Give an Hour to Host A Celebration of Service Honoring Senators Burr and Stabenow; Three Days of Inspiring Events in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) March 07, 2014 -- Give an Hour™ (http://www.giveanhour.org), a national nonprofit organization providing free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved ones, and their communities, is hosting a series of inspiring events in Washington, D.C., April 6-8, 2014, under the banner A Celebration of Service.
This year, Give an Hour will honor three outstanding individuals with its “Commitment to Service” award: U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and, USMC veteran Brendan O’Toole. Alexandria (Va.)-native Brendan recently completed his 3,600-mile Run for the Veterans in honor of the men and women who have served Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
A Celebration of Service will include: a community service project on April 6, to improve facilities at Veterans on the Rise, an organization housing homeless veterans; a conference on April 7, for students in mental health disciplines; and an evening reception and performance of the Pulitzer Prize–winning play Water by the Spoonful at the Studio Theatre on April 8. These events will bring together colleagues from the military, government, corporate, educational, and nonprofit worlds to focus on service and train the next generation of mental health professionals while encouraging volunteerism, engaging communities, and creating awareness of the need for critical mental health services.
“Although the wars are ending and the troops are returning home, their wartime experiences will affect service members and families for years to come. As a nation we must be prepared to provide the services our military families need to return to the productive lives they deserve," says Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, founder and president of Give an Hour. "While we are excited to celebrate our good work and the work of those who serve, in uniform and out," she adds, “we know there is still much work to be done. Each day of A Celebration of Service offers a unique opportunity for civilians to interact with, serve alongside, and learn about the unique challenges facing our military men, women, and their families.”
Give an Hour is proud to lead the Health Pillar for Got Your 6, a national public awareness effort led by the entertainment industry and top-tier national nonprofits. As part of its commitment to Got Your 6 and to the Clinton Global Initiative to educate 100,000 students in mental health disciplines about the issues affecting military families, Give an Hour is hosting a free, all-day conference to educate the next generation of mental health professionals on topics including "The Power of Art in the Healing Process"; "The Use of Technology to Address the Issues That Affect Those Who Serve and Their Families"; "Nontraditional Approaches to Healing"; "The Impact of War on the Children of Those Who Serve"; and "Engaging Corporate Partners – Their Role in Addressing the Invisible Wounds of War." Plans include live-streaming the conference to universities and colleges nationwide, offering all participants (in person and virtual) the opportunity to join the Q&As following the panel discussions. Virtual sites to-date include Alliant International, Sacramento, Calif.; Brain Injury Association, Waterbury, Ver.; East Coast Training Institute, Suffolk, Va.; Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.; Marymount University, Arlington, Va.; and Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. Panelists and moderators include Yochi Dreazen (The Atlantic), David Finkel (author, Thank You for Your Service and The Good Soldiers), Joe Klein (TIME), Quil Lawrence (NPR), Mark Thompson (TIME), and Gregg Zoroya (USA Today).
Give an Hour is grateful to the sponsors who have already signed on to support this event: Premiere Sponsor, Logistics Health Inc.; Aetna; American Psychiatric Foundation; Booz Allen Hamilton; Google; Lockheed Martin; Monster; and UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans.
Guests interested in participating in any or all of the events may register here: http://conta.cc/1d0JOBy.
Sponsorship and additional event information is here: http://www.flipsnack.com/AC8E9D86AED/fd15ol8i.
Colleges and universities interested in hosting a virtual event can sign up here: http://conta.cc/1mOYbP9.
About Give an Hour™
Give an Hour is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a psychologist in the Washington, D.C., area. The organization is dedicated to meeting the mental health needs of military personnel, their families, and the communities affected by the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Give an Hour has nearly 7,000 providers across the nation—in all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam—with more volunteer mental health professionals joining its network every day. In addition to counseling, providers also consult to schools, first responders, employers, and community organizations. Give an Hour has already provided approximately 112,000 hours of free service, valued at more than $11 million. To learn more, visit http://www.giveanhour.org or connected.giveanhour.org.
Lauren Itzkowitz, Give an Hour, +1 (240) 533-1669, [email protected]
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