Shawn is a 14-year veteran with the Kansas City, Missouri Police department. She is the current Dole Caregiver Fellow of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation for the state of Missouri. Since May of 2013 Shawn has been the caregiver of a wounded warrior and has dedicated her life to the study of PTSD and the effects it has on the family. Shawn has earned her Bachelor degree in Social Psychology and is working on her Master’s degree in social work. Her internship is at the Center for Trauma Informed Innovation at Truman Behavioral Health. She is a certified Peer Mentor and Facilitator with the Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network. She is also a Peer Mentor with the VA Caregiver Program. Shawn is an advocate for all caregivers and openly shares her story with the community. She is also a facilitator for the Compassion Without Fatigue workshop. Shawn has four daughters, two step-sons, and 4 grandchildren. She enjoys reading and traveling.

Rachel has been caring for her disabled veteran spouse for over 4 years. She is an Outreach, Engagement, and Training Associate with the Red Cross Military and Veteran Caregiver Network. While navigating her caregiving role and two young children, Jackson and Isabelle, she completed her Doctoral Degree in Education with an emphasis on Instructional Leadership. Rachel has always had a passion for our military community. While her husband was on active duty, she volunteered her time to strengthen the bonds of the military family. She created and executed many events to help our military service men and women find ways to reconnect with their children and spouses. This passion continued after her husband’s retirement. Today, in addition to her support of Caregivers on the Homefront she also co-facilitates the caregiver support group with Shawn which is designed to decrease isolation among veteran families while also creating an environment of empowerment and support to navigate this journey together. In her free time, she finds peace in painting, bullet journaling, reading, and traveling.

Danielle is the wife of a wounded warrior who is a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient. She has always been passionate about the military and this was strengthened with her marriage to her husband and adopting and raising her two children. Danielle completed her undergraduate education in Criminal Justice and Political Science at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2003 and completed her Masters Degree (in 2005) and PhD (in 2009) at Washington State University in Political Science, Public Policy and Administration, and Criminal Justice. For the last 12 years Dr. Neal has been a collegiate professor, first at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in the Department of Criminal Justice, and most recently at Central Washington University in the Department of Law and Justice. Danielle recently moved back to the Midwest to join her husband who works for the Wounded Warrior Project. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her family, her two dogs, and running her Bless Your Heart Beauty Boutique.