Cities and Counties

The Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Program is a growing network of cities, counties, and states working to find local solutions to better serve military and veteran caregivers.

To date, nearly 200 cities, counties, and states have taken the pledge to raise awareness, encourage self-identification, and increase support for the hidden heroes in their communities.

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Our Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties

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How to Become a Hidden Heroes City or County

What began through the Hidden Heroes Campaign, Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties has culminated into a grassroots movement to engage with leaders at the local level to raise awareness about the issues military caregivers face, bring critical resources to our nation’s “hidden heroes” caring for wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans, and connect military caregivers with changemakers to address the issues impacting their community.

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation recently hosted our Annual Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Summit where we celebrated, recognized, and engaged the 200+ committed Hidden Heroes Cities, Counties, and States who have pledged to support military and veteran caregivers in their local communities. The summit convened city, county, and state leaders for an update on the progress of the Hidden Heroes program over the last year and showcased new resources and solutions to help our nation’s hidden heroes.

Watch the recording to hear from key partners on the ground as they pave the way for caregiver support and learn about innovative new opportunities from Comcast and AARP that uplift caregivers while giving insights on how to work with partners to build local systems for caregiver support.

I Am A Caregiver Campaign

Piloted in Michigan, the I Am A Caregiver Campaign seeks to promote the self-identification of our nation’s 5.5 million hidden heroes, some of whom might not know they are caregivers. Throughout 2022, the campaign will expand to additional states.

Be on the lookout for materials to share with your community!

Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Connection

Learn all about the latest news in the Hidden Heroes communities through our quarterly Hidden Heroes Cities and Counties Connection Newsletter. Download it here!

Resources and Tools from Our Partners

Comcast NBCUniversal offers service members, veterans, caregivers, and their families opportunities to critical access to internet and telecommunications. Comcast has partnered with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for years to provide critical telecommunication support to veterans, caregivers, and the communities working to serve them.

AARP has worked side by side with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to support caregivers in their homes, workplaces, and through emerging opportunities such as respite relief. As the one of the largest nonprofits in the country, AARP provides critical resources and services to caregivers in nearly every state.

Since 2019, the National Association of Counties (NACo) has worked with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to encourage counties to pledge support for military and veteran caregivers.

What’s Happening in Your Community?

How is your community celebrating military and veteran caregivers? We’d love to hear about events, activities, or other caregiver supportive initiatives taking place in your community. Your submission might even be featured in an upcoming Hidden Heroes newsletter!

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Thank You to Our Partners

Thank you to our leading partner, Comcast NBCUniversal, and AARP for making this possible.

Contact

For more information, please contact [email protected].