The Coast Guard Foundation strives to help Coast Guard men and women strengthen their service to our nation by encouraging them to excel, on-duty and off. The motto of the Coast Guard Foundation is “rescue the rescuers.”

The foundation is providing relief to families when a loved one dies in the line of duty. “Rescue the rescuers” is providing funds when a natural disaster strikes and a Coast Guard member loses his or her possessions.

But the organization is much more—it’s making a difference in the lives of Coast Guard members and their families in small, high-impact ways. It’s an educational grant to help bridge the gap between what the GI bill and tuition assistance cover; recreation and sporting equipment to boost their spirits and provide a safe, healthy place to workout and stay in shape when underway; distance learning centers to connect Coast Guard members to institutions of higher learning; and playgrounds on air stations for Coast Guard families to gather and play and develop a sense of community.

The Evergreen Fund is the Coast Guard Foundation’s signature program for providing education, health, morale, wellness and recreational support to the Coast Guard. The fund reaches all nine of the Coast Guard’s districts—at bases, on cutters and at small stations throughout the nation. The program works because Coast Guard members on the ground, in the area, identify what they need to fulfi ll the fund’s goals. Coast Guard members decide what makes their units better and the foundation provides the funding to make it happen.

To find out more about how you can help, visit the Foundation’s web site at www.coastguardfoundation.org.