HIDDEN HEROES

ET

H

H

B

T

IZ

A

IO

EL

N

ES

CA

O

RI

R

N

UR HIDD R O EN

E

G

FO

DOLE F

N OU

D

A

HIDDEN HEROES FAITH COMMUNITY TOOLKIT FOR MILITARY AND VETERAN CAREGIVERS

Elizabeth Dole Foundation C A R I N G

F O R

M I L I TA R Y

FA M I L I E S

are 5.5 million military “ There and veteran caregivers in the United States. Countless spouses, mothers, fathers, and other loved ones transform their own lives and set aside their careers to care for their wounded veterans at home. In most cases, caregivers begin this journey in total isolation, without any support.

The Hidden Heroes Campaign is our way of providing these selfless Americans with the help and recognition they deserve. - Senator Elizabeth Dole

“

”

As leaders of faith communities, we share a common mission that includes showing compassion and love for others. We are in a unique position to encourage our congregants to support the military families in our communities.

Military veterans and the loved ones who care for them make countless sacrifices to defend our freedom. We have a responsibility to ensure that along with our veterans, their caregivers – our country’s Hidden Heroes – don’t feel isolated and unsupported. Please use the information in this toolkit as a starting point to caring for the military caregivers in your congregation.

- Joel Osteen

”

ABOUT HIDDEN HEROES Hidden Heroes brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and seeks solutions for the tremendous challenges and long-term needs they face.

OUR GOALS 1

Raise awareness of the issues military caregivers confront every day

2

Inspire individuals, businesses, communities, and faith, civic, and government leaders to take action in supporting military caregivers in their communities

3

Encourage military caregivers to register at HiddenHeroes.org to better understand their needs and connect them to helpful resources and support

Learn more about the experiences of our nation’s Hidden Heroes, by watching and reading their stories.

TOOLKIT CONTENTS

Show Them The Way Ways to encourage military caregivers to raise their hand, share their story and find support.

5 Shine a Light Thought starters on ways your community can support military caregivers, including ways to engage your entire congregation and groups/ministries, as well as seasonal engagements.

8 Stay in Touch Information about the Hidden Heroes Faith Community on email.

11 Hidden Heroes Calendar

15

Opportunities to leverage national Hidden Heroes activities.

12 Spread The Word Social media messaging to post and share Hidden Heroes at key moments to raise attention about the needs of military caregivers.

13

Hidden Heroes / 5

SHOW THEM THE WAY The biggest challenge when it comes to providing services to military caregivers is identifying them. We’ve learned that many family members and friends caring for a wounded service member or veteran don’t believe they’re doing anything beyond being there for a loved one.

IF A MEMBER OF YOUR CONGREGATION... • Manages medication • Coordinates medical appointments • Provides emotional and physical support • Assists with activities of daily living • Advocates for proper treatment and care for a servicemember or veteran and does not receive compensation, then he or she is a military caregiver.

Due to many reasons, including a fear of appearing weak within the military community, many caregivers don’t ask for help, but they still need our support. Without preparation or training and a strong support network, they often struggle to care for their veterans and families. Additionally, sometimes military families are uncomfortable receiving help from faith communities with which they are not actively involved. Don’t let this discourage you from reaching out. Frame your outreach as a community effort.

15

Hidden Heroes / 6

HELP US IDENTIFY MILITARY CAREGIVERS IN YOUR CONGREGATION: 1

Guide them to HiddenHeroes.org to learn from the experiences of other military caregivers, search a vetted directory of valuable resources, and join a private community of fellow military caregivers.

2

Encourage military caregivers to join Hidden Heroes’ National Registry of Caregivers so we can better access their collective needs. If necessary, explain that their registration enables Hidden Heroes to advocate on their behalf and help direct resources to areas where they are most needed.

Email [email protected] to request a unique referral code for your congregants to include when they join the National Registry of Caregivers. When your congregants use the code, Hidden Heroes can provide you with a list of the military caregivers in your congregation who have signed up.

