Fundraising Campaign Supports First Responders

Earlier this year, WoodmenLife chapters came together to provide support for local First Responder organizations by participating in the Equipping Our Hometown Heroes campaign. Throughout April and May, WoodmenLife members were encouraged to donate to fire stations, police departments and other community support groups to purchase much-needed equipment. First Responder organizations can be underfunded, particularly the volunteer units, so members took it upon themselves to provide the funds to keep the First Responders well-equipped. In total, $491,478.40 was donated during this campaign.

One organization that benefitted is Project Lifesaver, based in Chesapeake, VA. This non-profit offers programs to law enforcement to protect and quickly locate individuals with cognitive conditions who are prone to wandering. People who are part of the program wear a bracelet or anklet that is a transmitter. If they wander or get lost, specialized search and rescue teams can track the frequency from the device and locate the missing individual.

One of the major costs of the program is the set up; it’s $300 per client. Then it costs $5 a month after that for battery replacement. According to Steven Kennedy, a captain in the Dinwiddie Sheriff’s Office, “Project Lifesaver is and has been a remarkable part of tracking and locating loved ones who may have walked away or wandered off from their home and become lost.”

To help offset some of those costs, Chapter 1 in Petersburg, VA, donated $1,000 to their local Project Lifesaver. Members knew how valuable this program is in saving lives and wanted to ensure vulnerable people in their area were safe, according to Community Outreach Advisor Marla Baker.

Campaigns like this highlight WoodmenLife’s commitment to family, community and country. We believe true heroes deserve more, which is why we pay $25,000 to families of First Responder members who die in the line of duty.¹

For more information on how WoodmenLife supports First Responders, please follow WoodmenLife on Facebook. To learn more about the WoodmenLife First Responder Extra, visit WoodmenLife.org/Extras/First-Responders.

1. An individual becomes a member by joining our shared commitment to family, community and country, and by purchasing a WoodmenLife product. $25,000 benefit applies to officially registered non-military First Responders. WoodmenLife Extras are not contractual, are subject to change and have specific eligibility requirements.

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