Atlantic Cares supports St. Christophers

Sometimes when people are called to serve a cause through a nonprofit, it’s a spiritual or emotional calling. With Shannon Currier, it was both: a literal phone call about ten years ago from a church friend changed everything. 

“She was retiring and called me and said, I know you’ve been wanting to do something different, and offered this position at St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund ,” Currier said. “I started out as an operations manager and have been doing fundraising for nine years and I love it. Drivers are such generous people. They’ll give you the shirt off their back if you need it.” 

St. Christopher Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF) is a nonprofit truck driver charity that helps over-the-road semi-truck drivers and their families when an illness or injury has caused them to be out of work. Assistance usually comes in the form of direct payment to bill providers for expenses like rent, mortgage, utilities, vehicle payments and insurance. 

“We’re trying to make sure drivers don’t lose everything they have while they are recovering,” Currier said. “Paying their bills directly to the bill holders takes the stress off the driver and keeps us accountable.” 

In 2022, SCF helped 286 truck drivers by paying nearly $500,000 in bills for out-of-work drivers. The organization has helped 3,793 drivers with $4.58 million in bills since its founding in 2007. 

The second half of SCF’s programming focuses on health and wellness programs for drivers in hopes to prevent medical issues. Studies have shown that more than 70% of the 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S. have one or more serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes, sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease. In response, SCF runs a diabetes prevention program, free flu, pneumonia and shingles vaccines, a smoking cessation program and more. 

SCF is a recent recipient of the Atlantic Cares program donation given monthly by Atlantic Logistics. 

Currier said the nonprofit gets about 40 applications a month for assistance. SCF has six staff members and a volunteer board of directors. In 2023, SCF expanded its health offerings to include prostate cancer screenings. Volunteer drivers help inform SCF what truckers tend to need most, which is invaluable information. 

“Awareness of our group is one of our biggest challenges,” Currier said. “Odds are you know someone or you have a friend who knows someone in the transportation and supply chain industry. I want these people to know this organization is here in case you need it.” 

Currier said the 2023 fundraising goal sits at $1.3 million,. Corporations and groups can sponsor donations and individuals can sign up to be monthly donors on the website. 

Next year, Currier said she hopes to increase the fundraising goal to $1.4 million, bring on ten new corporate sponsors and secure 25 new monthly donors so SCF can expand its cancer screening programs. 

The most important thing to note is drivers are doing the hard work to recover, Currier said. SCF just gives them the information and means to get there. 

“We have drivers who haven’t seen normal bloodwork numbers in years who are able to come off medications now,” Currier said. “They’re more mobile, they feel better. We had someone become tobacco-free after struggling for years. We’ve found it’s easier when you have a cheerleader team.” 

Currier said there are not many organizations that exist to support drivers in this way, so any donations to St. Christopher’s makes a significant difference. 

“People tend to overlook drivers, but this country would literally shut down without truck drivers,” Currier said. “These men and women are choosing to live a lifestyle a lot of us would not be willing to live. They’re parents and husbands and wives, too, and they are trying to get home safe just like we are. Give them a little more respect on the road.” 

‍Click here for more information about St. Christopher’s Trucker Relief Fund. Donations can be made online in a variety of ways. 

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ABOUT ATLANTIC LOGISTICS

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Atlantic Logistics provides expedited truckload and partial service on flatbeds, stepdecks, lowbeds, vans, and reefers throughout the United States and Canada. Moving over-dimensional/over-weight freight with specialized equipment, Atlantic Logistics is an approved Department of Defense and General Services Administration broker, qualify as a woman-owned business, and are members of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), and the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA).

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