Just in the last six months we know of more than 300 Share The Care groups that have been formed across the US, Canada as well as Iceland, Spain and Australia to care for people of all ages including children.
The care recipients of these Share The Care groups have a wide variety of very difficult illnesses and conditions: all types of cancer – breast, lung, melanoma, brain tumors, and even some with multiple cancers, ALS, dementia, stroke, Alzheimer’s, septic shock, Huntington’s Disease, heart attack, COPD, Multiple Sclerosis, Macular Degeneration, and Parkinson’s Disease. There are groups helping with other challenges like: a widower with 7 kids, a quadriplegic, someone with a broken back and limbs, the frail elderly, a mother with a new baby, and to help teens transition to foster care.
If you are one of these caregivers or someone about to embark on being part of a Share The Care group then you understand (or are beginning to catch a glimpse of) the profound difference it makes to your care recipient and their family to be surrounded by your love and support. We salute you and your amazing work and dedication.
So, you will understand, with the end of the 2009 in sight, our board and staff at ShareTheCaregiving feel an even more urgent need to spread our cost-effective, community-based caregiving program. As you know, SHARE THE CARE is much more than a just a book or model–it’s a life-changing experience for everyone involved.
Please help us by sending a tax-deductible donation of $100 or $200 to the ShareTheCaregiving Organization now. We may even want to rally your SHARE THE CARE group to mobilize a team contribution of $500 or more. It will help us with keeping the “lights on” in our office over the next year.
If every caregiver who has benefited from our grassroots program will pledge a personally meaningful financial contribution now, together we can continue to grow and make SHARE THE CARE a meaningful part of our caregiving culture.
Your immediate show of support will enable us to attract foundation and corporate sponsors.
Currently we’re seeking in matching funds needed to build our SHARE THE CAREIndividual Group Sites Project. We now only need $16,000 more to start building this important extension to the model. If you or someone you know can help us, please let us know.
ALL GIFTS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.
We also invite you to donate in honor of or in memory of a friend or loved one. You may donate online (www.sharethecare.org) or by check.
Make checks payable to ShareTheCaregiving/NCCI, and send to:
ShareTheCaregiving, Inc.
C/oThe National Center for Civic Innovation – 6th floor
121 Avenue of the America’s
New York, NY 10013-1590
We hope you will include your name and address so we can acknowledge your gift. Also, let us know your SHARE THE CARE group’s name. We welcome your stories and photos for our web site.
BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY.
With deep appreciation and warmest regards from out board and staff.
¬ We only need $16,000 more in grants or donations to build our web-based Individual Group Sites Project. We recently received two matching grants ($10,000 each) from The Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation and EmblemHealth toward this important extension to the model.
¬ The Share the Care program received the 2009 Respite Services Achievement Award, for Cross-generational Caregiving. The award is from the Statewide Caregiving & Respite Coalition of New York. We wish to congratulate our program funding partners with whom we share this meaningful recognition: The Balm Foundation, The Aetna Foundation, and HIP (now EmblemHealth.)
¬ We have also been awarded up to $10,000 in pro bono coaching and capacity-building services from SEED (Stretch, Enliven, Ennoble, Discover). Beginning in November 2009, our core staff will participate in the SEED Diagnostic (www.seedimpact.org) to assess impact and performance. Following a half-day “creative stretch” workshop to define strategic growth intentions, monthly coaching sessions will be customized to keep us aligned with our vision and track outcomes.
2. TRAINING AND KEYNOTES
This year we trained approximately 350 professionals and clergy in New York, Alaska and South West Ontario. We introduced Share The Care to approximately 937 professionals, clergy and caregivers in New York City and State, Oregon, and Winnipeg (Manitoba.)
3.INTERNAL GROWTH AND CAPACITY
New Office:Thanks to former Board Member, Fran Heller, we were able to reduce costs by moving our office to a new location in April. We are located within VENTURA, a Marketing and Sales Promotions Company on Sixth Avenue and 39th Street. Our mailing address is c/o the National Center for Civic Innovation (our fiscal sponsor).
