COSTS VMF $40,000 TO ACQUIRE, TRAIN AND PLACE A SERVICE DOG, DEPENDING UPON THE SERVICE DOG'S ULTIMATE ROLE AND THE COMPLEXITY OF THE VETERANS' NEEDS BEING SERVED. SUCCESSFULLY PLACING SERVICE DOGS WITH VETERANS REQUIRES EXTENSIVE, EXPERT TRAINING. IN ADDITION, VMF HAS DEVELOPED A "DOG-VETERAN MATCHING" ALGORITHM THAT OPTIMIZES THE VALUE AND USEFULNESS OF THE DOG ON BEHALF OF THE VETERAN. THE MATCHING PROGRAM ALSO YIELDS A HIGHER SUCCESS RATE, THEREBY INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF DONOR SPEND.EACH OF VMF'S HIGHLY TRAINED DOGS IS ASSESSED THROUGHOUT AN ONGOING 24-MONTH TRAINING AND PLACEMENT CYCLE. THIS ENSURES THAT EACH SERVICE DOG IN TRAINING (SDIT) IS TRAINED TO MEET THE VETERAN'S SPECIFIC NEEDS. OUR SERVICE, FACILITY, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS LIVE IN THE HOMES OF OUR PUPPY RAISERS AND ARE TRAINED AT VMF'S TRAINING FACILITY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE VMF TRAINING CENTER IS LOCATED NEAR DULLES AIRPORT. THE CENTER CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE SERVICE DOG TRAINING PROGRAM AND PROVIDES A LOCATION TO CONDUCT VETERAN APPLICANT INTERVIEWS AND A MEET AND GREET WITH POSSIBLE SERVICE DOG CANDIDATES. THE CENTER IS A QUIET, SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE INITIAL MEETING AND SUBSEQUENT TRAINING WITH THE VETERANS WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR AND BEEN MATCHED WITH A VMF SERVICE DOG. VETERAN TRAINING IS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESSFUL PLACEMENT OF SERVICE DOGS WITH THEIR VETERAN PARTNERS. THE CENTER ALSO PROVIDES A WIDE VARIETY OF TRAINING AIDS AND DEVICES THAT WE ARE ABLE TO INCORPORATE INTO SERVICE DOG TRAINING. VMF STAYS INVOLVED AFTER A SERVICE DOG IS PLACED, EVALUATING THE CONTINUING EFFECTIVENESS OF THE RELATIONSHIP, AGAIN, AT NO COST TO THE VETERAN. THROUGHOUT 2021, VMF RELIED ON THE SUPPORT OF ITS GENEROUS DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS, GRANTS AND FUNDRAISING ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM DURING YEAR TWO OF COVID. PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2021 ARE DETAILED BELOW:1) EVEN THROUGH COVID, VMF WAS ABLE TO ACQUIRE THREE NEW PUPPIES (JACOB, CHARLIE AND BALDY), A 5 YEAR-OLD DOG (HARLEQUIN) AND 1 YEAR-OLD DOG (OPAL). THEY LEARNED BASIC AND ADVANCED OBEDIENCE SKILLS AND WERE INTRODUCED TO SPECIALIZED TASK TRAINING SKILLS TO INCLUDE: OPENING AND CLOSING DOORS, OPERATING LIGHT SWITCHES, PUSHING BUTTONS, PTSD TASK SKILLS, AND RETRIEVING MEDICINES. THE DOGS WERE ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO DO PUBLIC ACCESS TRAINING IN STORES, PARKS AND EVENTS.2) KAPPA SIG ZAMP GRADUATED AND IS LIVING WITH HIS VETERAN IN WILLIAMSBURG, VA. ZAMP ASSISTS HIS VETERAN WITH NIGHT TERROR INTERRUPTION, MOBILITY AND BRACING, RETRIEVAL WORK, AND MEDICATION ALERTS.3) HARRY GRADUATED AND WAS PLACED WITH A VETERAN WHOSE CURRENT VMF SERVICE DOG WAS 10 YEARS OLD AND READY FOR RETIREMENT. HARRY ASSISTS HIS VETERAN WITH PTSD, ANXIETY, AND MEDICATION ALERTS.4) HARLEQUIN WAS PLACED WITH AN OLDER VETERAN AS AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL.5) GIL GRADUATED AND IS NOT ONLY SERVING ONE VETERAN AS A SERVICE DOG, BUT HE HAS A DUAL JOB AND HE IS SERVING SEVERAL VETERANS AS A THERAPY DOG FOR TACTICAL RECOVERY IN PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.6) VMF WAS ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO BE IN PUBIC AND DO FUNDRAISING EVENTS AND OUTREACH IN THE 3RD QUARTER. EVENTS INCLUDED THE 2ND ANNUAL DRIVES FOR DOGS FUNDRAISER, 2 GOLF TOURNAMENTS, FUNDRAISERS AT WINERIES, BREWERIES AND RESTAURANTS. VMF HAD AN INFORMATIONAL TABLE AND HELD A RAFFLE AT EVERY HOME GAME OF OLD GLORY DC, THE PROFESSIONAL RUGBY TEAM WHO IS A PARTNER AND SUPPORTER OF VMF. 7) VMF CONTINUED TO EDUCATE VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES, HEALTH CARE TEAMS, AND THE GENERAL POPULATION ON THE VALUE OF SERVICE DOGS AND THE PROCESSES INVOLVED IN OBTAINING A QUALIFIED SERVICE DOG.8) 50 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 15,472 HOURS IN 2021, COVERING ALL PROGRAM AREAS, INCLUDING TRAINING, FUNDRAISING, MAINTENANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION.