Director of Community Engagement
Are You a Champion of Caregiving? Welcome to the Club!
We’ve dedicated the cover of this newsletter to a new program at CaringKind that we’re calling “Caregiver Champions.” Our cover features the first 100 Champions who are included in the Class of 2021.
Caregiver Champions are individuals who support the work of CaringKind by way of caregiving, advocacy, and of course, fundraising. Launched as part of our annual Walk, Caregiver Champions are known in our community for the work they do on behalf of Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving. We wanted to bring all of our Champions together in a spirit of camaraderie to forge new connections and demonstrate just how strong the foundation is for New York City families affected by Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Leading the Class of 2021 are four volunteers who embody the spirit of Caregiver Champions
Liz Hamburg is the founder of Candoo Tech, providing in-person and remote tech support and training for older adults to keep them safe, independent, and connected.
Dick Helstein is a CaringKind board member and currently president of Creative Focus, a marketing and advertising consulting firm.
Carol Lenz’s mother and mother-in-law were affected by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. She has organized an annual fundraiser in Connecticut, directing funds to family support and research.
Patricia Gibbs was an active caregiver for her husband, who passed away at age 59 from Alzheimer’s disease. She has been an advocate and fundraiser since 2007 for a variety of Alzheimer’s causes.
All of our Caregiver Champions will be featured on our honor wall in elegant black-and-white portraits, both online and in our training center. Champions will be honored at an annual breakfast or luncheon (when gathering is permitted), as well as receive special communications and first-looks at upcoming programs. And, each year, the first Caregiver Champions will be featured on the cover of our newsletter – just like this one!
In addition to their advocacy, Champions also pledge to give or raise a minimum of $500 on behalf of CaringKind. The Class of 2021 may fulfill that pledge anytime between July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021. CaringKind will help our Champions raise those funds by creating a fundraising page on our platform.
To meet our Caregiver Champions, visit caringkindnyc.org/champions. You can become a Champion from there. (You don’t have to upload a photo if you prefer not to. If you choose to, we’ll edit your photo so that it’s aesthetically consistent with the other photos as shown here.)
If you know someone who should be included in our Caregiver Champions program, please nominate them by emailing their name and contact information to Chris Doucette at cdoucette@cknyc.org.
We would be honored if you join this illustrious group. We can guarantee that you’ll be in good company.