How Feeding Blue
started.
“Officers simply weren’t used to people showing up for them like that. That moment stayed with her.”
The Origin of Feeding Blue
The seed for Feeding Blue was planted back in 2023, when our founder O’Shea Johnson was still living in Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee — one of Wisconsin’s major cities — a law enforcement officer was killed in the line of duty. It was a significant moment for the city; the community hadn’t lost an officer on duty in years. Wisconsin has a strong community culture. When something happens, people rally around each other and support one another.
O’Shea, her mother, and a close friend decided to put together encouragement baskets with cards and small gifts. They drove to several police districts in Milwaukee and personally delivered them to the officers on shift — telling them they were supported, that the family was sorry for their loss, and that they were standing with them.
The reactions they received were unforgettable — officers simply weren’t used to people showing up for them in that way. That moment stayed with her.
Later, when O’Shea moved to Columbus, the experience kept coming back. She kept thinking about how much that simple act meant to those officers, and eventually found herself saying, “I want to do something like that again.”
Over time, that idea began to grow into something more structured — a vision for something that wouldn’t just be occasional acts of kindness, but a consistent and organized way to support law enforcement families.
Before moving forward, O’Shea talked with trusted contacts — including a sergeant — because she honestly didn’t know if something like this would even be accepted. As a civilian without any direct connection to law enforcement, she wanted the perspective of those inside the profession.
But here we are.
