On June 7, Dr. Laura Block of Grounded Boots Relief's Board of Directors trained 11 students in CPR, AED use, and Stop the Bleed techniques (not all students are pictured). Several participants were also Grounded Boots Relief volunteers, further strengthening our ability to respond when emergencies arise, whether during long-term recovery projects, disaster deployments, community events, or everyday life.

Training like this extends far beyond a certificate. It creates confidence, preparedness, and capability. When a medical emergency occurs, the outcome is often determined in the first few minutes, long before an ambulance arrives. The more people who know how to respond effectively, the greater the likelihood that someone in crisis receives the help they need when they need it most.

We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Block for sharing her knowledge and experience. For her, this training is deeply personal. Dr. Block is herself a survivor of cardiac arrest. She understands firsthand how critical those early moments can be and how profoundly the actions of others can alter an outcome. Her commitment to teaching these skills comes from a desire to give others the same opportunity she was given: a chance to survive, recover, and continue living their lives.

As Grounded Boots Relief continues to grow, so does our commitment to investing in our volunteers. Every new skill learned, every certification earned, and every trained volunteer makes the organization stronger and the communities we serve safer. Eleven more people now possess skills that can save a life. That is a meaningful accomplishment by any measure.

When most people think about disaster relief, they think about chainsaws, trucks, debris removal, supplies, and boots on the ground. Those things matter. But none of them happen without people first knowing who we are, what we do, and why it matters.

That is where marketing comes in.

Marketing is not just social media posts and logos. It is storytelling. It is taking photos at volunteer work days. It is staffing a table at a community event. It is making phone calls to potential sponsors. It is writing newsletters, sharing success stories, recruiting volunteers, updating websites, designing flyers, and helping the public understand the impact being made.

Quite simply, if nobody hears the story, fewer volunteers join, fewer donors contribute, fewer partners collaborate, and fewer people receive assistance.

Grounded Boots Relief is looking for volunteers who want to help tell that story.

Maybe you enjoy photography. Maybe you like writing. Maybe you are comfortable speaking with businesses, staffing events, creating social media content, making phone calls, or brainstorming outreach ideas. Perhaps you have marketing experience, or perhaps you are simply willing to learn.

If helping people is important to you, but chainsaws and disaster deployments are not your thing, marketing may be one of the most impactful ways you can contribute. Every person who hears about Grounded Boots Relief because of your efforts creates another opportunity for the organization to serve.

If you are interested in joining the marketing team, we would love to talk with you.

  There are currently six American flags on the Moon. Apollo astronauts planted one during each lunar landing mission, beginning with Apollo 11 in 1969. While some have likely deteriorated from decades of radiation and extreme temperatures, they remain among the most distant American flags ever flown.  
Source: smithsonianmag.com

A Night at Sea Fundraiser: September 26

  

Grounded Boots Relief's leadership is about to have its first Annual Summit, and I could not be more excited. I still have not met our meteorologist, Jackie, in person. In fact, most of our leadership team has never shaken each others' hands face-to-face. We've spent countless hours on calls, in meetings, and bouncing ideas around Discord, but there is something different about finally getting everyone in the same room.

Granted, a large portion of the summit will involve the less glamorous side of building an organization. We will be discussing policies, procedures, strategic planning, volunteer development, and all the other things that make people's eyes glaze over at social gatherings. Over the past several months, much of my time has been spent building the volunteer handbook, refining bylaws, developing role descriptions, and working through our strategic action plan. It has been an invaluable exercise in identifying weaknesses, creating consistency, and ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction. If that sounds boring, just be thankful you're not on the Board of Directors, the Advisory Panel, or me.

One of the things I have enjoyed most recently is onboarding specialized volunteers. I genuinely enjoy being the least knowledgeable person in certain conversations. There is something incredibly encouraging about listening to a GIS specialist, a chaplain, a marketer, a meteorologist, or any number of other subject matter experts discuss topics that are well outside my expertise. I am usually just sitting there connecting dots and hoping they are plotting ways to make the organization better, together.

The reality is that I cannot become an expert in everything. If Malcolm Gladwell is right about the 10,000-hour rule, I do not have enough years left to master more than a handful of disciplines. Fortunately, I do not have to. We have volunteers bringing their 10,000 hours from dozens of different fields. Their expertise becomes our collective expertise.

That has always been the vision. This was never meant to be the John Badger Show. Grounded Boots Relief succeeds because people with different experiences, skills, and perspectives choose to build something together. I am humbled by the trust people continue to place in this organization. But more than trusting me, they are trusting one another. They are trusting the leadership team. They are trusting the volunteer standing beside them. And ultimately, that is what will make Grounded Boots Relief successful long after any one person is gone.