News from The Mission Continues (learn more about The Mission Continues)

Veterans and Supporters Pack City Hall to Salute Mission Continues Fellows
Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 8th) was very special for wounded and disabled veterans participating in The Mission Continues Fellowship program. Ten Fellows were recognized for continuing service to their country through volunteerism despite their service-related wounds. The celebration took place in St. Louis City Hall and followed the regional Veterans Day Parade in which CCL Chairman Eric Greitens served as Grand Marshall. The veterans were joined by over 100 supporters and dozens of Southwest Airlines employees who flew in from across the country to volunteer and honor the veterans' service.

Click here to view local news coverage and here to view Southwest Airlines video coverage.
To view a slideshow from the celebration, click here.

Dionisios (right) is a Mission Continues Fellow with the National Park Service in Hawai'i

Disabled Marine Now Strong Enough to "Go Forth and Do Good"
A native of Montreal, Msgt. Dionisios H. Nicholas joined the United States Marines before gaining United States citizenship in 1987.  Dionisios deployed overseas multiple times through the 1990s and during the Global War on Terror from 2000 - 2003.  Dionisios suffered 3 major service-related spine injuries during his career.  Severe nerve damage forced his honorable discharge from the Marines in 2006.

As recipient of a Mission Continues Fellowship, Dionisios is continuing his service to his country by volunteering with the National Park Service at the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor, Hawai’i.  Dionisios volunteers as a full-time assistant park director to offer visitors an historical perspective of Pearl Harbor.  It has taken 2 years to recover, and he still suffers from chronic pain and numbness, but Msgt. Nicholas says he is now ready to “go forth and do good” once again.

	From left: CCL Chairman Eric Greitens, President George W. Bush, and Mission Continues Fellows Timothy Smith and Michael Boyd

CCL Chairman and Mission Continues Fellows Recognized for Service
On October 3rd, Center for Citizen Leadership Chairman Eric Greitens was awarded the President's Volunteer

Service Award. Greitens accepted the award alongside Mission Continues Fellows Tim Smith and Michael Boyd. The President's Volunteer Service Award program was developed to thank and honor Americans who, by their demonstrated commitment and example, inspire others to engage in volunteer service. Greitens said that he was "humbled and honored" to receive the award and credits the extraordinary effort of wounded veterans who continue to serve.

To view news coverage of the award visit KSDK.com
To read more about Greitens, click here
 

	Sonia Meneses, a 12-year Army veteran, has fun in the sun with children from the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentoring program. Sonia volunteers full-time at BBBS as a Mission Continues Fellow.

Wounded Army Veteran Continues to Serve Her Country - Here at Home
The Center for Citizen Leadership has named Sonia Meneses as its latest Mission Continues Fellow. As a Fellow, Sonia serves as a mentor and volunteer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville, Tennessee. An Iraq War veteran, Sonia was injured from an attack on her ground convoy in 2005, causing her to suffer from dizziness, temporary loss of consciousness, and almost complete hearing loss. Sonia's injuries, however, could not stop her from continuing to serve her country as a civilian.

Sonia describes her Fellowship experience as 'awesome'. "For the first time in a long time," says Sonia, "I've felt and believed that I could actually make a change in someone's life."

• To learn more about Sonia, click here
• Finding Inspiration by Helping Children in Tennessee, by Sonia Meneses