News & Events

If you strive to live a good life in all areas, journaling might be the next step to consider. Take a look at simple ways journaling can improve your life.

Now is the perfect time to join a local or national organization as a mentor to help make a difference in the lives of kids around the world. Check out these top reasons you should become a mentor today.

Spring break is a time for rest and relaxation, but it has the potential to be so much more. Ask your kids about causes they’re passionate about and try to line those passions up with a local organization.

Self-defeating thoughts can come when we least expect them and tear down our self-esteem and break our spirits. Stand up to them and choose joy instead with five ways to overcome self-defeating thoughts.

If you want your child to start on the right path, help them get involved in their community and start volunteering today.

Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in all that we do helps us develop a more informed and inclusive picture for different causes and issues at hand.

Take the time to find out how those around you like to receive gratitude, appreciation and love. You’ll find that meeting them with the love language they most appreciate will help strengthen your relationships.

Valentine’s Day can be much more than a holiday to spoil your loved ones. This February 14th, consider spreading the love in altruistic ways. Check out these tips to make your Valentine’s Day one to remember.

February is the month of love, and we’re not just talking about Valentine’s Day. Now is a great time to give back in any capacity for any cause you’re passionate about!

Living a positive lifestyle has more benefits than just “feeling better.” Focusing on positive thoughts can actually impact your overall health.

With a new year comes new opportunities to give back and do more good. Remember that there’s never a bad time to start giving back. Even if you fall off track, there’s always time to get back in the saddle.

The workplace is a space to get stuff done. However, it doesn’t have to be all about making money. In fact, the workplace can be a great place to give back.

Have no fear, because spring is around the corner, and warmer months are ahead. In the meantime, take as many steps as you can to boost your mood and help others along the way. 

Although the weather is cooling down, that doesn’t mean volunteer opportunities are also cooling! Use this season to participate in activities made for the colder months.

The new year is right around the corner, and with a solid altruism plan, you’re sure to have the most successful giving year yet!

SBF in the news!

Thank you to SBF graduates, Jeff & Tilly for giving this wonderful interview on FOX 10 Phoenix. If you didn't get a chance to see it when it aired live, please take a couple minutes to check it out now.

This giving season, give more than just stuff to your friends and family. Give the gifts of experiences, charitable giving, delicious food, your time or something handmade.

On December 7, 1941 service members and civilians lost their lives on the Pearl Harbor Naval Station. Today we honor and remember them, their families and the survivors.

Happy Holidays! It’s that time of the year when we find so much joy and peace and hope. As we celebrate whatever our traditions may be Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, Diwali, etc., we experience that child-like faith that everything will be alright.

For many veterans living with PTSD or TBI, these holiday seasons can bring a lot of anxiety and stress. What most of us see as a joyous season with family gatherings and celebrations, for the veteran struggling it can be a trigger of remembering those battle buddies lost during deployment or heighten their sense of loneliness and isolation.

This is why the work we do at Soldier’s Best Friend is so important. A service dog can help relieve those symptoms triggered because of PTSD or TBI. The trusting relationship formed between veteran and dog can truly help a veteran through seasons of anxiety, depression, isolation and loneliness.

So, during this season of giving, won’t you consider making an end of year gift to Soldier’s Best Friend? Your gift will help us provide more veterans living with PTSD or TBI with the tool of a service dog to help them through the toughest seasons of their lives.

Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays from the staff and board at SBF!

Mixed-breed dogs offer genuine companionship as well as several other benefits that could make them a perfect fit for your family.

This #GivingTuesday there are many ways to support our mission of #touching2livesatonce. Here's our Top 5:

1. Donate - From sponsoring a team to sending supplies from our Amazon wish list, there's a way for everyone to donate. https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/151GGEUF9T532?ref_=wl_share

2. Foster - Care for one of our dogs in the time between coming out of the shelter and moving into a veteran's home. Learn more at https://soldiersbestfriend.org/how-to-help/foster.html

3. Volunteer - Our volunteers do everything from administrative tasks to lending a hand at events. Let us put you to work! Learn more at https://soldiersbestfriend.org/how-to-help/volunteer.html

4. Share - Forward our newsletter to your friends and share our posts on social media to spread the word about Soldier's Best Friend.

5. Subscribe - Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter at https://soldiersbestfriend.org/news-events/mailing-list.html

From our SBF family to yours, we wish you a peaceful day filled with family, football and great food. Happy Thanksgiving!

