Florida company sends pillows to military troops working inauguration
Pictures showing National Guard members sleeping on the floor of the US Capitol sparked a social media firestorm
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep on the floor of the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
By ActionNewsJax.com News Staff
Jacksonville, Fla — Roughly 25,000 members of the National Guard are standing by during the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris -- three times as many troops than those in Afghanistan and Iraq combined, according to Congressman Seth Moulton.
Local Jacksonville woman, Betsi Scott, was worried the troops would find themselves sleeping on the floors again in the event of another violent protest.
Scott comes from a military family herself; she knew something had to be done for the troops. “Them sleeping on the hard marble floors without cots, without blankets. Any of our troops protecting our nation’s capital and for them to be housed this way, it was a disgrace,” Scott explained.
She turned to the power of social media to see if anything could be done.
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep on the floor of the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Weapons are distributed to members of the National Guard outside the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Weapons are distributed to members of the National Guard outside the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Weapons are distributed to members of the National Guard outside the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the halls of Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Weapons are distributed to members of the National Guard outside the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the rotunda on Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland, walks past members of the National Guard as he arrives at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 13, 2021, ahead of an expected House vote impeaching US President Donald Trump. - The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives on Wednesday opened debate on a historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump over his supporters' attack of the Capitol that left five dead. Lawmakers in the lower chamber are expected to vote for impeachment around 3:00 p.m., marking the formal opening of proceedings against Trump. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the halls of Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep on the floor of the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the halls of Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard rest in the Capitol Visitors Center on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 13, 2021, ahead of an expected House vote impeaching US President Donald Trump. - The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives on Wednesday opened debate on a historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump over his supporters' attack of the Capitol that left five dead. Lawmakers in the lower chamber are expected to vote for impeachment around 3:00 p.m., marking the formal opening of proceedings against Trump. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard rest in the Capitol Visitors Center on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 13, 2021, ahead of an expected House vote impeaching US President Donald Trump. - The Democrat-controlled US House of Representatives on Wednesday opened debate on a historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump over his supporters' attack of the Capitol that left five dead. Lawmakers in the lower chamber are expected to vote for impeachment around 3:00 p.m., marking the formal opening of proceedings against Trump. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the halls of Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard sleep in the halls of Capitol Hill as the House of Representatives convene to impeach President Donald Trump, nearly a week after a pro-Trump insurrectionist mob breached the security of the nations capitol while Congress voted to certify the 2020 Election Results on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Hundreds of National Guard troops hold inside the Capitol Visitor's Center to reinforce security at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. The House of Representatives is pursuing an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)
National Guard troops gather, reinforce security in US Capitol Members of the National Guard rest in the Visitor Center of the U.S. Capitol on January 13, 2021 in Washington, DC. Security has been increased throughout Washington following the breach of the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, and leading up to the Presidential inauguration. (Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images)
Scott was one of many behind a push which caught the attention of Florida-based company One Fresh Pillow. The company responded by sending over 100 pillows and sleeping masks from a facility in Jacksonville to troops in D.C. working the inauguration Wednesday.
One Fresh Pillowco-founder Adrianna Kautz told Action News Jax, “We were excited to send them there and do something, anything, to feel like we were helping out.” To Kautz, helping those defending the country is invaluable. “In a time of a lot of chaos and the unknown, it feels really good to have this kind of connection,” Kautz added.
And for Scott, she found comfort knowing she helped in making a difference for the better. “One thing social media is really awesome at is bringing people together for good causes,” Scott said.
One Fresh Pillow tells Action News Jax that people have been reaching out wanting to make donations to send additional supplies to troops. The company asks that people donate directly to military charities instead.