When the Helpers Need Help, BackStoppers Is There
First responders spend their careers stepping into other people’s worst moments.
They enter burning buildings, respond to violent situations, provide lifesaving medical care and arrive when accidents, illnesses and emergencies have left families frightened and vulnerable. But when tragedy strikes a first responder, the people who are accustomed to helping others may suddenly find that their own family needs someone to show up.
That is where BackStoppers comes in.
The BackStoppers provides immediate and ongoing financial assistance to the spouses and dependent children of police officers, firefighters, volunteer firefighters and publicly funded paramedics and EMTs who are killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty.
The organization was founded in 1959. BackStoppers of Jefferson County was established as a local supporter group in 2009, creating a network of volunteers, first responders, businesses and residents dedicated to raising awareness and financial support for the larger mission.
For the people involved, however, the work is about much more than collecting donations. It is about standing beside families when the life they knew has suddenly changed.
Jamie Guinn, who works closely with BackStoppers of Jefferson County, explained that assistance begins quickly following a qualifying line-of-duty death or catastrophic injury. The family receives immediate financial help for pressing expenses before representatives begin working with them to understand their long-term needs.
That ongoing support may include eliminating debt, providing medical, dental and vision insurance, reimbursing medical expenses, paying property taxes and homeowners insurance, and covering educational costs from day care through college.
The organization currently assists more than 100 families with approximately 75 dependent children. It has helped more than 200 families since its founding and has provided roughly $3 million in assistance annually during the past three years.
The support is intended to last well beyond the funeral, benefit or initial outpouring of community sympathy. Children grow up. Tuition bills arrive. Medical needs change. Homes require repairs. Families encounter milestones that their fallen or injured loved one should have been there to see.
BackStoppers remains beside them through those moments.
The children who have received support from BackStoppers have not simply returned years later after being disconnected from the organization. Many have remained part of the BackStoppers family throughout their lives, growing up surrounded by people who knew their mothers or fathers, who understood the depth of their loss and were personally invested in helping them build a future.
Today, some of those children are old enough to stand before a crowd and share their own stories. They speak with a full understanding of what it means for a family to suddenly lose a parent and of the financial and emotional weight that follows. Their willingness to return, participate in events and help carry the mission forward is deeply meaningful to the members who have watched them grow up.
For those who knew and served beside their family, seeing them give back is both emotional and humbling. It is a reminder that BackStoppers’ work does not end with a check or a single moment of assistance. It creates relationships that can last for generations, and those relationships sometimes come full circle when the children once supported become voices of comfort and hope for the families who follow. For Guinn, he says the work is important because
That care is visible throughout Jefferson County.
During a recent board meeting, members reported that a First Responder Fest raised more than $3,300, the annual Doug and Roy’s Great Adventure fundraiser brought in more than $7,500, and the first BackStoppers night at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway raised more than $3,500 despite difficult weather.
Those totals were built through raffle tickets, merchandise sales, business sponsorships, volunteers collecting donations and families simply deciding to participate.
Guinn said seeing the community continue to show up is one of the most meaningful parts of the organization’s work.
For BackStoppers, that support is a reminder that the brothers and sisters who serve Jefferson County are not forgotten when they or their families face a tragedy. Each person who attends an event, purchases a raffle ticket, volunteers for a shift or becomes a member helps send a message to local first responders: The community recognizes your service, values your sacrifice and will stand beside your family when it matters most.
That continued support is deeply personal for the first responders involved with the organization. Many have worked alongside the men and women whose families later received assistance. They understand the dangers of the profession and the lasting effects a death or catastrophic injury can have on spouses, children, coworkers and entire departments.
The board meeting also revealed the work behind the numbers: volunteers coordinating schedules, repairing and preparing the organization’s trailer, contacting potential sponsors, selling raffle tickets, organizing merchandise and recruiting people to staff community events.
Every task, from working a booth for a few hours to asking a business for a sponsorship, contributes to the safety net that will be waiting when another family needs it.
BackStoppers of Jefferson County will be at the Jefferson County Fair from July 23 through July 26 and at the Jefferson County Tractor Pull on August 22. The High Ridge Firefighters Community Outreach Golf Tournament benefiting the organization is scheduled for August 28.
The group’s largest upcoming fundraiser will be the BackStoppers of Jefferson County BBQ on Saturday, September 19, from 11 a.m. until after dark at Big River VFW Post 5331 in Cedar Hill. The event will include barbecue, live music, family activities and fireworks.
A major raffle will offer a donated 2026 Ford Maverick truck or $15,000 cash as the first-place prize. The raffle is being coordinated through Reuther Ford, a longtime supporter of BackStoppers and its work on behalf of first responders and their families.
Additional cash prizes of $2,500, $1,500 and $1,000 will also be awarded. Tickets are $10 each, and winners do not have to be present.
Events provide important opportunities for residents to support the mission, but becoming a sustaining member can make an equally meaningful difference.
Monthly membership begins at $10. That may feel like a small amount to one person, but dependable monthly gifts from many supporters provide consistent resources the organization can rely upon as it prepares for the needs of current and future families.
Community members can also volunteer at events, help sell raffle tickets, introduce the organization to potential sponsors or simply share its mission with others.
No one involved with BackStoppers wants another family to need its services. But first responders continue answering dangerous calls, and the possibility of tragedy remains.
Supporting BackStoppers is one way Jefferson County can make a promise to those who run toward danger on behalf of their neighbors: Should the worst happen, their families will not face it alone.
Support BackStoppers of Jefferson County by attending an upcoming event, making a donation, becoming a member, volunteering or helping connect the organization with community partners.
The Jefferson Review is committed to sharing the stories of the first responders, volunteers and community organizations that stand beside Jefferson County families when they need it most. Subscribe free to receive trusted local news and community stories directly in your inbox.
Subscribe to The Jefferson Review