Page 72: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2021)

The Final Word

Five Minutes with

Susan Ludwig

President, Coast Guard Foundation

COVID has presented numerous challenges, particularly to the members of the U.S. Coast

Guard. The Coast Guard Foundation (CGF) has stood strong throughout to assist, as Susan

Ludwig discussed with Maritime Reporter TV. By Greg Trauthwein their wellness. We also helped with the communities in which they serve. So

When COVID shut down the world in isolation spaces that the Coast Guard we’ve gotten this down to where we can 2020, everyone had to make adjust- was setting up for their members that get funds out to the individual families ments. How did the CGF respond?

We did what everybody else did; we needed to quarantine. And in addition to in harm’s way in less than three days. planned for the worst on a weekly ba- those members needing to quarantine,

You have a number of programs sis. We took a look at not being able to remember in the military service, you’ve aimed to help Coast Guard families. host our in-person events for the year, got families that are needing to transfer

What did those programs look like and anticipated a lower amount of do- every three years. So if you have to go during COVID?

nor giving. So we took about 35% of from area A to area B, you also needed our normal funding out, and we cut ex- to quarantine for a couple weeks. So We have three major areas, in which penses short-term by the same amount. we out? tted those spaces with morale we support Coast Guard members and gear, video games, books and cooking their families, and the buckets are loose- utensils. We adjusted all that we could ly de? ned as education, emergency and

How did the CGF adjust its programs within the con? nes of our support. tragedy assistance, and morale. During to better serve Coast Guard members

COVID, we can move in and out of and their families during COVID?

For the last 20 months, COVID put a

We leaned into the relationship we those in signi? cant ways. So, we moved brake on many things, but it wasn’t have with our Coast Guard leaders, be- deadlines. We made sure to work with able to put the brakes on natural cause we knew their mission compo- Coast Guard leadership on that COVID disasters, and there have been few. nents were shifting and changing, and piece to hold up the morale for those

How did the CGF respond?

we wanted to be where they needed us. that needed to be isolated. The other re-

The ? rst thing they told us was we need You are absolutely right, Greg, Mother ally great piece that we will continue be-

COVID support. Imagine a large crew nature did not take a knee! During wild- yond COVID is we started working with on a National Security Cutter whose de- ? res and hurricanes, these folks are run- the Coast Guard chaplains to better de- ployments went from eight months to ning into the fray to rescue people and ? ne how we could help with our funds. about 16 months. So we out? tted those homes, while their own homes are being We have been setting up pilots that have large ships with morale items to boost damaged or destroyed; they live in the been successful for peer-to-peer train- 72 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • November 2021

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