Getting a caregiver package: What it feels like

Caregiver support organizations send care packages to promote the health and well-being of family caregivers who care for others.

The beauty of a caregiver package it shows you care.

A perfect stranger sends you nice little trinkets that make you smile.

The Interview: "lil gangreen Gets a Caregiver Package From Kind Strangers"

‍lil gangreen is a 35 year old tertiary caregiver, lucky enough to have his mom as primary caregiver, and wife as secondary caregiver, to his dad who’s living with Parkinson’s and dementia in rural Michigan.

Graycare: Here you are with a bunch of caregiver goodies in your living room. Where did you get them? I see the sender is the Jewish Family Center?

*lilgangreen:

I think I found the Jewish Family Service of Michigan online when I was searching for caregiver support groups in Michigan.

They had a workshop series for caregivers. Even though they’re a couple of hours away in Detroit, I signed up anyway because I looking for support.

On that day, I think I was I holding up in my room trying to find some help and not knowing what to do. And honestly, I signed up expecting nothing to happen.

But one day I got a call from Jewish Family Service asking to confirm my attendance to the workshop series. It was one of only a handful of times I’ve discussed my caregiving circumstances with anyone outside the home.

I was nervous and apologetic, and told them I’m sorry if I’m “out of bounds” if I’m too far away from Detroit. But they stayed on the line with me and said they’d see what they could do. We hung up on a wonderful note when the person on the other line wished me a long life. Thank you!

The caregiver box was just a side thing that I didn’t want them to feel obligated to send it.

The person on the other end of the line assured me it is an online workshop that I could join from Zoom, so I did!

I really liked the workshop, and I hadn’t even known the caregiver box had arrived. A day or two after the workshop, my wife showed me that I had a package. What a wonderful surprise!

Graycare: I’m watching a video of you unboxing the caregiver package you received. Why’d you shoot the video?

*lilgangreen:

The workshop series is running from late 2022 through to early 2023. My family is so thrilled to receive a gift from a group of kind strangers. We videotaped unboxing and taking a look at all the caregiver goodies inside.

I'll try to post the caregiver box video social media once I figure out all the buttons.

What’s even more special is that it's a kind of a real human connection.

I could have bought myself some nice stuff on Amazon, but here’s a group of people who put a great deal of thought into how they could help me out, and I’m a total stranger!

I think I’m finally starting to open my eyes. I think why I like it so much, why it brings a smile to my face, is because I'm so delightfully surprised.

I was just feeling crappy, alone on the internet like I usually do to solve my problems when I signed up for the workshop. But it turned out that I actually talked to some people, and they were real people, who made a tangible impact on my life.

I guess I’d gotten so used the the pattern where trying leads to failing, that getting this caregiver package in the mail was the important event that helped me rethink my approach to seeking and accepting help as a caregiver who’s in too deep.

Graycare: What’s your favorite item from the caregiver gift box? Is there one you like the most?

*lilgangreen:

What first comes to mind is, the caregiver gratitude journal. Since I regularly write down tiny gratitudes in my phone, I’m not a person who’d go out and buy a paperback gratitude journal that has prompts to get me started, but I tried it out and loved it.

The big difference is when writing in the particular gratitude journal sent to me, with pen to paper I’m remembering  my friends at the Jewish Family Service are on my team.

My mom and I had a cherished moment together watching the sand cascade… It’s too  hard to pick just one!

The items are great, but I think we’re circling back to the human connection here. I’m grateful for the moments I’ve spent with my family due to all this. I was feeling powerless when this whole thing started, now I feel surrounded by support.

I think isolation from Covid in years past, as Post-Covid continues into flue season… It was rough on us. Beyond the caregiver creature comforts which I very much do enjoy, this whole thing has ushered in a new source of hope. I’m more ready now to accept outside help than I was before. Thank you for teaching me this valuable lesson.