New Administrator:In July, Phyllis Califano, a former co-worker of Sheila’s from her earliest advertising days at Doyle, Dane, Bernbach joined the ranks of ShareTheCaregiving as our Volunteer Administrator. She was just retiring from her job as an Account Management Supervisor at McCann Erickson, and was looking to “give back” as a volunteer somewhere. Luckily we were that “somewhere.”
Two New Volunteer Outreach Directors:
Hawaii: Kimi Chun joined the ranks of our Volunteer Outreach Directors this summer. She was the lead player in the well-known “Peg’s Legs” Share The Care group in Honolulu for nearly six years until Peggy passed away in late 2008. Kimi is featured on our web site under “SHARE YOUR ADVICE” in a Q & A about how she organized “Pegs Legs” to work in shifts and how she enlisted volunteers in each shift to become medically trained to care for the needs of an ALS patient. Kimi has already been instrumental in helping many new groups including one for an 8-year old girl and her family. In 2006, Sheila nominated Kimi as Caregiver of the Year, in an on-line competition – Kimi won!
4. SHARE THE CARE IN OTHER COUNTRIES
South West Ontario Share the Care Initiative: Sheila completed four trainings to help launch this new program. Share The Care Coordinator for the initiative, Eugene Dufour, encourages and manages the efforts of health professionals and clergy in the region, while also serving as our Volunteer Outreach Director for South West Ontario. Eugene is a clinically-trained marital and family therapist, specializing in bereavement, compassion fatigue, and critical incident debriefing. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario and has been working in palliative care, mental health, and the HIV/AIDS movement for 25 years. In 2002, the Governor General of Canada presented Eugene with the Commemorative Medal for his work in hospice palliative care, at the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Expanding our Reach:In April, we began requesting basic demographic information as a part of online registrations to download our forms. Since then, we have learned of more than 300 newShare The Care groups and can now document them (present and past) in They include: the United States, Canada, Israel, Iceland, Australia, and Spain.
The Statewide Caregiving & Respite Coalition of NY
Announces the Winners of it’s
“2009 Caregiving & Respite Achievement Awards.”
The Statewide Caregiving & Respite Coalition of NY (SCRCNY) announced the winners of its 2009 Caregiving & RespiteAchievement Awards today. The purpose of the achievement award program is to honor outstanding, innovative and creative caregiving & respite services that have a long-range impact on citizens and/or the community within New York State.
“There are so many great programs that may only be known in a town, village or county. These programs are very unique, well thought out, are proven to work and should be shared statewide.” says Joanne Macklin, SCRCNY Executive Director. “We are privileged to be able to offer these awards and recognize the outstanding caregiving & respite services that make a tremendous impact on the lives of caregivers, care receivers and their families.
The Senior Services Achievement Awards has four categories:
1. Cross-generational Caregiving- Services and Programs that assist caregivers caring for people across the lifespan and across all disability areas.
2. Kinship Care Programs - Services and Programs that benefit Kincare caregiversand the children they care for.
3. Aging Services Caregiving Programs - Services and Programs that assist informal caregivers in their efforts to care for older persons who need help with everyday tasks to enable them to remain in the community.
4. Disabilities Services Caregiving Programs - Programs involving respite services for caregivers of individuals with disabilities through innovative programming.
This years’ winner are:
1. Cross-generational Caregiving – ShareTheCaregiving, Inc. of New York, NY. Share the Care is a grass roots movement that began in 1995. The mission of the Share the Care program is to improve the “quality of life” of persons who are seriously ill, disabled or experiencing the challenges of aging, and to reduce stress, depression, isolation and economic hardship often suffered by their family caregivers.
2. Kinship Care Programs – Catholic Charities Caregiver Support Services Kinship Caregiving Programs of Albany, NY. The Kinship Caregiving Program’s goals and objectives are to offer support to relatives who are raising relative’s children. The program began in 1997 with seven caregivers and 12 youngsters. Currently the program services 77 families consisting of 94 caregivers and 134 children. The program provides families with the support and services they need in order to keep the family intact and prevent the children from entering the foster care system.
