Saving Lives With Counseling, a Card and a Cup of Coffee
BCBST STAFF | Feb 24, 2023
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Community Trust donated $31,000 total to the 5 organizations mentioned in this story.
The goal of the Community Trust is simple and straightforward: to support health-focused nonprofits that promote the well-being of all Tennesseans.
In total, the Community Trust donated more than $517,000 to Tennessee nonprofits in 2022.
If you’ve ever gotten a card in the mail, you know a small gesture can make your day. What you may not know, however, is that a card like that can save a life.
“We send care packages and handwritten cards to military veterans and service members all over the globe,” says Jessica Duke, CEO and founder of Friends of the Troops (FOTT). “But we also serve troops stateside, which is something few organizations do.”
Jessica’s goal is simple, if ambitious: to reach any veteran or service members who may have fallen through the cracks at other organizations. Judging by the responses they receive, she is succeeding.
“It’s not unusual for us to get an email saying, ‘I was having a really bad day and your package put a huge smile on my face,’” she says. “Or even ‘The card you sent saved my life.’ Letting these people know they’re not forgotten or alone is why we’re here.”
No unsung heroes
As someone who had previously volunteered with military nonprofits for years, Jessica saw that many needs were going unmet. There was a gap for troops stationed in remote locations as well as those serving at home but far away from family. So, in 2019, she founded Friends Of The Troops. Jessica decided to meet any need she could, by any means necessary — even if it meant, say, filling up a room in her house with supplies for the local VA hospital, which she did last May.
“When we get a gift, we make the most of it. We certainly didn’t expect to launch a nonprofit right before a pandemic!” she says, laughing. She then added, “In 2021, we functioned at 98% efficiency, which is almost unheard of. I’m very proud of that.”
Functioning at that level means that 98 cents of every dollar donated to FOTT last year went straight to the troops — including the majority of the $5,000 donated by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Community Trust.
The funds are used in myriad ways. Sometimes care packages filled with candy, snacks and socks are sent to Navy nurses in Guam. Other times, hygiene items go to combat medics in the Middle East. For some troops who have no families supporting them, these items boost morale. For others, they help offset costs.
“Service members are often on a tight budget,” says Jessica, “and they faced a lot of supply-chain issues during COVID. Using the BlueCross grant, we were able to give a lot of new military moms diapers and breast pumps. When we delivered them, several of the moms cried. To be honest, I cried!
“Every day of the year, there are troops overseas in some very dangerous, very remote locations. These people are serving their country, and it’s a privilege to help make their lives even a little bit easier.”
Helping right here at home
For Jessica, that mission is just as important here at home. One of the biggest gaps she saw with other nonprofits were the groups they didn’t serve, such as reservists, National Guard members and troops stationed at bases far away from home. These folks desperately need a supportive gesture, and it doesn’t always have to be complex.
“We recently had a National Guard member who received 42 cards for her birthday,” says Jessica. “She was overjoyed.”
Another group in need of a boost is veterans.
“I’ve met veterans who’ve said they’ve never before been thanked for their service — and these guys are in their 80s,” says Jessica. “For a lot of the general public, the military is out of sight, out of mind unless they’re in the news. But they sacrifice so much to protect our country, sometimes taking years away from their families. The least we can do is to remember and reach out to them when they do come home.”
Donations like the grant from BlueCross make that support possible, says Jessica, as well as the support of medics and nurses overseas and military families here at home. In addition to the monetary contribution from the Community Trust, BlueCross employees collected donations for FOTT care packages as part of the company’s year-end donation drive in 2021.
“It sounds like hyperbole,” she says, “but for some service members and their families, the support from BlueCross was literally life-saving .”