Positivity is something you may not always possess, but there are ways to bring it into your life. Surround yourself with positive people, and remind yourself of the positive things in your life and the positive qualities you have.

On November 30, support your local businesses and discover hidden gems in your town.

On this day we celebrate the women and men who have bravely served our nation and fought for our freedoms. Today, and everyday, we thank all veterans for their service, strength and sacrifice.

Have you thought about how you will express your appreciation for veterans this Friday? If you need some ideas, here are 8 ways to say thank you to veterans on Veterans Day.

When times are hard, it’s important to move forward and do what you can for others. Above all, open yourself up to listen and try to better understand the situation from your friend or loved one’s perspective.

November is a wonderful time to recognize your blessings and give thanks for them.

Autumn’s beautiful weather and fun holidays make it easy to find volunteering opportunities in your area. We’ve come up with a few ideas to get you started.

Although there are a ton of heavy issues going on in the world today, nonprofit organizations are a bright spot in the world, helping to provide relief and aid to a variety of important causes.

Since the weather is cooling down, you can add a little sunshine and warmth to a stranger with these simple ideas.

The impacts dogs have on our mental and physical well-being is fascinating! We recommend checking out the article by clicking the link above.

Today we celebrate the United States Navy's 247th birthday! On this day we recognize & honor the brave men & women - past & present - who have served our country.

October 10th is World Mental Health Day, which aims to raise awareness for mental health issues and support efforts. Consider celebrating this day by:

- Checking on someone you care about who has been struggling. Offer to help them with a task that is difficult for them (cooking, cleaning, etc.) or offer to just be there for them and listen to them.
- Volunteer your time at a local crisis center.
- Donate to an organization in your community.
- Educate yourself on mental illnesses! There are many resources available.
- Practice self-care.

Stumped on creative inspiration? We’ve got you covered. Check out our list of Halloween fundraising ideas for your favorite nonprofit.

There are plenty of ways you can support fair-trade producers and organizations. Here's a list to give you some inspiration on how to incorporate the fair-trade movement into your life.

Journaling can not only improve your personal life, but it can also improve your altruistic focus. As it turns out, regular writing in a journal has a lot of surprising mental and emotional health benefits.

SBF trains psychiatric service dogs for combat-veterans who often express having suicidal ideations before coming into the program. Studies have found that when matched with a service dog, veterans living with PTSD do better with their emotional well-being and overall mental health in addition to experiencing reduced symptoms of PTSD.

A service dog might not be the solution for everyone, but if you are having suicidal thoughts and need help, please reach out. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available to everyone by calling or texting 988.

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Whether you choose to volunteer your time, get involved in the community or even commit time to strengthening your relationships, living an altruistic life provides many ways to impact others around you. 

We honor and remember the lives lost, the sorrow we felt and the strength of a nation coming together. We will never forget.

Showing a little encouragement is an easy way to make someone’s day, and we’ve come up with a few ideas on how you can do so.

We hope you have a happy and safe Labor Day!

September is National Suicide Prevention Month which means spreading awareness about this often stigmatized, and taboo subject. The goal is to ensure individuals, friends and families have the resources they need to seek help.

For service members and veterans in crisis, the Veterans Crisis Line is there to help by dialing 988 then Press 1. You can also text 838255 to connect with a VA responder.

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Life has been hard lately on us all, but September is National Self-Care Awareness Month. It’s a month dedicated to checking in with yourself, being kind to your inner monologue and truly making sure you get what you need to fill up your cup.

Take some time this week to think of a way that you can make a difference in the lives of others and go do it!

Good Works Grant Writing is elated to congratulate our client, Soldier’s Best Friend (SBF), for being awarded a $150,000 Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program (WWSPD) grant from the Uniformed Services University. WWSDP funding will support SBF’s 2022-23 Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Training Program for 20 Arizona military veterans who are living with the disabilities of combat-related Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Participating veterans work with SBF’s professional trainers until their matched canine qualifies for service or therapeutic companion dog status – a process that takes a minimum of six months. By reducing PTS/TBI symptoms, SBF provides veterans a path to regain a sense of security, productivity, and self-sufficiency.

Taking the first step to volunteer or get involved with an organization is hard, but these steps can help you dive in!

Back-to-school time can be a learning experience for everybody, even if you don’t have school aged children. It’s a time to remember that no matter where you are in life, you can continue to learn!

Soldier's Best Friend is now an Arizona Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO)! This means you will receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit on your AZ state return, up to $400 for individuals and $800 when filing jointly. Just use QCO code 22497.