Health & Wellness with Lindsey Bryan

We sit down with Lindsey Bryan of the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund to explore how emergency financial aid pairs with free, practical health programs that help drivers quit tobacco, catch cancer early, and manage chronic risks. Small steps, flexible coaching, and real empathy show drivers a path to stronger, longer lives on the road.

• short‑term financial help for sick or injured Class A OTR drivers
• top driver health risks and why prevention matters
• Rigs Without Sigs structure and year‑long support
• weekly reduction strategy and handling cravings
• group classes via Zoom with recordings for flexibility
• at‑home colorectal, prostate, and new cervical screenings
• application steps, eligibility, and direct bill payments
• sponsors, grants, and the Virtual 5K for awareness
• practical habits for nutrition, movement, and sustainability
• where to start and how to reach the team

Go to truckersfund.org for more information or to donate. 

Transcript

Welcome And Series Context

SPEAKER_02 0:28

This is trucking with Tammy Way Journey's Heard, and your voice is free. You're not alone. Come share your story with me.

Meet Lindsay And Her Journey

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Welcome back to Truckin' with Tammy, everybody. Happy training Tuesday. This is week three of our three-part health and wellness series as we lay out the foundation for the full ELDT series ahead. We're here to help drivers build strong lasting habits and give them the tools to feel better and stay stronger on the road. So today we are going to talk about a resource for drivers when illness or injury strikes. St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. It's a nonprofit that's been helping drivers since 2007. So today we're joined by the person leading those health and wellness efforts, Lindsay Bryan. She's a health and wellness manager at the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund. She's the host of the Highway to Hope podcast and a true advocate for drivers everywhere. Lindsay, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:47

Thank you so much. That was quite the introduction. I'm honored.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

I like to give good intros when I do it. So, Lindsay, we have you and we have St. Christopher Funds, but let's start with you. If you don't mind, could you take us on your personal journey? What brought you into health and wellness? And then how did you end up at the St. Christopher Fund?

SPEAKER_01 2:09

Absolutely. You know, I had a really interesting journey that I think is what sparked my passion for all things health and wellness. I started out actually in the mental health field, um, working in drug and alcohol counseling, and then I transitioned into social work and um even did a little bit of inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation and so touched a little bit of everything there for a while. And um it was about that time that I truthfully, I think just the stress of working in that profession, even though I loved it, I loved every part of it, but it was stressful and it started to have an impact on my body, and I didn't know it at the time, but I had an autoimmune condition that was just wreaking havoc. And um, and so I had to make a pretty significant career change, and it led me into nutrition counseling, which sounds like a very big jump, but it's actually a lot of the same things. We're all dealing with the same demons, it's just affecting people in different ways, whether it's drugs and alcohol, or it's causing depression, or it's causing us to overeat or under-eat or have a unhealthy relationship with food. And so it really was much of the same. Um, but it was sometime after that I was diagnosed with chokrin's, which uh, for anybody that hasn't heard of it, similar to lupus, it just affects different organs, and it was really a driving point behind my own health and wellness journey of like foods fuel your body, right? And so um the company that I worked for, I love the work that I did, um, but they became a for-profit organization, and then eventually a franchise and things were just changing very drastically in a direction that I didn't love. Um, I believed in our mission, but it wasn't for me. And so I went on a journey for a nonprofit, and I landed with St. Christopher Fund, and I say this jokingly, but also with some seriousness. I knew it was the one when I went in for our interview, and it was just this little hole in the office, and the chairs were wonky, and we were just like this little two-room space. And I said, I know the money is going where it's supposed to be. This is where I'm meant to be, and here I've been for the last three years.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

That that's a great point because when you walk into a flashy building and they're in a high tower, you know the percentage of money isn't going where it needs to be. Um, so that it's great to hear that about St. Christopher. So, with your autoimmune disorder, you are battling a lot of the same things that you see daily with drivers. Does that help you be able to um work with them and shape the way that you support them?

