Thanks to all who donated to help Amy, our fourth CareGifters recipient. We sent $500 to her today.
And, if you are a family caregiver in need (or know one) and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
As often as we can, we raise money to help a family caregiver in need through our CareGifters program.
Today, we’re raising money to help Amy, who will be our fourth family caregiver we’ve helped. She’s been caring for her parents since 2002. Prior to caring for her parents, she lived with and cared for her grandmother. Amy is 31-years-old. You can read her blog here.
Our goal is to raise $500 to help Amy, who writes, “I would love to be able to pay off most of the small medical bills that my parents have and also be able to get a check-up for myself so that I can be my best to care for them. I am doing all I can but it seems to keep getting harder to do. So any help would help. Thank you for this opportunity to get my story out there.” You can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.)
I’ve asked Amy to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):
1. Money for medical bills.
2. Money for my health care becasue my parents need 24-hour care. I am unable to work.
3. Facing eviction.
After Amy receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.
You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)
Thanks so much to all who help!!!
And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
This morning, I stopped by Liliana’s place of work to present her with two checks: One for $500, raised through our CareGifters efforts, and one for $140, raised by Marah, Bette‘s nine-year-old daughter.
The photo shows the presentation of checks, from me to Liliana.
Thanks again to all for your generosity!
Liliana with her mom.
Today, it’s Liliana Day! Liliana cares for her mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2009. She’s also our third recipient of CareGifters, an initiative that funds caregiving solutions, one family caregiver at a time. Through CareGifters, we work to give $500 to a family caregiver so he or she can resolve a challenge.
Our goal is to raise $500 today to help Liliana, who would like to return to college this fall to get a degree in social work and gerontology. We’re at 47% of our goal—we need $266 to send $500 to Liliana today.
Liliana also will receive an additional $140 raised by Bette‘s daughter, Marah (see photo, below). Marah raised the money by pounding the pavement to sell candy. Marah, who is nine-years-old, has raised $280 to benefit CareGifters through her candy sales; you can learn more here.
In total, we hope to give Liliana $640.
I’ve asked Liliana to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):
1. My dad has been laid off from his job off and on for the last two years. He has not been working for the last six months. Unemployment has recently cut down on his benefits and we are scared they will soon cut him off completely.
2. Since mom is only 52-years-old and only worked around four years she does not qualify for Social Security. She has no income and is no longer able to work.
3. My dad recently filed bankruptcy and we will soon be moving to an apartment. I am currently the main provider for the house and scared I won’t be able to make ends meet yet I am trying the best I can to go back to school.
I also asked Liliana how the money will help:
I was recently denied financial aid and if I were to receive that money I would be able to pay for some of the tuition or even books if I am able to come up with the rest of the money.
If unable to go to school this semester, I will be using the money to pay for some of the months rent. If my dads unemployment cuts off I will be paying the rent, bills, food, etc.
After Liliana receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.
Marah presents me a check for $140 to help Liliana.
You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)
And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
1. To donate $5, click below.
2. You can also can buy one of our “I CAN!” wrist bands for $5; proceeds go toward helping Liliana. You can buy by clicking below:
3. Purchase a t-shirt, mouse pad or mug with the Caregiving.com logo at our CafePress store; keep us with you always. Buy here. (Proceeds from the profits help Caregiving.com and CareGifters)
Thank you for your help! You are a gift to a family caregiver.
Liliana with her mom.
Our third family caregiver we can help is Liliana. She cares for her mother, who suffered a brain aneurysm in 2009.
Our goal is to raise $500 to help Liliana, who would like to return to college this fall to get a degree in social work and gerontology. You can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.)
I’ve asked Liliana to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):
1. My dad has been laid off from his job off and on for the last two years. He has not been working for the last six months. Unemployment has recently cut down on his benefits and we are scared they will soon cut him off completely.
2. Since mom is only 52 years-old and only worked around four years she does not qualify for Social Security. She has no income and is no longer able to work.
3. My dad recently filed bankruptcy and we will soon be moving to an apartment. I am currently the main provider for the house and scared I won’t be able to make ends meet yet I am trying the best I can to go back to school.
I also asked Liliana how the money will help:
I was recently denied financial aid and if I were to receive that money I would be able to pay for some of the tuition or even books if I am able to come up with the rest of the money.
If unable to go to school this semester, I will be using the money to pay for some of the months rent. If my dads unemployment cuts off I will be paying the rent, bills, food, etc.
After Liliana receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.
You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)
And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
Our second family caregiver we can help is Jane. She cares for her 16-year-old daughter, Nicole, who was diagnosed in January 2010 with a congenital heart defect, pulmonary hypertension, and Eisenmenger syndrome. She was also diagnosed in February of this year with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
Our goal is to raise $500 to help Jane; you can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.)
I’ve asked Jane to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):
1. Money is tight because my husband was laid off from his job of 25 years two months after Nicole’s diagnosis. He is now working but only makes half what he did.
