First Reach Foundation

Happy Birthday to the heart behind First Reach! 🎂

Today, we’re celebrating our Founder & Executive Director, Billi Jo Baneck , whose passion for supporting first responders and their families has helped shape the mission of First Reach from the very beginning.

Thank you for the countless hours, unwavering dedication, and deep care you pour into this work. Your leadership continues to inspire us and make a meaningful difference in the lives of so many.

We are incredibly grateful for you and hope this next year brings as much joy and encouragement as you give to others.

Help us wish Billi Jo a very happy birthday in the comments! 🎉

We talk about the stress of the job, but workplace culture can be just as harmful. It costs nothing to be kind and look out for one another. 💛💛💛

I just saw there was another dispatcher who died by su***de. That’s 8 so far this year. While this is a layered topic, you want to know what’s probably the number one way we can help decrease the number of people considering this action that’s not a class or a book and is completely free?

Stop being a**holes to each other and treating each other terribly under the guise of “dark humor” and “coping with trauma”.

It may not be the kindest way to put it, but this is what’s been on my heart and honestly I just had to finally say it out loud. Your experience can explain your behavior, but it doesn’t excuse it. We all have moments where we’re not our best selves and feel the effects of this job, but instead of writing it off as just part of the role, we have to try to do better and apologize when we’re wrong.

Today, we honor and remember the courageous men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

We hold gratitude for their sacrifice and compassion for the families, friends, and communities who carry their memory forward.

From all of us at First Reach, we remember, we honor, and we thank those who gave everything.

❤️🤍💙

National EMS Week 🚑

To the providers surviving on caffeine, station snacks, dark humor, interrupted meals, and pure determination… we see you. 😉

But truly, thank you for showing up when people need you most.

Your work matters. Your sacrifices matter. And your mental health matters, too.

Talk to end the stigma. Join us for the First Responder Marriage Retreat Oct 9-11 2026 in green lake wi

Please share on your personal pages. We are looking for sponsors for our 2nd (hopefully annual) Marriage Retreat. This retreat is open to Police, Fire, EMS, Corrections, and Dispatch personnel and their spouses. 3 days-2 nights of rest, renewal and reconnection in their marriage.
First Responders give selflessly to their community every day. We need your help in taking care of them! Any 24/7 career is hard a family and especially on the marriage. These men and women are ready to put the work into their Marriage and reconnect with their spouses. Every $1 helps them on this journey; keeping this event possible and affordable for those ready to strengthen their commitment to each other.
Please follow this link to become a sponsor today! I thank you on behalf of all of our attendees in advance.
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/marriage-retreat-sponsorship

If you're a First Responder and in the Shawano area tomorrow, our Associate Director Chris Prochut is speaking at Zion Lutheran Church. Come out and say hello!

This week, we recognize National Police Week and honor the officers who continue to serve their communities with courage, sacrifice, and resilience.

Behind every badge is a person carrying long shifts, hard calls, missed holidays, and the mental weight that comes with the job. During Mental Health Awareness Month, we also want to remind our law enforcement community that taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of everyone else.

Thank you to the officers, families, and support systems who give so much every single day. Stay safe, and take care of yourselves too. 💙

I got the incredible opportunity to hear more about the C.O.P.S organization and how they are helping the families and coworkers of those left to carry on the memories after a line of duty death.
Co workers are often over looked when it comes to grieving. Please check on your people. Get them in touch with these kinds of organizations, even if it’s just to chat and talk to someone that “gets it”. No one should ever be left to grieve alone.
-Billi Jo