15

Hidden Heroes / 7

HIDDENHEROES.ORG HiddenHeroes.org is the centerpiece of the Hidden Heroes campaign. The site is a premier online destination for military caregivers. We encourage you to direct the caregivers in your congregation to the website as a first step. On the website, you can find:

Step Into The World of a Military Caregiver Step Into The World of a Military Caregiver provides military caregiver testimonials from across the country that share helpful information about the caregiving journey. Within each profile, caregivers have answered questions about how caregiving has impacted their lives and the challenges they face. Caregivers also identify resources that have been most valuable to them. You can search to find a military caregiver story in a variety of ways: branch of service, state, type of care recipient wound and much more. We show caregivers that they are not alone.

Vetted Directory of Valuable Resources Vetted Directory of Valuable Resources is a simple-tosearch directory of more than 150 of the nation’s best caregiver support programs. In order to qualify, each organization had to complete a detailed survey to better define its services. Resources can be located by a keyword search or by selecting filters from a list of 15 different criteria that include type of wound, type of help, and location.

Explore Our Community Explore Our Community is a safe and confidential online community exclusively for military caregivers. Caregivers can connect with peers and participate in Caregiver Q&As to share experiences and advice with those who’ve been there. This section also provides access to our private Facebook group open only to verified military caregivers, administered by Hidden Heroes caregiver employees.

15

Hidden Heroes / 8

SHINE A LIGHT Military caregivers dutifully and quietly care for those who serve our country. They sacrifice and persevere without complaint. Many congregants are probably not aware of the challenges military caregivers face.

HIGHLIGHT WAYS TO HONOR THEIR SERVICE: • Dedicate a sermon or service to raise awareness of military caregivers and their challenges. Use information from our RAND Study and caregiver stories from HiddenHeroes.org when writing your sermon.

• Use your congregation’s communications channels (bulletins/ newsletters, e-mail lists, social media and the pulpit) to reach out to military families and bring attention to the service and sacrifices military caregivers make daily.

• Extend your reach beyond your congregation by contacting your local veteran organizations such as The American Legion, USO centers, and VA hospitals (ask for the Caregiver Support Coordinator) to draw attention to your efforts. Contact organizations in the HiddenHeroes.org resource directory that are operating in your area and explain how you can help them achieve their goals.

• Be a convener for congregational members to meet to discuss creative ways to be more supportive to veteran families and/or offer military caregivers a place to meet and exchange ideas.

• Encourage military caregivers to share their challenges as a caregiver in front of your congregation.

15

Hidden Heroes / 9

MAKE A DIFFERENCE Identify the specific ways your congregation can volunteer to support military caregivers. Engage your active groups (youth groups, singles, men’s and women’s groups, newlyweds) to play an important role in supporting the caregivers in your congregation.

Like veterans, military caregivers don’t often ask for help, so you’ll likely have to ask them what they need. You can start by surveying the veterans in your community about how they wish they could help their caregivers. Before you launch any engagement activities, please make sure your military caregivers are receptive to the support. Ask them what they need. We have found military caregivers often request:

• A day of respite – caregivers have a critical need for a period of rest or relief from their caregiving duties

• Help with childcare • Meal preparation assistance • Counseling or a willing ear To learn more military caregivers’ needs, read our RAND Study

With these needs in mind, please use the ideas that follow as inspiration on ways to support them. 15

Hidden Heroes / 10

Congregational Engagement • Host a caregiver speaking event or series, where your Hidden Heroes can share their stories with fellow congregants.

• Establish an “Adopt a Military Family” program, where a civilian family can support a military family throughout the year and provide volunteer assistance, with an emphasis on respite care.

• Organize a “meal train” for military families during a particularly challenging time, such as a medical recovery.

• Raise money for a specific caregiver-focused project, such as purchasing a new piece of adaptive equipment to enhance the life of a military family.

• Encourage congregational members to stay informed by signing up at Hidden Heroes. The “Take Action” section provides specific ways individuals can get involved.

Group/Ministry Engagement • Organize “Respite Days” for military caregivers, giving them a few hours of rest from their caregiving duties. Treat them to a spa day or a camping trip.

• Lead a group/ministry for all caregivers (military and civilian) that meet at your house of worship and/or online. If there’s a need, organize a “children of military caregivers” or “children of military families” group.

