About the Founders
Although the Fishermen has been in existence for less than one year, Alexander Gowen and Sarah Blocher share over 21 years of experience in the relief sector. Thus far they have provided medical and social assistance to Chechnya, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Russia, Standing Rock Indian Reservation, Orange County Florida, and Wake County North Carolina. Currently, all operational costs of the Fishermen are paid for by Alex and Sarah.
Alex’s credentials include an EMS certification with the state of North Carolina and specialized courses on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) casualty management with the Department of Energy and the United States Army. He is the author of the Surviving Terrorism counter-terrorism handbook series for first responders and is the former director of the Anti-Slavery Task Force (ASTAF), a non-profit organization that investigated cases of modern slavery. For 16 years Alex has undertaken actions to supply medical and other humanitarian aid to the people of various nations including Standing Rock Indian Reservation, ND, where he and his brother, Richard, became adopted members of the Bravebull family and the Lakota tribe.
Sarah has experience volunteering her time with educators in her community, as well as with humanitarian aid and fair trade organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and Ten Thousand Villages. She has a 2006 EMT-Basic certification, and experience providing basic medical care in both the ambulance and hospital setting. The Fishermen is the realization of Sarah’s life-long goal of making the world a better place.