Autoimmune Struggles And Empathy For Drivers

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Very much so, very much so. I've got drivers who are, you know, just struggling to get up and get moving and get that exercise started. And they talk about my joints hurt and my muscles hurt and everything hurts. And like I get that. I totally get that. And it doesn't mean that we've got to go join a gym and do some weightlifting. We can start slow, and it's gonna feel silly slow to begin with. Um, and so being able to kind of hold their hand through that journey and say, I get it, I've been there, I know what that feels like, and and still have days like that sometimes for myself. Um, I do, I think that makes a huge difference.

SPEAKER_00 5:40

So dealing with you and the the drivers, um, it's a lot on a person when they have their own battles to work day be filled with others' battle. What keeps you grounded and your outlet for that?

SPEAKER_01 5:56

I think it is really the little things when I get to hear about, you know, a driver accomplishing a health and wellness goal, no matter how small it is. Um, I get really fired up about that. Uh, and that's how I know, that's where my heart is at. When they tell me, you know, I've been avoiding going to the doctor for the last 10 years, but I went and got lab work because you asked me to. Yes, that is a huge victory in my book. Um, that means we now have important information to go off of and we can help prevent things for the future. And I get to see that day in and day out with improved lab work and people's blood pressure being within normal range and weight loss. And I could go on and on with all the different programs that we have, but I I fully believe that we are not only extending their lifespan, but we're getting them better quality of life with that time. Good, good.

SPEAKER_00 6:55

Yeah, I can imagine, you know, you deal with a lot of drivers in a difficult time for them, their journey, you know, because you get them after they're already struggling with their health. Um, and so I imagine, you know, dealing with that on a daily basis, um, and your own struggles that when you get off work, where what do you do to bring um a little bit more positivity and healthful thinking habits into your life?

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Yeah, absolutely. So I've got a son who's eight, and um he's also had some very unique health problems. He had something called neutropenia when he was younger, which is uh part of the white blood cells. He was almost entirely missing those. It was very uh equivalent to like somebody on chemo treatments, and so we had to be very cautious. And I fully believe that nutrition plays into helping the body to heal and recover, and so um, you know, I get off of work and I'm automatically thinking, okay, what am I making for dinner? And we're getting in our very lean protein and our veggies and our whole grains, and um anytime the weather allows for it, usually between cooking dinner and work, I'm out in my garden where I grow veggies that help to feed our family, and it's activity for me, and it's activity that I really enjoy, which is something I harp on with all of our drivers. We want it to be something that we enjoy and something that is sustainable, so it's gotta check both of those boxes, and um, that's part of how I sustain that for myself. So that's a lot of what keeps me going.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

Good. Healthy habits and sustaining are very important. And as a mom, we like to take care of our children and our family, and being able to plant our own garden, I can see, can be very emotionally satisfying with doing that.

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Very much so, very much so. My son loves to come out there with me, more so for the bugs and the critters. Um, but there's still some days where he'll help me plant and dig up things, and um, I think it's nice for him to know where food comes from and what it takes to grow it. And uh it's a labor of love, very much so.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

What's his favorite thing that you plant?

Small Steps To Build Sustainable Habits

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Oh gosh. Uh, I would probably save his strawberries um because that's one of the few fruits that I grow, but he loves uh picking the sugar snap peas. This is uh a really funny joke with him. I always set out his medications in the evening, and we've got a little dish that they go on. And when it's in the middle of gardening season, I'll put like a couple of sugar snap peas or you know, something that I've picked, and he takes that right along with like it's part of his vitamins and it's part of his medications, and um he doesn't think a thing about it, it's just he enjoys it, and that's part of it.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Yeah, my grandson he loves his vegetables, and uh my my youngest son is 18, and we have a video of him. He hated peas when he was and literally we have a video where he's trying to and he's he's just having this mental breakdown over peas. And my grandson eats them like they're candy, he just loves them, and I I think that's great um when they do that because you know there's so many kids who don't like their veggies, but they need them, and um, my daughter used to hide hers in her mashed potatoes, and sometimes crazy to be fair, but also it's nice when they find some that they like, and it is, it is so so for anyone new to the St. Christopher Trucker's Relief Fund, I'm gonna ask. I know when we were setting you up for this podcast today, the one thing you said was, Tammy, now I just want to reiterate St. Christopher's Fund is not a mental health resource, you know. Uh we don't do mental health, and that is a common misconception. So why don't you tell the listeners what the core mission of St. Christopher's is and how it all began, if you don't mind.