• Encourage each group to plan an event to honor and support military caregivers. • Organize volunteer “Help Squads” to assist military caregivers and military families with tasks such as household or yard work, childcare, driving veterans to medical appointments, and providing respite to allow the caregiver to attend services. Ask the military families in your congregation about their specific needs and how you can help.

Seasonal Engagement Holidays are festive times, but they can also cause additional stress for military caregivers and military families. Here are some ideas to help ease their burden:

• Assist military caregivers with their holiday shopping list by caring for their veteran while they shop or offering to pick up some of the items on their list.

• Plan a meal or organize a gift drive for military caregivers and their families. • Bring your choir to military families’ homes to perform seasonal songs. 15

Hidden Heroes / 11

STAY IN TOUCH The ideas presented above are thought starters when it comes to ways to support military caregivers and military families in your congregations. You know your congregation best, so we encourage you to join our Hidden Heroes Faith Community on email and submit your ideas. This platform is an email message board to share best practices and form relationships with other religious institutions dedicated to supporting military families. To sign up, please email [email protected]

Ongoing Communications Take advantage of Hidden Heroes media opportunities to bring deeper awareness and understanding to the needs of military caregivers in your congregation. Use our public service announcements to showcase your congregation’s efforts to advance support for military caregivers. Join the Hidden Heroes Faith Community on email to be alerted when new Hidden Heroes events and campaigns are added throughout the year.

15

Hidden Heroes / 12

HIDDEN HEROES CALENDAR Here are some important times of the year for military families you may want to consider as you plan your efforts:

April Month of the Military Child

May Military Caregiving Month National Military Appreciation Month Military Spouse Appreciation Day 12th Mother’s Day 14th Armed Forces Day 20th Memorial Day 29th

June Father’s Day 18th PTSD Awareness Day 27th

July Independence Day 4th

September Hidden Heroes Storms DC

November National Military Family Month Veterans Day 11th

December Holiday Giving Season

15

Hidden Heroes / 13

SPREAD THE WORD Media Partnership Comcast NBCUniversal has adopted Hidden Heroes as a company-wide initiative. NBC News will bring momentum to our collective work by reporting on the unique challenges military caregivers face and showcasing innovative services/programs making a difference. If you have a national news story idea for Hidden Heroes, please submit to [email protected]. Please add “National News Story for HH” in the subject line. Make sure to include who from your congregation (religious leader and/or military caregiver) are available for media interviews and are comfortable on camera.

GUIDELINES FOR TWITTER • Always use the #hiddenheroes hashtag 
 • Always tag @DoleFoundation in any photo 
 • Tag your friends or our ambassadors (Twitter allows up to 10 people in a photo) 
 • When mentioning a person always use their @username so instead of saying “Thank you Tom Hanks” say “Thank you @tomhanks”, etc. 


15

Hidden Heroes / 14

SHARE #HIDDENHEROES ON TWITTER We encourage you to keep your message short and sweet (under 140 characters) and to use no more than two hashtags. Please include a link to HiddenHeroes.org.

• There are more than 5.5 million military & veteran caregivers in the US. Help these #hiddenheroes at HiddenHeroes.org

• Their voices are different, but they share a similar story. Meet #militarycaregivers and learn how to help at HiddenHeroes.org.

• Will you join @tomhanks, @RyanPhillippe and @dolefoundation to support our nation’s #MilitaryCaregivers at HiddenHeroes.org?

• #MilitaryCaregivers are heroes hidden in plain sight. Connect with this community to offer support and services at HiddenHeroes.org.

• Do you know #militarycaregivers that need help? Get tips & information on how to support them at the new HiddenHeroes.org!

GUIDELINES FOR FACEBOOK • Do not use Hashtags, instead use a link to the website www.HiddenHeroes.org • Always tag @ElizabethDoleFoundation in any photo • Tag your friends or our ambassadors (Facebook allows up to 10 people in a photo)
 • If comfortable, make the privacy setting Public
 • If you are part of a Facebook Group, also share the content there 


15

Hidden Heroes / 15

SHARE HIDDEN HEROES ON FACEBOOK We recommend including a visual element in your Facebook posts to complement your copy. This can come in the form of a graphic (see below), a link to HiddenHeroes.org or the one of our PSAs.

