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Fuquay-Varina HerosPerhaps Dorman minimizes his hero status because this hero does not stand alone. Gleefully overworked and underpaid right alongside him are his Director of Operations and Administration Mendy Lesher, and a bookkeeper. He also relies on heavily on volunteers, who are help with a variety of projects.“We cast such a wide net that everyone can find a job that suits them. Not everyone wants to build a ramp,” says Dorman. Some volunteers work long hours on construction projects and others spend an hour at a time handing out water at work sites. These volunteers, along with donors and partners, help keep MMIA at a 7-cent administration cost, meaning 93 cents of every dollar is used to fund the programs. Many of MMIA’s regular donors are located in Fuquay-Varina.Part of the reason Dorman can keep expenses low is that he relies heavily on partnerships when procuring resources. His office space, for example, has been donated for the last seven years by Sim Honeycutt of The Young Group, with whom he shares a building. Not only does Honeycutt donate the office space, he gives Mike and his staff space to collect and display military gear and memorabilia that has been donated to him by veterans in the area.Dorman receiving the Small Business of the Year Award from previous winner Cindy Swank from STARS TheaterDorman and Honeycutt attended the same church, but had only met twice. When Dorman needed insurance for his new nonprofit, he visited the office and saw a sign that advertised rental office space. Dorman asked to meet with the owner, and over breakfast at Campbell’s Diner, Dorman shared his vision and asked Honeycutt to donate the space. The rest is history.Other donors in Fuquay-Varina work closely with MMIA. For example, the Bob Barker Company donated 60 percent of the items collected for this year’s Homeless Veteran Stand Down. Dorman has given his Making a Difference Award to Evelyn Kinlaw at Bentwinds Golf Club, Tilley Brothers Body Shop, D. R. Horton Home Builders, and of course Sim Honeycutt. He regularly teams up with other business partners, many in Fuquay, for construction projects.“There are too many to name,” he says. Dorman is often overwhelmed with gratitude. “I love and respect the atmosphere in Fuquay-Varina. I am proud to reside here and I am proud of the partnerships I have made,” says Dorman. He knows that without donors and volunteers, MMIA would not exist. “I am just the one with the idea. They are the heart of this operation,” he says.Currently MMIA is working on a significant project. They are building a house for a Marine, his wife, and two girls in Pamlico County. Although the deadline for completion has been pushed back to Spring 2015, Dorman is excited and optimistic. “We have never built a house from the ground up,” he says. “This house will provide plenty of space for the family while improving home life for the Marine, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and TBI and is 100% unemployable as a result.”2010 AAAA Edward M. Kennedy Community Service AwardDorman’s own definition of a hero comes from one of the veterans he helped who lost both his legs in combat. “He told me that everyone calls him a hero but he does not see himself as a hero. He said the hero is the one who saves the other guys.” Dorman identifies with that sentiment. A stickler for detail, Mike Dorman is constantly checking the latest statistics for veterans and their families as he works tirelessly to counteract those statistics through his programs. The unemployment rate for veterans is still high, and the daily suicide rate just recently increased from 22 to 24. Perhaps the real reason why Dorman does not think he is not a hero is that there is still so much work to do.If saving the other guy is a requirement for hero status, Mike Dorman met that requirement when he rescued people at sea in the Coast Guard. If that isn’t enough, he also met the requirement with the first ramp he built and care package he sent. Dorman will, however, never acknowledge the hero label. He will always say the donors and volunteers help “save the other guy.”For more information about MMIA or how you can help MMIA with its mission of helping military veterans of all ages, please call Mendy and Mike at (919) 552-1603.www.suburbanlivingmag.comSuburban Living Fuquay-Varina | Page 31