3. Aging Services Caregiving Programs – Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, Lake Placid, NY. Mercy Care’s mission is to enhance in every dimension the fullness of life of elders and their caregivers living in their community independently. Mercy Care’s mission is implemented through: a) The offering of companionship and friendship to relieve isolation and loneliness; b) The extending of advice, referral and assistance to elders and to their caregivers; c) The development of elder-friendly communities which encourage the participation and civic engagement of older adults; and d) The promotion through education and advocacy of a fullness of life for older adults in the communities of the Adirondacks.
4. Disabilities Services Caregiving Programs – Schenectady County Chapter, NYSARC, Inc., Schenectady, NY. Schenectady NYSARC has developed an after school program created in direct response to families requiring an affordable program to address the specialized after-school needs of children. The program, provided at no cost to families, is particularly novel in that it is Schenectady County’s only fully integrated after-school program for children with developmental disabilities. Goals of the program are 1) Provide relief to families who have traditionally sacrificed employment, leisure and other personal opportunities in order to provide after-school supervision for their children; 2) Provide students with enriching and productive after-school activities; 3) Assist non-disabled children (participating in our elementary after-school program) to acquire an increased awareness of the needs and issues facing individuals with disabilities.
Congratulations to this year’s winners and their truly remarkable caregiving & respite services.
Statewide Caregiving & Respite Coalition of NY (SCRCNY) is a statewide cross-generational cross-disciplines, network of organizations, whose mission it is to provide support services for caregiver and respite programs by fostering cooperative efforts to develop public awareness, advocacy, professional development and fund development.
SCRCNY is a program of the NYS Coalition for the Aging, Inc. The projects’ goal is to organize statewide caregiver and respite programs, develop a communication strategy and mechanisms to share best practices, education and training, other relevant caregiver and respite information and to position New York State, so that we may receive federal caregiving and/or respite care dollars.
The awards will be presented at a SCRCNY awards luncheon on November 17, 2009 at the Carondolet Hospitality Center in Latham, NY.
National Family Caregivers Month, celebrated every November, is a nationally recognized time to thank, support, educate and empower more than 50 million family caregivers across the country currently providing over $375 billion in “free” caregiving services.
In honor of NFC Month, the National Family Caregivers Association will be hosting a FREE Family Caregiver National Teleclass/Webinar on November 12 at 2:00 – 3:00pm EST.
Safe & Sound: How to Prevent Medication Mishaps is a program designed to teach family caregivers what they can do to minimize the chances that their loved one will experience an adverse drug reaction or event.Register here or call 800-896-3650.
ShareTheCaregiving, Inc. is pleased to be an official endorsing organization of NFC Month, an annual event created by the National Family Caregivers Association to bring attention to the needs of family caregivers. “We encourage people to speak up during National Family Caregivers Month.” said Suzanne Mintz, NFCA president and CEO. “One of the most important attributes of being an advocate for your loved one is the ability to speak up and understand how to best communicate about their loved ones’ medication issues with health professionals.”
NFCA is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering family caregivers to act on behalf of themselves and their loved ones, and to remove barriers to their health and wellbeing. NFCA concentrates its efforts in three primary areas: education, building community, and advocacy. For more information visit www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
U.S. POSTAGE STAMP HONORING FAMILY CAREGIVERS – SIGN THE PETITION TODAY!
A United States postage stamp honoring family caregivers in America is officially “under consideration” by the U.S. Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee for introduction as early as 20ll. Sign the petition HERE and pass it along.
The Share The Care™ Campaign for South West Ontario is excited to announce the appointment of Eugene Dufour as Campaign Coordinator effective August 17, 2009.
Eugene is a clinically-trained individual, marital and family therapist, bereavement specialist, compassion fatigue educator and therapist, and a critical incident debriefing facilitator. He received his Bachelors and Masters Degree from King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario and has been working in palliative care, mental health, and the HIV/AIDS movement for 25 years.
In 2002, Eugene was presented with the Commemorative Medal for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee by the Governor General of Canada for his work in hospice palliative care.
In his role as Campaign Coordinator, he will lead a focused effort to encourage the creation of Share The Care™ groups across South West Ontario.
ShareTheCaregiving’s Share The Care™ is a caregiving model that shows how ordinary people can pool their talents, time and resources to assist a friend or loved one facing a health or medical crisis.
