Step Up for Soldiers is a non-profit organization devoted to providing assistance to soldiers and their families. The organization is located in Wilmington, NC. Step Up For Soldiers was started in November 2004. Russell, a retired Port Authority police officer and Vietnam Vet, started SUFS with the intent to assist wounded soldiers who were sent overseas in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack. Two infantrymen from the 1st Battalion 120th Infantry Regiment of the NC National Guard returned home to Wilmington paralyzed from the waist down. Russell began to build wheelchair ramps for these two soldiers. The work he was doing drew attention from the community and the media, and volunteers started contributing time and money.