Give Tuesday time to help those supporting truck drivers in need

If you spend a lot of time on popular social media sites, you’ve undoubtedly seen your posts filled with ads for Black Friday sales. Black Friday – tomorrow – is traditionally considered the start of the Christmas shopping season. Some retailers open at midnight and offer the best deals of the year.

You may have seen promotions for “Small Business Saturday,” an American Express creation designed to encourage people to shop local, especially from small, independent businesses.

Less organized but no less popular is Cyber ​​Monday, when many people do much of their Christmas shopping online – many of them at work.

Finally, there is one special Thanksgiving day that may not have the profile of these three events aimed at encouraging people to buy, buy, buy. This day is Giving Tuesday, and as the name suggests, it is a day to think about donating to charities.

Giving Tuesday began in 2012 with the goal of encouraging people to do good and is now a global movement in 80 countries. In 2022, approximately $3.1 billion was donated in 24 hours in the United States alone, a 15% increase from the previous year and a 25% increase since 2020. As of November 29, 2022, 37 million adults contributed Gifts of time, voice, skills, goods and money, as well as countless acts of kindness inspired by the movement.

If you are moved by the spirit of giving and have the time, skills or resources, Giving Tuesday could be the ideal time to support organizations that help truckers and their families.

Here are some such organizations.

St. Christopher Trucker Relief Fund

This non-profit organization is perhaps the largest organization that helps truck drivers in many ways.

The St. Christopher Fund helps truckers who may be out of work due to injury or illness. The fund helps trucking families cover important monthly expenses such as mortgage, utilities, vehicle payments and insurance.

But beyond that, the St. Christopher Fund also offers a variety of services and programs that help improve the lives of truck drivers. This includes smoking cessation, free cancer screenings, diabetes prevention and counseling services.

The next generation in truck transport

Founded in 2021, the Next Generation in Trucking Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to promoting trucking as a positive career field; the creation and collaboration of career technical education programs at secondary and post-secondary institutions; and promote the training of young people in the trucking industry by connecting them with training and employment opportunities.

The organization works with educators to promote truck driving as a career choice for technical education and to educate school administrators, teachers and counselors, students and parents about the benefits and opportunities in the trucking industry.

Emergency helper for truck drivers

TEAR’s motto is: “We step up when they step down.” In practice, this charity, founded by three female drivers, comes to the aid of truckers who, for whatever reason, have been let down by their trucking company. TEAR volunteers ensure that the driver in need gets home with his belongings and his pets, if he has any with him.

In addition to making financial contributions, drivers and others can also volunteer to help TEAR fulfill its mission of ensuring no trucker is left alone in times of need.

Last mile of truckers

Founded almost 10 years ago, this organization helps truck drivers and/or their families during times when they may need help the most.

Truckers Final Mile helps trucker families whose loved ones may have died on the road, been struck by an unexpected illness, or been injured far from home. The charity can help cover the hotel and travel costs of an injured driver or assist with the funeral of a truck driver who died while driving.

Meals for 18 wheels

No trucker should go hungry, and this volunteer organization is making sure of that.

This is a simple process. A driver who needs a meal but doesn’t have money can contact the charity with their location. Then, Meals for 18 Wheels calls people near the rider who are willing to prepare a meal and deliver it to the rider in need.

Meals for 18 Wheels also ensures that pets traveling with the driver in need are fed.

Trucker Down

Founded by a former highway patrolman and federal agent, Trucker Down helps truckers and their families who have fallen on hard times through no fault of their own.

Trucker Down said it is accepting requests for assistance through its web portal, by email or by mail. Applications will be reviewed by the Board to determine the allocation of assistance to CDLA drivers or their family members, if applicable. When a trucker tragically dies as a result of an accident or medical issue while driving, Trucker Down is a resource for the driver’s family. Trucker Down is also a resource for drivers who may be experiencing personal hardship. These applications will also be reviewed by Trucker Down’s Board of Directors to determine appropriate support to keep our drivers healthy and mobile.

There are also trucker-related charities worth supporting on Giving Tuesday.

Trucker Buddy International

This innovative program connects truck drivers with teachers and school classes to promote literacy and cultural exchange. Truck drivers can exchange letters and photos with their “pen pals” and even visit schools in person. Not only do students learn about truck driving, but they also learn valuable geography lessons as drivers share notes from the road.

Operation Roger

Operation Roger helps transport lost pets and rescue those from shelters who are on the way to their forever homes. The pets drive to their destination together with the truck driver. The group is always looking for riders who would like to join. To donate, get involved, or simply learn more about Operation Roger, visit the organization online.