Community Reinvestment: The Full-Circle Mission

We believe that the story of a rescue shouldn’t end when the survivor goes home. To truly honor a hero and protect a community, we must ensure that the first responders who answer the call are better equipped for the next crisis.

Our Community Reinvestment initiative is the final, vital piece of our “Full-Circle” model. We take the momentum of a local rescue and turn it into a permanent legacy of safety for that specific district.

Equipping the Protectors

First responders are often forced to work with aging equipment or limited supplies due to budget constraints. We bridge the gap by reinvesting foundation resources and campaign surpluses directly back into the fire stations, EMS crews, and police departments in the districts where our heroes and survivors live.

We focus on procuring specialized, life-saving equipment that enhances the success of future interventions, such as:

• • AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators): Placing more units in patrol cars and public spaces to combat sudden cardiac arrest.

  • Narcan Kits: Providing life-saving overdose reversal tools for frontline officers and EMS.

  • Trauma & Bleeding Control Kits: Equipping responders with advanced medical supplies to stabilize patients during the “Golden Hour.”

  • LUCAS Chest Compression Systems: Providing mechanical CPR devices that deliver consistent, high-quality chest compressions without fatigue. These machines free up first responders to focus on other critical treatments and ensure life-saving circulation continues during difficult patient transports.

  • Advanced Extraction Tools: Helping fire departments upgrade the specialized gear used to rescue victims from vehicle wrecks.

How Your Support Becomes a Legacy

Community Reinvestment is funded through the National Hero Advocacy Fund. This fund is sustained by:

1. Direct Reinvestment: A portion of the Foundation’s general donations is earmarked specifically for first responder equipment.

2. Campaign Surpluses: When a community rallies around a hero and raises more than is needed for their personal recovery (such as when insurance covers more than expected), those surplus funds remain in the hero’s name.

3. Legacy Transfers: If a beneficiary of the National Hero Legacy Scholarship does not use their funds by the age of 26, 100% of those remaining earmarks are reallocated to equip first responders in their home district.

Turning “What If” into “We’re Ready”

Every piece of equipment we provide is donated in the name of the original hero or survivor from that community. This creates a “Full-Circle” legacy: the very rescue that started the journey leads to the tools that will save the next life.

By reinvesting in our local districts, we aren’t just saying “thank you” to first responders—we are ensuring they have exactly what they need to protect our neighbors, our families, and our future.

The Impact of Your Contribution

When you donate to a Larry Pickett Foundation campaign, you are doing more than helping one family. You are participating in a tax-deductible mission that eventually pours back into your own backyard.

• For Donors: Your gift is 501(c)(3) tax-deductible and eligible for employer matching.

• For Communities: Your support stays local, providing tangible tools that first responders use every day.