Dear Friends,
I’m delighted to have this opportunity today and throughout the month to welcome you to a unique community of extraordinary Americans — a community many may not realize exists. They are the spouses, parents, siblings and other loved ones devoting their lives to caring for our nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.
Several years ago, my husband, Bob Dole, was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for an extended period of time. During my visits to Walter Reed, I discovered these hidden heroes taking on extremely challenging roles caring for those who cared for us. Their journeys were complicated, consuming and, at times, emotionally overwhelming.
Upon Bob’s release from Walter Reed, I established the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to raise awareness and better support America’s military and veteran caregivers. We were determined to take an evidence-based approach to our mission; thus the priority became commissioning the RAND Corporation to conduct the first nationwide, comprehensive study of military and veteran caregivers.
Until the release of this report two years later in April 2014, our nation did not know that an estimated 5.5 million Americans had been volunteering their lives to tend to our wounded warriors at home, providing medications, arranging rehabilitation and preventing triggers which could set off an emotional response. And we had no way of calculating that their selfless choice provides upwards of $14 billion of uncompensated care annually, an astounding discovery considering the tremendous financial, legal, social, physical, and mental challenges also revealed in the RAND research. Many had taken on these extremely difficult roles in isolation, with little or no support.
This month, The Washington Times will open a window to the military and veteran caregiver community. Each day you will read stories of incredible resilience, love and determination. The caregivers you will meet are just some of the Elizabeth Dole Fellows who team with our Foundation as caregiver advocates, and I am eager for you to meet them and discover how truly amazing they are.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: A Month Long Salute to Wounded Warrior Caregivers
You will also read about members of another extraordinary group the Foundation has recruited – the broad National Coalition of prominent leaders and organizations from the public, private, labor, nonprofit and faith communities. We are working together to fill the gaps in policies, services and programs identified by the Foundation’s RAND report. Together, these partner organizations are helping us answer this societal crisis with a holistic national response. We will only solve these issues by working together in collaborative initiatives, and we are always ready to welcome more supporters. As you read on this month, I hope you are inspired to join us.
Of course, this exceptional opportunity to share the Foundation’s progress and honor the Caregiver Fellows would not be possible without the enthusiasm of the leaders at The Washington Times, who reached out to me with this wonderful idea. I am grateful they have enabled us to showcase our important mission and the individuals who are at its core. And I truly appreciate Booz Allen Hamilton and The Honorable C. Boyden Gray, who stepped forward to sponsor this special feature. They have been dedicated supporters of our hidden heroes and committed allies of the Foundation.
Please enjoy this special salute to our wounded warrior caregiver community. To learn more, or to offer your support, visit us at elizabethdolefoundation.org.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Dole
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