SPEAKER_01 11:02

Sure. Believe it or not, we actually have two core missions, uh, and one very much supports the other. So for drivers that are sick or injured and have gone out of work within the last year, it's got to be a class A CDL over-the-road driver. Uh, we will step in and help to provide financial support short term. And we can cover bills like rent or mortgage, utilities, vehicle payments, and insurance just to help get them on their feet. Um, and so that mission has been going strong for right at 18 years now, which is really amazing to think about. Um, what we found over a period of time, though, was that there was a pattern to why drivers were coming off the road. And if I narrow it down to the top five or so, it's cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attacks, diabetes, and diabetes complications like amputations. Um, and then there's this one kind of oddball of breaks and fractures. There's only so much we can do uh with those. But so out of that came our second mission if we want to try to proactively prevent those things. And at this point, we have now built an assortment of health and wellness programs that are completely free to class A over-the-road drivers that help to prevent each and every one of those, except for the bone breaks and fractures. Again, there's only so much we can do there, but we have got tobacco cessation, we've got preventative cancer screenings, we have the diabetes prevention program. Um, we've got just new programs coming all the time on top of what we already do as well.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

You have group sessions too, I believe.

Parenting, Nutrition, And Gardening As Therapy

SPEAKER_01 12:46

We sure do. Um, most of our um chronic disease management programs and our diabetes prevention program, I run them as a group, uh, and it's really to allow drivers to connect with other people that are going through similar challenges. Um, I describe myself as I'm gonna help to provide the knowledge about health and wellness, but they are the experts of their own body and their lived experiences out on the road. I don't live in a track day in and day out. And so they come up with all sorts of creative ideas that they can then share with each other. And I learn along the way too, which is a really nice part of that. Um, but it takes that group approach to build that camaraderie and the team effort and learning together. And I think that helps to support the learning environment.

SPEAKER_00 13:36

How does the group work? I mean, do you have sessions? Do you have like a Zoom meeting? How do you the drivers interact with each other with such a um drivers have a very heavy day? Uh so how how do they make it work over the road?

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Yeah, great question. Um, all of our classes currently are run through Zoom, and they're set up so that I've usually got if it's a class up at a PowerPoint going, but they don't have to be looking at it at all. They can be tuned in just listening over our headset or earbuds or whatever it may be. And we try to keep that part of it completely safe for them to be able to drive and just listen in.

unknown 14:18

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

All of our classes, however, are also recorded. And so I will upload them to an unlisted YouTube channel. So if somebody isn't able to attend, if they're dropping off or picking up or needing to sleep or whatever it may be, they can catch up on that class after the fact whenever it's convenient. Um, so even for some of the carriers that don't let drivers to participate in that, which you know, of course, we understand they can still participate in their own way. And then we've got uh a channel where they can uh chat and it in a group chat, and so there's still some you know questions and they share things that they find and recipes and that sort of thing outside of class.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Oh wow, that's really beneficial then to their schedule.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Very much so.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

So let us a little bit about the relief fund. Could you let us know how it works, what drivers need to do, qualifications?

