About

My Story Behind Why I Started Tribute to First Responders

Hi, I’m Jack Ferguson Maxwell. While I may be autistic, have severe dyslexia and have a stutter, I don’t let those stop me from reaching milestones!

When we’re little we often dream about who we want to be when we grow up. For me, I wanted to be an EMT & Fireman. Honestly who didn’t want to be a firefighter as a kid? �

When I was 13, I had a seizure and in one full swoop, my dream was taken right out from under me.

Fast forward 10 years later, I was on social media talking about having autism and sharing stories about first responders, when a firefighter responded to my post and started bullying me. I couldn’t believe that someone who had the job I always wanted would treat me that way. I reached out to his fire department for and let them know what happened, surprisingly they did nothing, not even an apology and I was still hurt.
So, you’d think that after that, that I would have sworn off first responders forever. That wasn’t the case for me. I was so passionate about how they put their lives on the line for others and how they were so selfless. I continued to post videos and stories about first responders as well as those in our community who had lost their lives serving our community. I may not have been able to become one, but one thing was for sure, I COULD and WOULD do all I was able to, to make a difference in their lives.

That’s where Tribute to First Responders comes in. I started this organization to really make an impact in the lives of those in my community that risk their lives 24/7 for the safety of others.

Through Tribute to First Responders we want to honor every first responder and their families by providing them with encouragement, letters of support (handmade greeting cards), with a future goal to provide financial support including medical costs, hardship funds, funeral expenses, and college scholarships to their children. We would also love to create a standing memorial at a local cemetery for those fallen first responders to be remembered and recognized for their sacrifices.

We hope that you have a better understanding of the heart and passion behind Tribute to First Responders and that you choose to support us!

We’re always looking for volunteers to help us with our mission, people with experience in grant writing is a plus. Donations are always accepted in the form of in-kind gifts and monetary donations.

If you have questions or would like to get involved or support, please contact: Jack@Tributetofr.org or message us !
Thank you!