It’s an approach that can help regardless of the situation - whether the person is in need of short-term rehabilitation, suffering from long-term or terminal illness, or is just facing the increased difficulties associated with aging. Developed in the U.S., Share The Care™ has been endorsed by the ALS Association and the National Family Caregiver Association.
The South West Health Integration Network (LHIN) is funding an eighteen- month campaign to make caregivers in this region aware of this powerful model.
Thursday June 25th 2009, 5:20 pm
Filed under: News
We are delighted to share with you some news about a Share The Care™ Program for South West Ontario. ShareTheCaregiving, Inc. will be providing trainings on the model for health professionals throughout the region.
Campaign Supports Caregiving Groups
When a friend or loved one is facing a health or medical crisis, many of us want to help but aren’t always sure how. Some of us hesitate because we’re concerned we’ll be asked to do something we’re not necessarily comfortable doing. ShareTheCaregiving’s Share The Care™ is a caregiving model that shows how ordinary people can pool their talents, time and resources to assist a friend or loved one facing a health or medical crisis.“Being part of a caregiving group can be a truly rewarding experience,” says Anne Marie Madziak, a past member of two such groups. “Share The Care™ turns offers of ‘What can I do to help?’ into positive action.”
It’s an approach that can help regardless of the situation — whether the person is in need of short-term rehabilitation, suffering from long-term or terminal illness, or is just facing the increased difficulties associated with aging. Developed in the U.S., Share The Care™ has been endorsed by the ALS Association and the National Family Caregiver Association.
The South West Health Integration Network (LHIN) is funding an eighteen-month campaign to make caregivers in this region aware of this powerful model.
A Campaign Coordinator is being hired to lead a focused effort to encourage the creation of Share The Care™ groups across South West Ontario. The Coordinator will work with a volunteer Campaign Team made up of health care providers, community groups, and individuals who have personal experience with caring for a loved one or friend.
“We’re excited to be part of this initiative,” says Paul Cavanagh, Director of the South West End-of-Life Care Network. “Caregiving can be a lonely job. Share The Care™ shows us that help isn’t as far away as we sometimes think it is.”
An online resource is being launched to support the campaign. The South West Caregiver Exchange will be a “mini-site,” part of www.thehealthline.ca , the South West’s trusted source of up-to-the-minute information about health and social services.
Wednesday March 18th 2009, 1:29 pm
Filed under: Appeal, News
Have you ever been in a SHARE THE CARE group?
If that’s a “YES” we need your help!
ShareTheCaregiving is like one big Share The Care™ group. And just like a friend or family in need our organization needs to raise at least $25,000 for operating support.
A $10 (or $25 or $50) donation from every person who has ever been in a Share The Care™ group could keep us going during this incredibly challenging year. (Or you can pool your funds and make a group donation.) There are thousands of you out there and yet we rarely receive your support.
So often, you’ve shared that our grassroots model saved your day. Now, save our day and keep us reaching and teaching first–time or struggling burned-out caregivers about the rewards (for everyone) of having friends and neighbors pool their time, skills and love to share the care.
Please make a check payable to ShareTheCaregiving, Inc./NCCI
And send your tax-deductible donation via mail:
ShareTheCaregiving, Inc.
c/o National Center for Civic Innovation
121 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10013
Seeking Share The Care™ groups helping families dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s for an Alzheimer’s Foundation publication, ADvantage Magazine. The writer would like to interview a family and/or group members for an article she is writing.
The Alliance is interested in hearing stories about caregivers who have experienced difficulties in caregiving responsibilities due to the downturn in the economy. They are looking for stories that have occurred within the past year only. In addition, if you identified any resources that were helpful to you during this time, they would be interested in hearing about that as well.
Thursday December 04th 2008, 7:17 am
Filed under: Appeal
December 2008
Dear Supporter,
In tough times like these, ShareTheCaregiving’s mission is even more important, as we work to empower communities to share the burdens and joys of supporting one another. Every day we read a new caregiving story in the papers about people who are struggling in one way or another; the beauty of our program is that it enables each of us to participate in a positive, deeply meaningful and constructive way in another’s life.
So, we turn to our first line of defense: individuals and group caregivers like you who know what a Share The Care™ group is capable of doing, be it in times of difficulty or times of great joy (see below). Unfortunately, foundation support only pays a small fraction of our expenses to keep going.
