Redmond military caregiver receives honor

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation announced Tuesday the selection of military and veteran caregiver Christa Cox of Redmond, Ore. as a 2016 Dole Caregiver Fellow.

The Foundation’s Fellowship program is a nationwide initiative that gives a voice to military and veteran caregivers who have volunteered to serve as advocates and ambassadors for the 5.5 million spouses, parents, children and other loved ones caring for our nation’s wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.

“When Christa’s husband Tony, an infantry member of the Oregon National Guard, was injured in Iraq, her whole world changed overnight,” the foundation’s profile said.

“Tony was the only member of his unit who did not come home after the deployment, remaining in the hospital for seven months,” it said. “Christa was someone who had everything planned out and now she was in a situation she knew nothing about and had very little in the way of resources, information, and support. Living in a rural area of a state with no active military base made it even harder to find help and support not just for her husband, but for herself.”

“Christa hopes that as a Dole Caregiver Fellow she will have opportunities to bring more support, resources, and help to her community and the rest of her state. She also hopes to be able to share her story and all she has learned over the years to help other caregivers, veterans, and families,” concludes Cox’s story, posted here on the Foundation’s website, along with information about the other caregivers selected for this prestigious program.

The Dole Caregiver Fellowship is one of the Foundation’s principal programs for raising awareness and driving change for America’s military and veteran caregivers.

In 2015, the Dole Caregiver Fellows provided insight and advice about the serious challenges encountered by their peers during face-to-face meetings with the White House, Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 100 Members of Congress, and dozens of leaders in the private, nonprofit, and faith communities.

“The stories and experiences of our Dole Caregiver Fellows are at the heart of our Foundation’s work,” said Senator Elizabeth Dole. “These caregivers contribute critical first-hand perspective and knowledge, and their personal experience serves to strengthen the work of the Foundation and our partners.

“I am grateful for these individuals who have found it in their hearts to extend themselves beyond the challenges of caregiving to shoulder the responsibility of acting as a voice for their peers, our nation’s hidden heroes.”

The 2016 Fellows join the Foundation as it prepares to launch the Hidden Heroes Campaign, a major national awareness initiative chaired by actor Tom Hanks.

They will also pick up on the work of last year’s Fellows, who helped the Foundation launch seven impact councils around the most urgent caregiver issues, and advised the creation of new online training courses and respite care resources.

They will also continue the advocacy efforts of their predecessors, who, by raising awareness on Capitol Hill, inspired two pieces of legislation and saw the approval of $605 million dollars for the VA’s Caregiver support program. This $50 million over the requested budget was a major victory for the caregiver community.

Together with the 2015 class of caregivers, this year’s Fellows represent nearly every state and territory. Their stories demonstrate the myriad challenges encountered by military and veteran caregivers, such as difficulty navigating complex benefits systems, lacking adequate caregiver training, and suffering moderate to severe emotional distress, financial strain and familial turmoil.

About The Elizabeth Dole Foundation

The mission of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation is to uplift American military and veteran caregivers by strengthening the services afforded to them through innovation, evidence-based research, and collaboration. Read more about the Foundation headquartered in Washington, DC at www.elizabethdolefoundation.org.