We often go out of our way to thank military veterans, and rightly so, but what about those who care for our veterans? Jenn Paulson of Faribault was recently selected as a 2020 Elizabeth Dole Caregiver Fellow. Congrats Jenn!

Jenn told the Elizabeth Dole Foundation that her life "is a balancing act of caring for her husband Keith full time, and raising and homeschooling her grandchildren. Keith served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and then joined the Minnesota National Guard where he deployed to Iraq in 2009 as a mechanic. While deployed, he sustained a complex shoulder injury, hearing loss, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compounded by severe anxiety."

A press release about the class of 2020 fellows states that a fellow is a "leader, community organizer, and advocate for military caregivers in their states and nationwide. They are trained by the Foundation and empowered to share their stories directly with national leaders in the White House, Congress, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and other government agencies, as well as decision-makers in the business, entertainment, faith, and nonprofit sectors."

Joining Jenn as a 2020 Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellow was fellow Minnesotan Jennifer Schmidt of Taylors Falls.

According to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation website, the foundation is all about "honoring our nation’s 5.5 million military caregivers; the spouses, parents, family members, and friends who care for America’s wounded, ill, or injured veterans."

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