Provider Spotlight

Provider Spotlight    Cynthia Rudick, Ph.D.  Dr. Cynthia Rudick is a Give an Hour™ provider who works with veterans from all the branches of the services and National Guard in and around Canton, Ohio. A Ph.D. in counselor education with a background in marital and family therapy, she teaches as an adjunct in graduate counseling programs. She is also a professional mediator and arbitrator and raised two stepchildren who are now grown. Cynthia's experiences working with both Vietnam and Iraq war veterans have enriched her compassion for military clients. "They seldom have worked things through, often because of shame or pride. The young men and women who serve today were raised with the threat of terrorism beginning with September 11. For them the world is filled with people who do not value human life, and that's a fear-filled place to be." Cynthia's grandparents were originally from Poland and Russia, and she lost many in her family in the Holocaust, so she understands the existence of horror. Her first Give an Hour™ client was a young woman who had been diagnosed as having a mental health issue and was dismissed from Basic Training. The woman had volunteered in hopes of eventually getting money to go to college and because she was desperate for some structure in her life. "The woman was so needy. I told her, of course I will work with you but in return you must work with me." Cynthia, who has run Welfare to Work programs and Mental Health Centers, referred her to all the free services in the Canton community that she could think of as well as the Cleveland Hospital. She hopes the woman availed herself of their help. "I wish the military would assess these kids at the recruitment level," Cynthia says. "My client was not mentally healthy enough for the military. Because of the large National Guard presence, we also need family mental health services around Canton, especially for children and teenagers." Cynthia's second Give an Hour™ client was a woman whose son, an only child, had recently returned from his second deployment to Iraq and would not talk to her. The son was all the woman lived for. She had worked hard to support the two of them when he was growing up. "She told me, 'I'm a mental case because he is so withdrawn,'" Cynthia says. "I told her that she could come anytime to talk with me. The main problem," Cynthia adds, "is that these soldiers need to share their experiences with others who they can trust and who understand what they have gone through." Cynthia is an enthusiastic supporter of Give an Hour™ and hopes to work with more clients on the organization's behalf. "I understand how critical these services can be," she says. "So many of these young people have been unable to work their emotions through to the light at the end of the tunnel."

Fatigues To Fabulous

THE FASHION INDUSTRY JOINS FORCES TO SUPPORT OUR WOMEN VETERANS WITH THE FATIGUES TO FABULOUS™ CAMPAIGN - Give an Hour and the Society For Women's Health Research Unite to Support 1.8 Million Women Armed Forces Veterans via a Commemorative Watch by DKNYC to be Sold Exclusively at HSN- -Fashion Event to be Held during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Featuring Distinguished Women Veterans, Top Designers and Celebrity Friends-   DKNYC has designed the exclusive watch, featuring traditional military "dog tag" imagery with a stylish feminine twist.       The watch will be available in multiple color-ways (red, white blue, beige camouflage and brown camouflage) for $ 59.95 exclusively through   HSN.com starting August 19th and on HSN September 8, 9 and 11. Give an Hour will receive a portion of the proceeds for each watch sold. The inaugural F2F fashion event will be held at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) in Lincoln Center's Courtyard on Thursday, September 8, 2011, at 12:30 pm ET. This is a tremendous opportunity to leverage the power of fashion week with its glamour and media attention to shine a spotlight on the unique issues affecting these deserving women. The event will feature six women veterans, including Give an Hour's own Jennifer Crane, dressed by top American designers including Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. The event will honor their service to our country and recognize the challenges they face as they come home. These veterans will share their stories - so that our country will better understand their experiences and their needs. The event will end with a moving rendition of "Amazing Grace" by Anne Marie Faison, a U.S. Army veteran who served for 20+ years and retired in 2009 as a wounded warrior.

Give an Hour Partners with LHI to Better Serve our Nation’s Heroes

Give an Hour and Logistics Health Incorporated (LHI), a company which provides health care to U.S. Service members, recently teamed up to better address the needs of our nation’s heroes. The partnership allows Give an Hour to tap the marketing expertise and organizational resources at LHI to reach a wider audience of potential volunteer providers. Meantime, the arrangement allows LHI to extend an opportunity to Give an Hour volunteers to deepen their commitment to Servicemen and women by joining LHI’s nationwide provider network.


Based in La Crosse, Wis., LHI is dedicated to providing care for mission critical; offering the best in health care services to the men and women who keep America safe and running. With a nationwide provider network of more than 25,000, LHI offers both on-location and in-clinic services, and is currently looking for behavioral health providers to add to its workforce. Providers are compensated for their time and enjoy flexible scheduling and the opportunity to give back even more to our military.

LHI shares the same deep-seated commitment Give an Hour has to Service members who encounter difficulties post-deployment. LHI providers help identify potential Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, behavioral health and chemical dependency issues and refer Service members in need of follow-up care. Last year alone, LHI identified more than 300 Service members who indicated they had immediate plans to harm themselves or others, potentially saving hundreds of lives.

LHI has been awarded the highest honor given by the U.S. Department of Defense to an employer, the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award. In addition, LHI supports Veterans’ causes through generous planned giving, and is a proud supporter of Give an Hour. To learn more about LHI and how to join their provider network, go to www.logisticshealth.com. 

Source: LHI