Atlantic Cares and St. Christopher

Of the 3.5 million truck drivers in the U.S, more than 70% have serious health problems, including obesity, diabetes, sleep disorders and cardiovascular disease. That’s where the organization St. Christopher’s Truckers Development and Relief Fund (SCF) is able to step in and help. 

SCF is a non-profit 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. 

The second half of St. Christopher’s programming focuses on health and wellness programs for drivers in hopes to prevent medical issues. SCF runs a diabetes prevention program, free flu, pneumonia and shingles vaccines, a smoking cessation program and is adding new programs each year. Now, at-home colon and prostate cancer screening kits are available, too. 

In May, the organization named Courtney Niemann as the new Executive Director. She has more than 25 years of experience in public health and is eager to bring her fundraising expertise to the position. 

“My biggest goal is to land a million dollar check,” Niemann said. “I want one of those big big checks and have it be a million dollars. I’ll put it on the wall in the office and put blinky lights all over it to show off what we did.” 

Niemann said the biggest challenge for the organization is they have limited funds and can’t help everyone who applies. She said even the smallest recurring donations help pay for prevention programs and healthcare items like scales, blood pressure cuffs and cancer kits.  

In 2024, St. Christopher’s helped 181 truck drivers by paying about $336,000 in bills for out-of-work drivers. The organization has helped about 4,100 drivers with $5.28 million in bills since its founding in 2007. 

This vital work is why SCF is the September recipient of the Atlantic Cares program donation given monthly by Atlantic Logistics. 

“We had one person who came in a few weeks ago and was diagnosed with cancer and they had no idea,” Niemann said. “It completely blindsided them as a family. They had exhausted all their resources, including churches and food pantries. It’s when we get those that we can help. We can’t do everything, but if we can help someone just from not being evicted that’s a win.” 

Applications vary -- sometimes SCF gets 10 applications for assistance in a month and sometimes it’s 40. But with so many truckers facing similar issues in the country, there is always a need for more assistance. 

Niemann said she wished more people understood that truck drivers are often living paycheck to paycheck, and they don’t get benefits like sick time. If they are not on the road, she said, they aren’t making money. They are in a hurry, because they have a short period of time they can drive before they have to pull over and rest. 

“One thing I’ve learned is to not cut them off, because in a car you’re little and you don’t want to cause an accident,” she said. “Our drivers are the backbone of our country, and we need them to get to their destination safely.” 

‍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

‍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), GrowFL (GrowFL), First Coast Manufacturers Association (FCMA), the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA), Women in Trucking (WiT), Laredo Motor Carriers Association (LMCA) and the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA).

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