From all of us at the American Veterans Mission, merry Christmas to you and yours!
AVMartinez™ is an Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. ©2018-2022. All Rights Reserved.
MLK Day of Service 2023
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make communities more equitable and take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. While Dr. King believed the Beloved Community was possible, he acknowledged and fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action.Â
MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities. During the last quarter century, the MLK Day of Service has grown, and its impact increased as more Americans embraced the idea that citizenship involves taking an active role in improving communities.Â
On Monday, January 16, and the days surrounding, American Veterans Mission, AmeriCorps, and the Killeen Service Platoon invite you to:Â
- Engage with your community and create constructive action;
- Act on Dr. King’s legacy of social justice and equity; and
- Recommit by volunteering to serve others. You can clean up a public space, mentor a young person, or help those who are food insecure.Â
We cordially invite you to volunteer with us locally by signing up for our volunteer opportunity scheduled on January 16, 2023, at Carl Levin Park. Please click this link to view and sign up for this volunteer or community service opportunity.
Together, we can strengthen ties to our communities and one another while we address critical issues that divide us.
Board Member Highlight: Derek G. Ricke
The American Veterans Mission wants to highlight one of our newest board members, Derek G. Ricke, for choosing to serve with us. Derek is the Director of Program Management for HPC Solutions, a woman-owned small business federal contractor located in Denver, Colorado.  He earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Geospatial Information Science (GIS) with a concentration in Computer Science (CS) from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2004, an Associate of Arts degree in Chinese Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute in 2014 in Monterey, California, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Anderson School of Business with Certificates in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies. Derek also maintained professional membership with the Project Management Institute since 2014, with membership in the Orange County and Mile-Hi chapters and professional certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP).  Derek is a founding member of Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square and earned a Leaders Excellence Certified Leader in 2020. Derek is also a member of the Scrum Alliance since 2014 and has maintained his credential as a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
After getting out of the Army in 2014, Derek has worked primarily in the Healthcare Industry, including three years in the Quality Management Department of OptumRx with primary responsibilities of maintaining the department budget and finances and supporting operational excellence and lean/six sigma projects with financial analysis. Â He currently works as a Project and Program Management consultant for HPC Solutions on behalf of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Community Care Veteran Family Member Programs.
Derek prides himself first and foremost in his humility.  He is appropriately humbled by the idea that he is anything other than a farm boy who is occasionally asked to do important things.  He believes in servant leadership and strives to leverage his knowledge and expertise to assist and elevate those around him to achieve their true potential. Derek joined the AVM’s Board of Directors and has served with us since August 25, 2022. Together, everyone achieves more!
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Holiday Meals for Military Families – Killeen/Fort Cavazos 2022
Check out the story as covered by the Killeen Daily Herald (KDH) at the following link: https://lnkd.in/gYdWSSAB
Certifying Organization
We are thrilled to announce that the American Veterans Mission is now an official certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award!
We are ecstatic to work with Points of Light and AmeriCorpsto support volunteerism and civic engagement through this award. The ability to bestow Presidential recognition to our valued volunteers is a tremendous honor. Recognizing our volunteers’ outstanding work and commitment can deliver a powerful message encouraging others to take action.
Together, Everyone Achieves More!
Board Member Highlight: William O. Britt III
The American Veterans Mission (AVM) ’s team wants to highlight one of our board members, William O. Britt III, for continuing to serve with us in promoting altruism, volunteerism, and community service. William currently serves as the Vice President of Operations for the American Veterans Mission. He enlisted into the U.S. Army as an armored infantryman and anti-armor specialist (Duty Military Occupational Specialty [DMOS]: 11MC2) in 1991. After completing basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Georgia, William was stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1991, Camp Casey, South Korea, in 1992, and returned to Fort Riley in 1993.
During his active-duty, four-year enlistment period, William filled numerous roles such as an M249 squad automatic weapon (SAW) gunner, an M47 Dragon anti-tank missile system specialist, an intelligence analyst in South Korea (1993), and an administrative clerk from 1993 to 1995. He earned the Combat Life Saver (CLS) credential and the Expert Marksman with the M16A2 and M249 SAW. Later in his career, William received his commission and retired as a Major (O-4) from the U.S. Army.
As an Army retiree, William enjoys spending quality time with his children and volunteering in the central Texas community. Aside from being a board member of the American Veterans Mission, he is an active member of The Mission Continues – Killeen Service Platoon, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), American Legion, and the Military Officers’ Association of America (MOAA) Central Texas chapter. He is a massive advocate for educating and connecting veterans to resources and privileges they may not otherwise be aware of. He champions the belief that proper education is the key to maximizing veterans’ abilities to take full advantage of their local and national resources.
AVMartinez, Inc., doing business as American Veterans Mission, has a U.S. trademark registration of 5.749.203 and copyright VA-2-084-737. All names, logos, symbols, and linked pages on this post, website, and our social media pages are properties of their respective owners and are managed independently by those owners. All Rights Reserved.
Facing 2022 and Beyond
The AVM, Inc.’s team of teams is ready to tackle 2022! Many thanks to all our board members, community partners, and stakeholders who attended our 5th Annual Meeting on January 29, 2022. Together, Everyone Achieves More!
AVMartinez, Inc., doing business as American Veterans Mission, has a U.S. trademark registration of 5.749.203 and copyright VA-2-084-737. All names, logos, symbols, and linked pages on this post, website, and our social media pages are properties of their respective owners and are managed independently by those owners. All Rights Reserved.
AVM Annual Meeting 2022
Happy 2022!
Thank you for tackling 2021 with us! Let us tackle 2022 together!
AVMartinez, Inc., doing business as American Veterans Mission, has a U.S. trademark registration of 5.749.203 and copyright VA-2-084-737. All names, logos, symbols, and linked pages on this post, website, and our social media pages are properties of their respective owners and are managed independently by those owners. All Rights Reserved.
