The Log Book is a weekly rundown of human-interest stories related to the transportation industry. This week: St. Christopher reports its 2022 charitable progress, Operation Lifesaver delivers funds to 11 states and FedEx partners with Social Motion for Autism Acceptance Month.
St. Christopher releases 2022 progress report
Non-profit organization St. Christopher Trucker Relief Fund (SCF) released its fundraising and program progress this week, highlighting a number of ways the group has provided relief for trucking families and various health and wellness demographics.
In Q1 of 2022, the organization helped 78 drivers and raised $188,734 for various programs.
SCF noted it has helped about 19 drivers struggling with cancer, 14 with heart issues, 14 with COVID complications, nine with bodily injuries and four who experienced seizures or strokes that kept them off the road for an extended period of time.
About 49% of those expenses have gone to helping with direct rent or mortgage payments, 10% towards insurance, 12% towards utilities and 29% toward vehicle payments.
The non-profit also noted that its “Rigs without Cigs” program has a 40% success rate and has helped 156 drivers quit smoking and 144 drivers cut their tobacco habits in half.
Since starting its “Driving Down Diabetes” program last year, 12 drivers have completed the year-long program, with a total of 218 pounds lost. The program now hosts 16 new drivers who started the 2022 program in mid-January.
“St. Christopher Fund has the best and most generous supporters. From our longtime supporters, monthly donors, corporate sponsors and in kind sponsors – each one is truly a superhero for our highway heroes,” said Shannon Currier, SCF’s director of philanthropy.
“We are now receiving around 35 applications each month and paying out approximately $50,000 on behalf of those applicants, so every dollar makes a difference at SCF. Not only are homes being saved and utilities kept on, we are also making an impact on driver health through our free health and wellness programs,” she said.
SCF was founded in 2007 by John McElligott, Michael Burns and SiriusXM Radio hosts Dave Nemo.
Operation Lifesaver awards $200,000 to state safety campaigns
In partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), non-profit public safety organization Operation Lifesaver (OLI) announced on Wednesday it will be sending $200,000 in grants to 11 states to fund rail crossing safety programs and Rail Safety Week projects, which takes place from Sept. 19-25.
“Keeping people safe is the U.S. Department of Transportation’s No. 1 priority,” said FHWA deputy administrator Stephanie Pollack. “The Federal Highway Administration is proud to support the work of Operation Lifesaver by providing funding for highway rail crossing safety efforts across the United States. And in the years to come, communities across the country will be able to improve safety where rails and roads meet, thanks to funding provided under the bipartisan infrastructure law.”
States were approved for grants for a variety of safety education initiatives including updating rail crossing safety videos, digital ad campaigns, geofencing programs that target ads at railroad crossings, and multilingual advertising content.
States receiving the grants include California, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
“OLI state programs submitted many creative and outstanding applications for competitive crossing safety public awareness grants this year,” said OLI Executive Director Rachel Maleh. “OLI is grateful for our continuing rail safety partnership with FHWA, and for the grant funding that makes these safety projects possible. Together, we can stop tragedies.”
FedEx honors Autism Acceptance Month
Multinational shipper FedEx announced its continued partnership with Houston-based non-profit Social Motion to shine a light on the estimated 3.5 million Americans with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Autism Acceptance Month, which takes place in April.
Social Motion’s Transition to Employability Center helps match adults with ASD to various employers while providing training where they may lack in skills. Since 2020, the non-profit has worked with FedEx to train and employ over 20 young adults with ASD at its ground facility in Cypress, Texas.
“FedEx is a perfect place for our young adults with autism, because they are the master at standardization of processes. We can train them to be masters on the daily workflow that happens at a FedEx ground site,” said one woman in ASD who works at the Cypress, Texas site.
Watch now: Lightening the load with the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund
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