What the Center's Work Means to Me
By Tim Smith, Mission Continues Fellow

The Center for Citizen Leadership has given me the opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than just myself.  I live with my family in St. Louis, MO, but I am privileged to now have an extended family all around the nation, for the second time in my life.  I don’t look at my PTSD and chronic conjunctivitis as a disability but as an opportunity.  I hope to show my two sons, Timmy and Tyler, and other veterans, that even though we face challenges in life, we can still excel and have a lot to offer. 

The Center has given me the chance to provide real services to the less fortunate, and to not just talk about the problems our society faces today, but to battle them, head on.  To me, the Center is not just about veterans giving back to the community, it is much more.  It is about setting a positive example for our children and for future generations. They will be the leaders of tomorrow.  The principles of the organization are everything I hope to instill in my children; morals, ethics, leadership, and selfless service.

There is not a day I don’t think about my buddies Karl Eason, SSG Patterson, Norman Darling, Antoine McKinnzie, and the many others who paid the ultimate sacrifice.  They were fathers, brothers, husbands, and warriors that loved their families, buddies, and country.  I just want to thank the Center for Citizen Leadership for not only allowing me to be part of the organization, but for embracing my entire family.

Thank you for making my Fellowship possible.

Sincerely,

Tim Smith
Mission Continues Fellow