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Absolutely. So on the beneficiary side, um, we have got it's kind of a two-step application. The first one is just going to cover eligibility criteria. We want to make sure that they are a class A over-the-road driver that they went out of work within the last 365 days. So if this was something from a couple years ago that's outside of our ability to help, uh, we have to be able to request medical records for whatever has pulled them out of work. So if this is something where they they haven't gone to the doctor for it and we can't get records, then unfortunately we won't be able to help. So that's another important piece of it. Um, so the second part of the application just goes through the basics of when did this happen? When was the last time they worked? Are they expecting to be able to go back to work? We get a little financial information, it just kind of helps us paint a picture of um how quickly do we need to be able to provide assistance, but also what other resources might be we'd be able to link them with. So if this is a cancer diagnosis, we've got some really supportive cancer resources that we can go ahead and send to them to help in other ways. Um, once they submit the application, we take it from there. We're gonna do an employment verification just to double check because unfortunately there are scammers, so we've got to cross our lot in the groups. Unfortunately, yes. Um, we will request medical records, there's nothing else that they need to do there. And uh, and aside from that, we just tell them watch for an email from us or watch for a call. We may have some follow-up questions, but we cross everything from there. And as soon as they have been approved, we say, All right, send us your bills, let's get those taken care of, and we'll send that check directly to the company so that they don't have to worry about a thing while they're recovering.

SPEAKER_00 17:03

And also you're making sure that the money is going where it needs to go. Exactly. Is there a maximum amount that you provide to people in need with this program?

SPEAKER_01 17:13

There is, um, but honestly, it changes year to year depending on how many applications we're receiving, what kind of funds we have available. And so um, we generally don't disclose that part of it, but I will say it's usually enough to cover rent or mortgage and another bill or two alongside.

What St. Christopher Fund Actually Does

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Yeah, that's the point I wanted to kind of cross. Like um, as a single woman, I have car payment, mortgage, insurance, utilities, right? So credit card payments. You're not gonna come in and be like, oh, just send me a list of everything and work. You're gonna, you know, you're gonna cover the basic, you know, the most important thing to help them get through. Yes, the vital living expenses is what we call them.

unknown 17:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

And as you were saying, when they come to you with a health issue, you're also going to steer them to the health and wellness part of it. And you do have one program um that I get a kick out of, um, and it's because of the name of it, and that is your smoking cessation program.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

Yes, our smoking cessation program is Rigs Without SIGs. I love that. It is our longest-running program, and um it's one that I get real fired up about, and and I'll tell you exactly why because it's kind of heart-wrenching. When we see somebody come through on the beneficiary side and it is lung cancer, by the time they are catching it, it's almost always stage four, and the outlook is not good. And so when we are supporting drivers to quit smoking, I tell them, I do not want to see you on that side of our organization. It sneaks up on people, it oftentimes is a very silent killer up until the last uh stage or so. And um, and so every time we get a case like that, I know we need to rush it because they may not even survive the application process. Now we'll still step in and help the family, um, but that doesn't give them peace of mind before they pass, obviously. And so those are always very hard cases, but that's why we're always so hopeful we can help people to stop early before that risk is really prevalent.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Um a lot of the drivers that I know that are smokers don't just smoke a half a pack or a pack a day, they smoke multiple packs a day because they're just sitting there, you know, and it's a boredom habit. And um, that really contributes to that problem. So, how does your rigs without six work?

SPEAKER_01 19:48

It's a very comprehensive program. So they start out with a phone call with me. It's usually about an hour long. We're gonna cover everything from when do they start? What have they tried in the past? I'll get details about how did it go? Sometimes people say, Well, it wasn't really great. And I say, Well, tell me about it. Did we have side effects with whatever you tried? Was it we made it a while and then something very stressful happened? Like we helps me to know how to support them. We will talk about all the different treatment options that we can provide. And that includes everything from nicotine patches, medications. We've got apps we can recommend. We cover all the different options. We'll talk about some things like more habit-based things like do you smoke more in the truck or at home? What does their caffeine intake look like? Which sounds unrelated, but it absolutely is related.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

Yeah. Yeah.