• There are more than 5.5 million military caregivers in the US. They don’t often ask for help, but they deserve our support. Learn how to help these hidden heroes by joining the community at HiddenHeroes.org Insert Graphic or PSA

• Their voices are different, but they share a similar story. Visit HiddenHeroes.org to learn about the lives of military caregivers and to find out how you can help. Insert Graphic or PSA

• The first step to helping our hidden heroes is learning about the challenges they face. Step into the world of military caregivers at HiddenHeroes.org. Insert Graphic or PSA

• Help solve the military caregivers crisis by registering to join the movement at HiddenHeroes.org. Insert Graphic or PSA

• They serve our nation by caring for our veterans. Military caregivers are heroes hidden in plain sight. Connect with this community to offer support and services at HiddenHeroes.org. Insert Graphic or Tom Hanks PSA

• As the campaign Chairman of the Hidden Heroes movement, Tom Hanks wants you to know that “There are millions of heroes who are caring for our wounded veterans each day.” You can sign up to support them by joining the community at HiddenHeroes.org. Insert Graphic or Tom Hanks PSA

• Are you a military caregiver who needs support? Visit HiddenHeroes.org to connect to a community that is here to help. Raise Your Hand, share your story, and find the services you need. Insert Graphic or PSA

• Do you know military caregivers that need help? Get tips & information on how to support them at the new HiddenHeroes.org! Insert Graphic or PSA

15

Hidden Heroes / 16

GUIDELINES FOR INSTAGRAM • Always use the #hiddenheroes hashtag 
 • Use multiple hashtags on Instagram because it’s the only way people can search. Example: #Veteran and #Veterans (almost 1 million uses each) #caregiver (50k) #TomHanks (160k) #Military (4,000,000) #America (16,000,000) 


• Always tag @ElizabethDoleFoundation in any photo 
 • Tag your friends or our ambassadors (Instagram allows up to 19 people in a photo) 
 • When mentioning a person always use their @username so instead of saying “Thank you Ryan Phillippe” say “Thank you @ryanphillippe”, etc. 


POST #HIDDENHEROES ON INSTAGRAM We encourage you to share the HiddenHeroes.org link in your profile bio and call it out in individual posts since Instagram does not currently allow clickable links in post copy. On Instagram, all posts will need to be accompanied by a graphic (see below) or a PSA.

• There are more than 5.5 million military & veteran caregivers in the US, and they all deserve our support. Find out how you can help our nation’s #hiddenheroes at HiddenHeroes.org

• Their voices are different, but they share a similar story. Meet #militarycaregivers and learn from their stories at HiddenHeroes.org.

• Join the #HiddenHeroes movement by stepping into the world of #militarycaregivers at HiddenHeroes.org.

• Are you a caregiver who needs help? Meet other #militarycaregivers and learn from their experiences by registering as a #HiddenHero at HiddenHeroes.org.

• Do you know #militarycaregivers that need help? Get tips & information on how to support them at the new HiddenHeroes.org!

15

Hidden Heroes / 17

SHARE GRAPHICS Download shareable #HiddenHeroes graphics here

PSAs Hidden Heroes has developed several PSAs to bring national attention to honor and support military caregivers. Your organization can use the PSA on your website, social media channels, newsletters and at events to heighten awareness of your commitment to military caregivers. Pastor Joel Osteen

Tom Hanks with military caregiver Jessica Allen, her husband Staff Sergeant Chaz Allen, and their two daughters Ryann and Deryn.

Ryan Phillippe with military caregiver Heidi Woodring and her husband, U.S. Army veteran Chris Woodring.

Download the :60 and :30 spots

Download the :60 and :30 spots Download the print PSA

Download the :60 and :30 spots Download the print PSA

SHARE, RETWEET, LIKE & FOLLOW US @DoleFoundation @ElizabethDoleFoundation @ElizabethDoleFoundation

15

Hidden Heroes / 18

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Tell us what your congregation is doing to support military caregivers, such as a call for registrations, a food drive, or an event in your community. Reach us on social media or email at [email protected].

THANK YOU