We need your help - specifically to pay our rent, purchase books for distribution, print brochures, and hire needed staff. And we’re actively searching for funds to build an innovative web application to meet the specific needs of individual Share The Care™ groups.
A generous donation from you will make the difference that will allow us to continue our mission to educate the friends, neighbors and co-workers of people in need on how to Share The Care™.
Whether you send us an individual donation, or pool your funds with your fellow group members and friends - it will make a major difference. A donation can be made “in memory” or, “in honor” of someone special - just please include his or her name. And to personally acknowledge your tax-deductible gift, we’ll need your name & address.
As the holiday season approaches the Board of Directors and I want to wish you and your family much health, hope and joy during the holidays and throughout the New Year ahead.
Warmest regards,
Sheila Warnock
Founder & President
ShareTheCaregiving Inc.
551 Fifth Avenue, 28th Floor
New York, New York 10176
646-467-8097
A NEW KIND OF SHARE THE CARE ™ EXPERIENCE
“The Diaper Darlings have been going strong since September 16, 2007 caring for the Quads: Ben, Savannah, Drew and Ethan.
I was so blessed to have the knowledge the Share The Care book had given me so that I could help this family expecting four new babies all at one time. I knew I could do it - I knew it would work - it had for my family.
The Quads have about 50 adopted Mom’s, Grandma’s, Great Grandma’s and Grandpa’s who love them dearly. (Recruited from our Church).
So, the Share The Care™ program not only helps people who are ill, but can also provide support to families during times of great joy as well. I’m so blessed to be able to offer this assistance to so many families. It feels so good to be able to “give back” some of the gifts given to me, and my family, while caring for my daughter, Marcie.”
Wednesday October 01st 2008, 1:47 am
Filed under: Press Release, News
ShareTheCaregiving Inc.™
Helps Kick Off National Family Caregivers Month
National Family Caregivers Month, celebrated every November, is a nationally recognized time set aside every year to thank, support, educate and empower more than 50 million family caregivers across the country currently providing over $350 billion in “free” caregiving services. Celebrating NFC Month in your community can bring attention to your programs and raise awareness about caregiving.
FREE Family Caregiver National TeleClass in November
This FREE two-part series features 2 one-hour phone calls:
• Date: November 6 and 13 at 2 p.m. ET
• Title: Communicating Effectively with Healthcare Professionals
• To register visit: www.thefamilycaregiver.org or call 800-896-3650 ShareTheCaregiving Inc. is pleased to be an endorsing organization of NFC Month, created by the National Family Caregivers Association to bring attention to the needs of family caregivers. “This year we are encouraging people to speak up during National Family Caregivers Month.” said Suzanne Mintz, NFCA president and co-founder. “One of the most important attributes of being an advocate for your loved one is the ability to speak up to health care professionals protecting not only the health and safety of your loved ones but for yourself as well.”
Top 10 Ways to Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month 2008
1. Offer a few hours of respite time to a family caregiver so they spend time with friends, or simply relax.
2. Send a card of appreciation or a bouquet of flowers to brighten up a family caregiver’s day.
3. Encourage local businesses to offer a free service for family caregivers through the month of November.
4. Invite family caregivers to participate in the National Family Caregivers Association’s FREE national TeleClass to learn how to communicate more effectively with health care professionals. The 2 free one hour sessions will be November 6 and 13 at 2 p.m. ET. For more information visit www.thefamilycaregiver.org.
5. Help a family caregiver decorate their home for the holidays or offer to address envelopes for their holiday cards.
6. Offer comic relief! Purchase tickets to a local comedy club, give a family caregiver your favorite funny movie to view, or provide them with a book on tape.
7. Find 12 different family photos and have a copy center create a monthly calendar that the family caregiver can use to keep track of appointments and events.
8. Offer to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for a caregiving family in your community, so they can just relax and enjoy the holiday.
9. Take a few minutes to write a letter encouraging your mayor, county executive, or governor to issue a local proclamation establishing November as National Family Caregivers Month. Contact information for state government officials can be found at www.firstgov.gov.
10. Help family caregivers find information and resources on the internet or to locate a local support group.
