Mike Dorman was a force to be reckoned with. One of his many gifts was to never come on too strong, while achieving everything he set out to do. He was kind, energetic, bright and driven.
I met Mike seven years ago when I launched Suburban Living for Fuquay-Varina. Like so many others who met Mike, he made an impression on me. His dedication to Military Missions in Action (MMIA) was infectious. Over the years, I have supported and promoted MMIA to make a very small contribution to a great non-profit.
Mike served our country for 20 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He started MMIA in 2008 to help and serve members and former members of the military. There are many stories about the difference that MMIA has made in the lives of veterans, including savings the lives of veterans on more than one occasion. Mike was recognized for his achievements at the highest levels, including receiving the President’s Citizens Medal in 2013, the second highest civilian award in the nation.
The last time I spent with Mike was at the MMIA annual golf tournament on November 11, Veteran’s Day. I attended with my daughter and my photographer, to feature photos from the tournament in this edition of the magazine. I am still featuring the photos, but they mean a lot more to me, and to so many others, now. Mike passed away on December 28.
I reached out to MMIA to offer a medium for them to be able to share news/concerns in this issue. Here are some of the points that they asked me to share:
We are still reeling from the loss of Michael Dorman, our founder, executive director, leader, and friend, as a result of his untimely passing.
We are moving quickly to search for and hire a new executive director, although admittedly, Mike Dorman is irreplaceable.
MMIA is still fully operational, conducting missions, and executing our most critical programs. In January alone, MMIA provided assistance to more than 75 homeless veterans and made deliveries to six veterans through the Homes for Healing program. We also collaborated with TJF (The Joel Fund) to assist another 16 veterans.
Our most pressing immediate operational need is for committed, recurring community volunteers. MMIA is moving everything out of our primary warehouse storage location at the Hwy 401 old tobacco warehouse before the end of March. We need as many volunteers as possible to assist with that move during February and March. Volunteers can visit the Military Missions in Action website and volunteer at the following link: https://www.militarymissionsinaction.org/volunteer.
Mike Dorman had an unparalleled vision to bring immediate and decisive assistance to veterans with disabilities, members and veterans of all Armed Forces, and equally important, their families.
Mike’s strategic vision is prominently cemented in the organization’s way forward. He is not just the founder, director, leader, friend, and mentor to many veterans, volunteers, employees, and donors—he was, and remains, a symbol of the brand. We don’t see MMIA without seeing an image of Mike.
Mike’s dedication and conviction provided strong confidence in donors that their contributions had an immediate positive impact. We intend to follow his lead.
He was nationally recognized for his vision but demonstrated an acute compassion at the local level solving problems he could see. Mike would not walk past a veteran in need, ever. If he recognized a persistent, endemic, or systemic problem, he attacked it head on.
We do not intend to let Mike down. We will continue the mission, strengthen the vision, and uphold the intent.
If you would like to donate to MMIA, please visit: https://www.militarymissionsinaction.org/donate
If you are interested in becoming a host and have an idea for a locally sponsored fundraising event, please email office@militarymissionsinaction.org with your idea and resourcing capability.
If you would like a board member to attend your organization’s event as a guest speaker, please email the request to office@militarymissionsinaction.org.
