WASHINGTON —  The Elizabeth Dole Foundation has announced the 2022 class of Dole Caregiver Fellows. Eleven military and veteran caregivers will join the 254 past and present Dole Caregiver Fellows who represent all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia to bring attention to the challenges facing America’s 5.5 million hidden heroes — the spouses, parents, family members and other loved ones who provide more than $14 billion in voluntary care for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans every year.

Dole Caregiver Fellows are leaders, community organizers and advocates for military caregivers. They are trained by the foundation and empowered to share their stories 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 communities.

“Our Fellows are the heart of our work and with this year’s class, in the Foundation’s tenth year, we are adding to the diversity of voices representing America’s hidden heroes,” said Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, in a news release. “Through their advocacy and community organizing, these Fellows will call attention to the most urgent, emerging issues facing caregivers, as well as decades-old problems that demand our nation’s action.”

Former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Salisbury native, created the Dole Caregiver Fellows program in 2012 to engage military and veteran caregivers in the foundation’s mission.

The Foundation’s Hidden Heroes Campaign brings attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and provides a network for military caregivers to connect with their peers and access carefully vetted resources.

Visit hiddenheroes.org for more information.

The 2022 Dole Caregiver Fellows are:

• Kirsten Laha-Walsh – Coaling, Alabama

• Julie Guleff – Port Orange, Florida

• Daphne Grady – Baton Rouge, Louisiana

• Wendy Gavell – Keedysville, Maryland

• Elisa Glass – Slate Hill, New York

• Jeanette Ezell – Dayton, Ohio

• James Clark – Edmond, Oklahoma

• Natalie Cobb – Columbia, South Carolina

• Megan Powell – Cottontown, Tennessee

• Nelida Lozoya-Lewis – El Paso, Texas

• Leann Ledford – Spokane, Washington