Free Health Programs Built For Drivers

SPEAKER_01 20:47

And so we cover a lot of things. We will work together to come up with a treatment plan of whatever makes sense for them. And then after that phone call, I'm going to send my emails and send out packages to them and do all the back work to make sure they've got everything they need to get started. And then I end up being their check-in person for an entire year after they have quit smoking. And so it usually starts out with weekly calls or emails or texts, whatever they've chosen as their form of contact. And these are conversations that cover everything from you know any side effects, any withdrawal symptoms that we need to address, all the way to what is going to help to prevent them from picking it back up in the future. What happens when there's a really stressful day? What is our plan? How are we going to keep our hands busy when we're on the road and suddenly we're like, oh, I don't know what to do with my hands. Right. Those moments are going to happen. And uh so we want to address all of that and be proactive. Um, along the way, I'm also tracking tobacco-free milestones. Um, they're eligible for prizes along the way, and thanks to uh Road Pro. Um, and so I will request those when it's time and they get prizes all the way along as they're hitting those milestones. And then at a year, we say, All right, you have achieved the mission, which was to get them to a year. We know at a year they're much more likely to be successful long term. Um but of course they can always come back if anything happens. They can always come back, they can start with me again, and we're we're starting from experience, we're not starting over, and so there's that happens sometimes. It's okay.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

So getting that one-on-one support directly from you has to be a huge benefit for the drivers. Um, and the drivers that you have now, how often do they utilize that generally? Weekly, daily, or does it just depend on where they're at in the journey?

SPEAKER_01 22:45

It really depends on where they're at. We usually start out with weekly or bi-weekly check-ins if they were going through a particularly challenging time. I've had ones where we're texting pretty regularly throughout the week and maybe every couple of days. I'm like, hey, how's it going? We're still in that tough range. Let's see what we can do to get you through it. As time goes on, the hope is that the cravings get a little less and a little less, and maybe they don't need weekly check-ins. And so then we may bump it out to every other week or once a month. Usually by the end, I think most of them are like, I've got this those last few months, and so it may be even every other month, but they've got a phone number that they can get a hold of me, call or text anytime, they've got an email that they can get in touch with me. Um, and so even when we go those longer spans of time, they know that there's still somebody that's gonna answer that phone if they need it.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

That's great. So for the driver who's feeling really overwhelmed, or they think I'm too far gone, I don't have time to take care of my health, I don't have time to, you know, do the smoking cessation program. What is the one? And I know this is gonna be a hard one. What's the one small realistic step that you would recommend that they take this week?

unknown 24:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

This is Monday.

SPEAKER_00 24:07

What do we do this week?

SPEAKER_01 24:09

If we were talking about tobacco cessation specifically, I would say, let's look at how many cigarettes we're smoking in a day or how many times we're hitting a vape pen or using dip, whatever the sources, and commit to doing 10% less this week. And chances are that 10% is not enough so that like we're not gonna have withdrawal symptoms, or we're not gonna be miserable and cranky and headaches and all the things. It's just enough so that we're turning it in the right direction. And we give it this week and 10% less. And then next week we're gonna do 10% less again, and we just take it's baby steps, and um, we take that approach with all of our health and wellness programs. We want it to be something that we feel like we can do pretty easily. This is not we're completely overhauling our lifestyle. Now, eventually, sometimes people are doing that, but a little at a time.

How The Group Classes Work On The Road

SPEAKER_00 25:02

Yeah, and that's that's a good way to do it because most people get overwhelmed. And that's a conversation that um I had with Michael Anthony Lombard a couple weeks ago, with it being the new year, new use. So many people dive out um and try to do too much at once, it's overwhelming, and then the failure rate is high. So by doing the smaller steps, do you see um higher percentages of people being able to complete?

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Very much so, yes. When we take those small bite-sized pieces, it's much more manageable, it feels doable, it takes away some of that overwhelm. Um, but I also believe that it's a mindset of when we've got something small and achievable, we tell ourselves, I can do this. Whereas if it's we're gonna put down all the cigarettes this week, people are like, I don't know. I'm not sure that I can do that. And we'll talk ourselves out of it before we even start.

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Yeah, I quit smoking 19 years ago and I used Chantix. And um, back then, and I don't know how it is now, but back then you would pick your quit date. Um, and you had a time frame that you were on chantex up until that quit date. And when my quit day came, I wasn't ready. Um, and I had a coach and I I told her, I'm not ready. And she says, pick another day. And I picked another day a little bit farther out, and I just woke up one day in the middle of those two dates, and I never picked up another cigarette. Um, but it seemed like that picking a date was very overwhelming for me. Um, it was like a doom day, or you know, it's like when I tell myself I'm gonna die at my body instantly starts starving. Um so do you set dates like that? Um, or do you just kind of baby step them through these, you know, these week by week reductions?