2. I have been a stay at home mom since Nicole was born and don’t feel at this time I should work because my daughter requires my care.
3. We will lose our COBRA in November and we can’t let it lapse especially for Nicole.
I also asked Jane how the money will help:
The money could help pay a bill or something and I would feel guilty if I don’t use it for that. However, I believe about a month or so ago that God but it on my heart to get a pharmacy technician degree. I would have to do this totally online and I don’t want to go through a regular university. I looked into three different places Penn Foster; US Career Institute and NPTA (National Pharmacy Technician Association). I felt that the NPTA would be the best as it has a more extensive curriculum, however, it is the most expensive but it also includes an externship. The Penn Foster course was running a special of $100 off and it was $498 (don’t know if the special is still good). I wasn’t sure if this was something that God really wanted me to do because I knew we can’t afford it and I could really find no grants or anything. I truly believe that even if I don’t pursue it as a career it will be beneficial in some way for Nicole. I just feel it will help her. If I was to get this then I would love to use it for this (if I can get over the guilt).
After Jane receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.
You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)
And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
Thanks to all who donated to help Kristin, our first CareGifters recipient. We sent $500 to her today.
And, if you are a family caregiver in need (or know one) and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
Our first family caregiver we can help is Kristin, who blogs Caregiving.com. She cares for Mary, a family friend. Our goal is to raise $500 to help Kristin; you can help with your donation of $5. (If you want to give more, we’ll take more.)
I’ve asked Kristin to share her three top challenges; they are (in her words):
1. Financial: I live on social security and receive no pay for caring for Mary. Because Mary lives out in the country, I am required to have a 4WD vehicle, which eats up about 1/2 of my SS. I have dental pain and need a pair of shoes that actually have soles on them.
2. 24/7 care with very little support: This is an area with virtually no services for homebound folks who do not qualify for Hospice, and Mary does not make enough to hire aides. I spend days at a time in isolation except for Mary and our cats. Burnout is always just around the corner, and I will likely have to do this for many more years.
3. Learning how to deal effectively with a woman who is still with-it enough to almost be able to do her ADLs independently, especially in regard to her colostomy bag. Because she can’t, but thinks she can, getting her to allow me to help is a constant challenge.
I also asked Kristin to share how $500 will help:
After Kristin receives her $500, she’ll share how she used it and its impact on CareGifters.org and Your Caregiving Journey talk show.
You can donate below. CareGifters is operated through The Center for Family Caregivers, a charitable organization. We use PayPal to process your donation. (Please note: The Center for Family Caregivers does not currently have tax exempt status with the IRS so donations are not tax deductible.)
And, if you are a family caregiver in need and would like to be considered in the future to receive CareGifters funds, fill out the application here.
Thank you so much for your support. You are a gift to a family caregiver!
CareGifters raises money to help family caregivers.
I’ve been working with family caregivers for 20 years. In that 20 years, little has changed—the experience remains stressful and overwhelming Even worse: Access to help hasn’t gotten any better.
One of my beefs is that we (here in the U.S.) spend a lot of money on research. (You can read one of my rants about research on Caregiving.com.) I believe research is critical. I also believe we’ve researched the family caregiver experience enough to know that family caregivers need help. And, given the state of our economy and our states (I live in Illinois and it’s a mess), programs and services that could help are as much at risk as family caregivers.
Last July, The New York Times reported:
Since the start of the recession, at least 25 states and the District of Columbia have curtailed programs that include meal deliveries, housekeeping aid and assistance for family caregivers, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research organization. That threatens to reverse a long-term trend of enabling people to stay in their homes longer.
I had an idea to help family caregivers about four years ago: Giving them gifts of money through my non-profit organization, The Center for Family Caregivers. I finally have all the pieces in place to launch this initiative, called CareGifters.
Here’s how it works: Family caregivers complete an application process. A selection committee chooses one family caregiver each month to receive money that we raise. Our goal is to raise $500 each month to help a family caregiver. If 110 persons donate $5, then we can give $500 to a family caregiver to help him or her resolve a pressing problem. If 110 individuals donate $5 each month, then each will have spent $60 in order to raise $6,000 to help 12 family caregivers. (Note: We’ll use PayPal to collect your donations; PayPal takes a cut of what we raise. So, the family caregiver will receive what we raise minus the PayPal cut.)
In addition, I’ll donate 50% of the profit made on SharingStore.com, a classifieds site for caregiving supplies and equipment. I’ll also look for other ways to raise money.
While our initial goal is to help a family caregiver each month, my hope is that we’ll get so good at this that we’ll be able to raise money for 365 family caregivers every year.
We’ll begin in May. So, if you’d like to submit an application to be considered to receive our gifts, go here. And, if you’d like to volunteer to be on the selection committee, go here.
Look for regular updates here, on Caregiving.com and on Your Caregiving Journey.
Thanks to all who help!