United Way of Morris County Events
Recent Events

Caregivers Turn Out, Seeking Needed Support
Coalition Holds its First Educational Conference
Saturday, March 8, 2008

Heavy winds and pelting rain took a brief and welcome break the morning of Saturday, March 8 as over 115 caregivers and others arrived at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Whippany, NJ eager to begin the day. 

The event was a Caregivers Coalition of Morris County's conference entitled "Building a Mosaic of Care."  The conference was designed to share important information on caregiving with those who provide care for loved ones of all ages.  The Coalition is a United Way of Morris County initiative. 

Carol DeGraw, United Way of Morris County, welcomed the crowd and set the stage:
"As every caregiver in the audience knows, caring for a loved one can be a positive and rewarding experience.  It can also be life altering and consuming, leaving some caregivers facing physical, emotional, and financial hardships.  United Way and the Coalition recognize the incredible value of the care provided by caregivers, not only to their loved ones but to our society."

Nancy Lewin, director of Johnson & Johnson's The Caregiver Initiative, was the keynote speaker.  Sharing her personal and moving caregiving experiences, Lewin crystallized the fact that, while each caregiving journey is unique, there are many commonalities that all caregivers share.

Attendees had a choice of three panel discussion workshops which covered Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security benefits, key things to know for different caregiving situations, and techniques on managing mind-body stress.

The event was sponsored by Arden Courts, the Center for Life Transition, and Touching Hearts at Home and was hosted by the Frelinghuysen Arboretum,

Carol DeGraw thanked all the sponsors, volunteers, moderators, and panelists who helped make the day such a rousing success.  Feedback from the caregivers was consistently positive, and indicated that the information was appreciated and that additional conferences would be welcome.

The day ended with many new connections made, stories shared, and valuable information tucked away.  Despite the storms outside, inside the Arboretum was a feeling of warmth and support.  "Even strangers felt familiar," noted DeGraw.