SPEAKER_01 26:56

Yeah, you know, it's a great question. I fully leave that up to the driver. We talk about the pros and cons to both of them. And a lot of people experience exactly what you're describing. They get closer that day and they're like, I don't know, I don't know if I can do that. It feels like we're just taking away the entire crutch all at once, and that feels too much, right?

SPEAKER_00 27:15

And so it does, and it seems like it makes you smoke more stressing over this date.

SPEAKER_01 27:21

Yes, that's what I call the last hurrah when we set the date we're going to rehab now. Then we'll people get this mindset of like, let me get it all in at once. I'm gonna finish smoking all the cigarettes, and then that just makes it harder when that day comes. And so some people do quit that way, and they are very successful. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not for everybody, and so we talk about it's okay to step it along as long as we keep it moving, right? We don't want to get to 50% and then just decide we're gonna stop there. We want to keep going with it. Um, but there's there's nothing wrong with dragging it out a little bit as long as we're setting some realistic expectations and set some goals along the way so that we don't get stuck there.

SPEAKER_00 28:06

I like that you're not cookie-cuttering the process and you're kind of individualizing it to each person. Um, that really says a lot about the time you're taking with each driver. That's great.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

So cookie cutter it, then it's not successful because everybody's different.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

Yeah, well, a lot of organization, a lot of people, I want to say a lot of things are set up as a cookie cutter process. And I I don't think that um the success success rate is as good when you use a cookie cutter process as individualized treatment. I completely agree with that, yes. So you've been at St. Christopher's Fund how long now? Right at three years. Three years. So in your three years, what's one powerful story? And I'm sure you have plenty because you know you seem to be well invested in these drivers, but what's one powerful story that you've seen uh where St. Christopher's Fund has made a huge difference for a driver or their family or driver in their family?

Financial Aid Eligibility And Process

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Oh goodness. You know, I um the first driver that comes to mind, uh, he has been in a number of our health and wellness programs. Uh his name is Dan. He's given me permission to share his story just because it's so special to me. But he started with me in Breaks Without SIGs. He was actually one of my very first um people that was starting in that program with me from start to finish. And um he was uh a little bit different from clients that I've worked with in the past, though I found that this is more common in the trucking industry. He was just very aware of the challenges that he faced and he was very open about it, which I appreciated. And he would say things like, I don't know what to do with my hands. I walk into a room, and normally I would be going into that room at home to go pick up my cigarettes and go outside. And I walk in the room and I feel stuck, like, I don't know what to do with my hands, and I feel weird, and this is very uncomfortable. And um, and he was open to just like, well, let's explore that. What are we gonna do when we walk in that room instead? And sometimes we came up with silly ideas, and sometimes it was like, it may have been silly, but it worked. And um, and so during his time in that program, we talked about some other health and wellness topics. And I said, Well, you know, we've got uh other programs you may be interested. And next thing I knew, he was in our healthy habits program, which is chronic disease management, and um he has got um psoriatic arthritis, and he's like many drivers, has been avoiding lab work for a very long time. Um, and he's one that I'm in that category as well. Yes, and I get it, I totally get it. He um historically has had that basal vagal response where he may or may not pass out if he's having lab work, and I've been there, I've had that problem before. And so we talked about okay, you're gonna go in and you're gonna be well hydrated, and you're gonna bring up a heat pack, like a hand warmer for the crook of your arm, and you're gonna tell them, hey, I may pass out, and they're gonna put you in a chair, we talk through all the things, and it took a little while, but eventually he went and got lab work, and it gave us a really good idea of okay, what do we need to work on now? And so, anyways, he's been in many of our programs, but what was really most meaningful um was when his wife actually reached out and she said, I've been so worried about him because his dad passed away young and he's come into that age, and he wasn't taking very good care of his health up until he joined your programs, and um, she mentioned the fact that he may have taken some like alternative approaches to health and wellness, like essential oils and things like that, that she didn't have a whole lot of faith in, and um, she just was very thankful for the fact that she felt like she was gonna be able to have him around longer. And I thought this is exactly why we do what we do, um, because it's for him, but it's also because his family loves him dearly and wants to keep him around long term, and um so, anyways, I think of him often when we are bringing new programs, like we're gonna reach more people, more people that we get to keep around longer, and their families get to keep them around longer, and hopefully, all the you know, I think of all the things we're hopefully preventing along the way. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

