The St. Christopher Truckers Development & Relief Fund (SCF) announced it is now accepting scholarship applications for a $10,000 scholarship that will be awarded to a former professional truck driver whose medical problems led to being unable to drive a truck.
The award money will be used to fund an education at a college or trade school, according to the Chattanooga, TN-based organization. Applications will be
accepted through March 1, 2012, and the scholarship winner will be announced at the Mid-America Truck Show in Lousiville, KY, on Saturday, March 24.
This scholarship program is made possible by a $100,000 donation made by the National Assn. of Independent Truckers’ (NAIT) to the fund last March. The SCF board of directors voted to allocate $10,000 of the donation for the scholarship program.
“We often have applicants who will never be able to drive again due to a medical condition, such as being an insulin dependent diabetic,” said Dr. Donna Kennedy, executive director of SCF. “However, these individuals are fully capable of earning a living by other means. We want to help them along by offering an opportunity to go to school to learn another trade. We are excited to be able to broaden our mission of helping drivers in need.”
The SCF was founded in late 2007 as a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization. The SCF’s mission is to provide assistance to professional truck drivers whose medical problems have led to financial hardship. The SCF also conducts health research to benefit professional drivers and the trucking industry.
To date, the Fund has been able to provide over $178,000 in financial assistance to more than 430 drivers. Assistance has been in the form of direct payment for household expenses, prescriptions, and medical bills. Among other things, approximately 100 additional drivers were able to receive assistance in negotiating hospital/doctor bills, finding local resources, and with finding physicians to help them.
For more information about the SCF or to make a donation, visit www.truckersfund.org, send mail to P.O. Box 30763, Knoxville, TN 37930, call (865) 202-9428, or send an email to [email protected].
For more information about NAIT, visit their website at http://www.naitusa.comor call (800) 821-8014.
