Today we’d like to introduce you to Xiomara Spadafora.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story began in 2005 when I arrived from Colombia with a Green Card in hand, seeking career opportunities and safety. The United States gave me both in abundance, deepening my gratitude for this wonderful country. I put down even stronger roots when I married the love of my life and welcomed my precious son, Gabriel, who is now 15.
With a degree in communications and journalism, I have built a successful career in a totally different industry; two decades in property and casualty insurance and payroll services. I spent fourteen years as VP of Operations at Zellner Insurance Agency and now I serve as Chief Operating Officer at Procomp Payroll Services.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, I found a love for golf and the positive impact it has on mental health. Later, my husband and I witnessed a series of extraordinary events that made us grow to deeply admire the courage and dedication of our nation’s servicemen and women. So, on January 8, 2020, we decided to give back by starting the Will of Iron Golf Foundation for Military Vets.
Our mission is removing the barriers and creating a welcoming place for our nation’s warriors and their families within the golf community. While I’m proud of the growing number of beneficiaries—our near future goal is to reach 300—I’m even more proud of the vibrant community of veterans and supporters who share a passion for golf and a love for our country.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Building something from the ground up takes a lot of work, but when your heart is in it, the struggles don’t matter. You don’t truly realize what you’ve accomplished until others point it out. Every time our beneficiaries say, “you saved my life,” it’s humbling, and I pray to God for the strength to keep growing our mission.
To do that, we need more funding, but as a small organization, we just don’t have the manpower to apply for time consuming grants. Our entirely volunteer staff is literally just my husband, a couple of volunteers, and me.
We rely on small corporate donations and our annual golf fundraiser during the first week of November to honor Veterans Day. If you’d like to join us as a sponsor, we’d be happy to have you! Check the info https://willofironforvets.org/sponsors/
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Will of Iron Golf Foundation for Military Vets?
Over the past six years, we’ve provided golf clubs and private lessons to almost 300 military veterans, their spouses, and children, investing over $120,000 in equipment, supplies, and instruction.
We have two programs: The Will of Iron for veterans and their spouses, and the Birdies of Eagles for their children ages 7 to 17 serving the north Florida counties Duval, Clay, St Johns, Nassau, and Baker.
Even though we are a small organization and operate without any payroll, we can proudly assure our donors that their contributions only support honorable veterans as each applicant undergoes a meticulous vetting process.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
One book in particular has guided my understanding of PTSD, “The Body Keeps the Score. Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D.
I’m not very tech-savvy, but I love using the Imagine tool of Grok for our social media videos.
Pricing:
- The golf set and two private lessons for each Military Veteran, spouse, or children averages $500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://willofironforvets.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willofiron4vets
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willofiron4vets
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xiomara-spadafora-952497ba/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Xiospady2008
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC00U0V4wxS1SHC_lWoo7eiw
- Other: https://willofironpodcast.buzzsprout.com