And all these services are free to drivers, correct? They're completely free. That's amazing. That's amazing. So, looking ahead, what's on the agenda? What's next for St. Christopher's Fund as far as our health and wellness efforts uh for 2026 and beyond.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

So we are actually very excited. We are about to roll out another part of a program. Uh, it's called GPS, get preventative screenings, and it's preventative cancer screenings. So we currently have colorectal cancer screening and a prostate cancer screening, and we are very close to launching cervical cancer screenings.

SPEAKER_00 33:24

Um I was just getting ready to say because prostate is male-centered. What about the girls?

SPEAKER_01 33:32

Yes, yes. So we have had them in mind. Um, these so it's an at-home screening, which is what I think is most important about all of these screenings. Um, a driver can do it in the comfort of their own home or when they're out on the road. We want to provide the convenience of these screenings. And so um back in May of 2025, the FDA approved an at-home cervical cancer screening. It's really just an HPV um swab that can be done at home or on the truck, and then it gets sent to a lab, which they have no cost without. It comes in a prepaid mailer that they can just send off and then they get those results back. And so we've been very anxiously waiting for those kits to start becoming available nationwide, and we're right there at that point. We are solidifying some partnerships, and um, so anyway, we're very excited to be able to offer this for all the female drivers that are out there.

SPEAKER_00 34:35

That's a great um thing that technology has gotten to that point where these very important tests can be done that way, where they don't have to try and figure out how to get into a lab um that they can do it in the comfort of their home or on the road in the semi. That's great. I mean, that that's amazing that we're at that point.

Rigs Without Sigs: How Quitting Works

SPEAKER_01 34:57

It's amazing how far science has come. And it for women, I think, especially, um, this is an important one because it takes the discomfort of having to go in and get that swab done, right? Nobody likes that process. It's not a fun process. We know that. And I think many times we will avoid it or delay it until potentially there's issues, and that's the whole problem behind it. And so we we want to remove that as much as possible. Now, of course, if one of these came back up normal, we're still gonna have to go in and and have that appointment anyway. But for a lot of women, this is hopefully gonna be a very easy it's negative, you're good to go for the next three years, and it's peace of mind when they're out on the road, one less thing to worry about.

SPEAKER_00 35:44

So these programs that you're offering, these tests that you do, these things are not free for your side of it. Um, so I imagine you have sponsors. Do you do uh charity drives? Do you do, you know, do you what do you do to raise funds, fundraising drives? There we go. Wow, it's Monday. Tammy can't talk. Um do you have fundraising that you do? Do you have a donate now button uh if listeners want to get involved or support the cause?

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Great question. So on our website, we do have a donate now button. Any money that is coming from individual donors goes to the beneficiary side of our organization. Most of our health and wellness programs are being funded either by uh sponsors, um, so places like Oaida, um, they are phenomenal supporters of our programs. We do also apply for grants, which sometimes help to support our programs as well. Um, and we also do a virtual 5K, and that'll be coming up in May, the early part of May, and so you'll probably start to see some advertising about that. Um, it's just a fun event, gets people up and moving, and uh raises awareness for some of the unique health challenges that drivers face, but also that money goes back to help support them through programs like GPS and Rigs Without SIGs.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

Nice. So the Virtual 5K, how are you what's the platform you guys are using? Are you doing it where it's connected with um like health and fitness apps on their phones, or how are you tracking the miles for this?

