Path of Purpose: Disaster Response with Team Rubicon

Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit, mobilizes over 160,000 skilled volunteers, including over 90,000 veterans, to provide natural disaster relief worldwide. Quite literally, serving communities in need wherever they are. From a glacial flood in Alaska to the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the Southeast, from Long Term Recovery operations in Kentucky to wildfire response in California. Identified by their signature ‘grey shirt,’ this organization is everywhere.

We are thrilled to announce the partnership between Team Rubicon and Oakley Standard Issue. Oakley Standard Issue has long been dedicated to all of our men and women in uniform. But we know, your service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.

The EPISODE

This episode features Don Beason, a former Air Force SERE instructor who found renewed purpose in aiding communities through Team Rubicon’s disaster response missions. Don’s journey reflects how veterans continue their service mission beyond the uniform.

The COLLECTION

We have launched a NEW Armed Forces Collection to mark this fantastic partnership. Featuring Holbrook and Heliostat, Oakley Standard Issue has created unique styles, each with a distinctive camo for each branch of service. The Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force are equally represented.

The INTERVIEW

We sat down with Matt Colvin, Team Rubicon’s Vice President of Development and Air Force veteran, to hear about the latest developments.

How has the mission of Team Rubicon grown over the years?

From the original 8 who self-deployed to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to now 180,000+ volunteers nationwide, the mission has stayed the same – leveraging the skills and experiences of military vets and first responders to deliver no-cost services to disaster survivors. What has changed is the service delivery and scale, which are all enabled through technology investments. Our volunteer management system allows volunteers to be notified of TR and TR-supported events in their community, presenting them with a seamless opportunity to sign up and impact someone’s life. 

What’s the biggest asset of your team of Veterans at Team Rubicon?

Our people just went to different schools – the Air Force, Marines, etc. – and the military spent millions on training them to be subject matter experts in their fields. TR has found a unique way to leverage those skills in the service of disaster survivors. It’s truly a network of do-gooders representing nearly every county in the U.S. building the 21st-century volunteer firefighter corps. 

What are some of the most exciting opportunities for Team Rubicon?

I’m most excited about the inflection point we’re at right now. We’re probably the biggest nonprofit that not everyone knows about, but we are striving to be the smallest nonprofit that everyone knows about. 180,000 volunteers is significant, but I’m looking forward to a time when we have 1,000,000 people across the globe to call upon who are ready to serve their neighbors through Team Rubicon. From January 1, 2024, TR has run a local, community-serving event nearly 3 times daily on average somewhere in the country. We serve survivors and communities that never made the news cycle, and we do work behind the scenes years after the flood or help food banks get food off shelves and into the hands of vulnerable community members. This will only grow in 2025 and beyond. 

As a Veteran yourself what was the biggest challenge as you departed the military?

For the first 3 years after transitioning out of the USAF, I was too tough to admit that I needed a community that understood my military experience. It wasn’t until I was nearly drowning that I looked for a hand-up. I wanted to shed the military, but I hadn’t found the right outlets for me to channel my experience, which ultimately allowed me to serve again in a different capacity. I found that calling in veterans’ advocacy with IAVA and making legislative changes in suicide prevention and access to care. I found my true calling in Team Rubicon, having been homeless for 4 months after Hurricane Sandy and now having the privilege of leading the fundraising machine that fuels a mission helping 2.5 million people in 2024 alone. 

How can people get involved?

Please visit teamrubiconusa.org to find out how you can get involved. You can fund our work across the country or the globe. If you’d instead roll up your sleeves, all are welcome to volunteer. We have opportunities to make a difference within YOUR community both actively in the field and from the comfort of your home. Signing up is easy and free. You’ll find a community here no matter where you live or what stage of your life. That’s the beauty of what TR has built. 

Team Oakley SI

Team Oakley SI is a dedicated division within Oakley, Inc. that is committed to serving the specific needs of the U.S. Military, Veterans, Government, Law Enforcement, Firefighters, and EMS professionals.

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