When a firefighter, police officer, EMT, or paramedic is killed or catastrophically injured in the line of duty, the impact reaches far beyond the department. Families suddenly face grief, uncertainty, travel expenses, medical costs, lost income, and everyday bills that do not stop simply because tragedy has struck.

That gap is exactly what the JW Memorial Foundation was created to address.

On this episode of North Idaho Experience, Dave and the team sit down with Sue and Jesse Welch to share the story behind the JW Memorial Foundation, an Idaho nonprofit dedicated to providing immediate financial assistance to families of first responders killed or significantly injured in the line of duty.

It is a mission born from personal loss, a promise, and a firefighter who wanted to turn help intended for him into help for someone else.

The Story Behind the JW Memorial Foundation

The idea began with Jeff Welch, Sue’s husband and Jesse’s father.

Jeff spent more than two decades in the fire service in Illinois before moving to Idaho, where he eventually served as fire chief at Northern Lakes Fire District. Even after leaving his role as chief, he remained heavily connected to the fire service through training and relationships he had built throughout his career.

Then Jeff was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma.

As his treatment progressed, a friend created a GoFundMe to help the Welch family cover the significant costs that could come with traveling for a stem cell transplant.

There was one problem: Jeff did not want the money.

Instead, he began thinking about how it could serve another purpose.

Having lived in Illinois, Sue and Jeff were familiar with the “100 Club” model used in communities around the country. These organizations traditionally raise money to provide immediate assistance to families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other emergency responders killed in the line of duty.

Jeff wanted Idaho to have something similar.

As his health declined, he made Sue promise she would follow through with the idea.

After his death, it took time for Sue to be ready. But she kept the promise. In 2021, the JW Memorial Foundation was officially incorporated and began building a statewide system of support.

Rapid Financial Relief Without Waiting Months

What makes the foundation especially valuable is the speed at which it is designed to respond.

There are established programs that may eventually provide workers’ compensation benefits, pensions, insurance proceeds, federal assistance, or other financial resources after a line-of-duty death or catastrophic injury.

But “eventually” does not pay next week’s mortgage.

The JW Memorial Foundation focuses on that immediate gap.

Its goal is to provide approximately three months of living expenses to qualifying first-responder families. The organization works directly with the responder’s agency to verify eligibility and determine what support is needed.

In the podcast, Sue and Jesse explain that the foundation has sometimes been able to get assistance to a family within only three or four days.

That money can give a spouse or family room to focus on what actually matters instead of immediately worrying about mortgage payments, groceries, utilities, airfare, or where they are going to stay while a loved one receives treatment.

Supporting Paid and Volunteer First Responders

The foundation serves law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics—and importantly, that includes both paid and volunteer responders.

That distinction matters in Idaho.

Volunteer fire departments are a critical part of emergency response in many rural communities, yet volunteer responders and their families may not have access to the same benefits available to full-time employees.

The foundation also recognizes the unique nature of wildland firefighting.

A firefighter does not necessarily have to live or work permanently in Idaho to qualify. If an emergency responder from another state is serving in Idaho in the line of duty, the foundation may be able to provide assistance following a qualifying death or significant injury.

Sue shared one example involving the death of a wildland firefighter in Idaho whose family needed to travel from Minnesota. Rather than forcing the family through a lengthy reimbursement process, the foundation was able to help address the immediate travel costs.

That flexibility is central to how the organization operates.

Why a Benefits Fund Matters

One of the JW Memorial Foundation’s long-term goals is to maintain a large enough benefits fund that it can respond immediately even when multiple first responders are affected by the same incident.

That is particularly important in a state where wildfires can put entire crews in danger at once.

Rather than waiting until tragedy occurs and then launching a fundraiser, the foundation wants the money already available.

Community memberships, fundraisers, business partnerships, department events, and direct donations all help build that financial reserve.

It is essentially preparation for something everyone hopes never happens.

North Idaho’s Support for First Responders

Throughout the conversation, another theme repeatedly surfaces: North Idaho has an unusually strong culture of supporting its police officers, firefighters, EMTs, veterans, and other first responders.

When tragedy strikes a department here, the effects often spread throughout the community.

Residents organize fundraisers. Businesses donate proceeds. Departments support one another. People who never personally knew the responder still feel the loss.

The JW Memorial Foundation takes that community instinct and turns it into a structure capable of helping families throughout the entire state.

That statewide reach is one of the organization’s greatest opportunities for growth. As the foundation develops more relationships throughout southern and eastern Idaho, its network can become even stronger.

Protecting Families’ Privacy During the Hardest Moments

Another important principle discussed in the episode is dignity.

The foundation intentionally avoids using a family’s grief as a fundraising tool. Sue explained that the organization is careful about publicly identifying recipients or sharing details simply to generate donations.

If a family chooses to tell its story later, that is its decision.

It reflects something Jeff likely would have appreciated: help people because they need help, not because their tragedy creates a marketing opportunity.

How Idahoans Can Help

Supporting the mission does not require being a first responder.

Anyone can become a JW Memorial Foundation member. Individual memberships are currently $25 per year, and department and corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available. Membership is not required for a responder’s family to receive benefits.

Community members can also donate directly to the JW Memorial Foundation, volunteer at fundraisers, organize local events, or simply help more Idaho first responders learn that the organization exists.

A chili feed, golf tournament, department fundraiser, business promotion, or annual membership may seem small on its own.

But when hundreds of people contribute, those efforts create a fund capable of putting money into a family’s hands within days of the worst phone call of their lives.

That was Jeff Welch’s vision.

Today, his family and a dedicated group of volunteers are making sure it continues: helping those who help us when they need their community most.