SPEAKER_01 37:25

Yeah, so we use a program called Run Sign Up, and they can uh download the app and track through there, but it will also sync up with whole of the different fitness trackers. So if they've got one that they particularly like, they can stick with that one, and that's okay too. Um, they've got all week to complete it, and so what's really nice with this is that we're not necessarily aiming for fastest time or anything like that. It's just just get up and get moving. And so if we've got to do a little bit on Monday and a little bit on Tuesday, and a little bit on Wednesday, that's all right. That's not gonna hurt a thing. Um, we still get health benefits from that, so I'm fully supportive of that, but it also uh encourages people to join us no matter what their fitness level is. It's just get up and get moving.

SPEAKER_00 38:12

So 5k for some that don't know, that's three miles, well over three miles. Um, for a driver, that's a lot. So when you sit on your rump for 11 hours a day and potentially put in a 14-hour day, most of the time, drivers don't get in um that many steps a day. As a driver, I used to count my steps on the road. I was very active between 10 and 14,000, and I went to um less than 5,000 as a driver over the road. So getting three miles in in a week is a good goal.

SPEAKER_01 38:43

Absolutely. Yeah. And it's sometimes it's getting creative with 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there when we're waiting on the microwave for that minute while something is cooking. Can we do some steps in play? Whatever it takes, right? We got to get creative.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

That is awesome. So I will look forward to that. Um, I will join that. Um I uh I started my new my my fitness journey every year. I join um a transformation uh weightlifting challenge. So mine started today. So I dove in and have my Dubai chocolate last night before the challenge started today. Um, so that'll be a great thing to add to my list of activities this in the next few weeks. Absolutely. So um where can listeners go and drivers go to learn more about St. Christopher Fund um or to get started in the health and wellness programs?

SPEAKER_01 39:41

So on our website, truckersfund.org. Um, and as of right now, we have got tabs along the top that cover it's got our application if it's a driver that's needing help. It's got health and wellness, which covers all of our programs, plus some of our partners as well. So we've got our mental health. Partners in there. We've got all of our supporters of our program. We've got health and wellness articles. We've got podcasts. We've got all sorts of things tucked in that category. We've got a new website coming. And so it'll be a little bit more streamlined. But as of right now, that's where it stands. But truckersfund.org and that houses everything.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

Okay. Now the podcast, do you only access it through the website or is your podcast on any of the platforms?

SPEAKER_01 40:27

We have um it's on a few different ones. Um we are our our producers really good to help get those out, but they are all on our website. Um, and so that's where I would tell people probably to find it the easiest.

SPEAKER_00 40:43

Okay, and if you could tell them again, it's the Highway to Hope podcast, correct? Highway to Hope. How often do you put out new episodes?

Coaching Cadence, Cravings, And Milestones

SPEAKER_01 40:53

We are aiming for once a month. Uh, our hope is that in 2026 we're gonna get 18 in total. So we're increasing that goal a little bit. We've got lots of fun things to talk about. That's really why we're doing that. Um, so we're very excited about some new things to come. But um typically you can expect about one a month. Maybe there's a bonus one in there.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Well, that's awesome. Well, Lindsay, I want to thank you so much for your time today. Um, not just with going over you and your journey, but also St. Christopher's and you have a huge heart. I can tell it just you are so invested in your drivers, and it really shows um with this interview. Uh, so I I just want to say that as a driver myself and an advocate, um, I really appreciate you fighting for drivers. Um, that that's my biggest thing when I get out here.

SPEAKER_01 41:46

I love that I get to give back to you all. Um, you all do so much, you sacrifice so much, and it really is a joy and a privilege to be able to give back.

SPEAKER_00 41:55

So, well, everybody, thank you for listening in to this week's training Tuesday. If you want to know more about St. Christopher's Fun, go ahead and hop on over to truckersfun.org. Um, Lindsay, as she said, she spearheads a lot of these programs and she will be your number one resource, advocate, and contact. Again, this is Tammy with Truck My Tammy, and you guys stay safe out there.