GySgt (Retired) Tee Hanible who grew up as a foster child and was later adopted, founded the organization “Operation Heroes Connect” while on active duty as a way to give back to the community in which she served. Operation Heroes Connect is a mentoring program and 5O1c3 whose primary mission is to partner volunteer military service members and veterans with at-risk youth.

OVERVIEW:

Established in 2011, Operation Heroes Connect as a mentoring program that partners volunteer military service members and veterans with at-risk youth in the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia areas. These military mentors help young people explore and access support, resources and opportunities necessary for them to make positive choices in their lives. “Service members and veterans of Operation Heroes Connect can and want to answer the call to help mold and shape young lives in our community,” says Hanible.

Along with this “big brother/big sister” type mentoring program, Operation Heroes Connect also spearheads an annual free summer camp for local youth who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend. Many of the military mentors as well as other service men and women work as camp counselors in order to support the more than 75-100 children enrolled in camp annually.

Since the beginning, Hanible and Operation Heroes Connect have operated a “30 Days of Giving” project that helps more than 900 local citizens Northern Virginia's homeless community Tent City with dinner services, clothing drives and food donations.

COMMUNITY:

Military members and veterans are the key members of Operation Heroes Connect’s community. “There is a critical need for service men and women to give back to their communities,” says Hanible, who has dedicated countless hours of service at places such as Brother Beeno’s soup kitchen and shelter for the homeless in Oceanside, CA; Alternative for Girls in Detroit, MI; Stand Up for Kids DC; and other community outreach organizations at various military assignments.

IMPACT:

Since it’s start hundreds of children have been impacted by the extraordinary work of Operation Heroes Connect. Young people have been able to reach beyond their current circumstances and pursue their dreams of completing high school, attending college and being productive citizens in their own communities.

INNOVATION:

Hanible’s military career allowed her to be innovative in creating her volunteer spirit. During her service in the Marine Corps, she was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom as a single mom. In 2012, Hanible helped to spearhead the Marine Corps’ first ever Youth Leadership Academy, which took place in Cleveland, OH with 250 of Cleveland's inner city youth.

HONORS AND AWARDS

Hanible is as decorated for her community work as she has been for her service in the Marines. She was the recipient of the 2014 Washingtonian Award; to date, she is the only service member to have been awarded this coveted title. In 2012, she was featured in the Newsweek Magazine “Heroes Edition” for her with Operation Heroes Connect both in and out of uniform.

TESTIMONY:

Says Candice Thomas, the mother of one of the children who benefit from the mentorship offered through Operation Hereos Connect, "Tee is a phenomenal person. She has opened doors for my son that I haven't been able to, and she's been able to provide parental and mentoring support when my work or school schedule got in the way. The active duty and veteran military personnel really take time out of their busy lives to include the children as family.

“I grew up as a foster child and was later adopted,” says Hanible. “I never truly fit in or knew who I was. I’ve turned my pain into helping and inspiring young people to reach their full potential just as others helped me. The moral to this story is to never let your current pain consume you; use it as a platform to reach your greatest calling!”