11/16/2025
November 15, 2025: Today was a profound day for me. It was a day of bringing people together for something bigger than each of us individually. A day that reminded me of how each one of us is vital to the well-being of our neighbors. I started the day with our 11th Livingston County Caregivers conference. It was a day to say thank you and honor our family caregivers who devote their lives and energy caring for a loved one with severe health challenges, disabilities, memory loss, or Alzheimer’s disease. Our goal was to equip family caregivers by providing them with the tools and resources they need to take better care of themselves, so they can care for others. This day was truly a collaborative and community effort with many sponsors involved. My colleague, Doris Green, from NYS Caregiving & Respite Coalition, gave an inspirational and encouraging message to our caregivers, reminding us all that life and relationships were often messy, but there are nuggets of gold to be found in thankfulness for the many moments of joy along life’s journey. Doris understands the needs of family caregivers, as she has been a caregiver most of her adult life. It was also a day for bringing the community together and solidifying friendships as we all worked together with one purpose – to encourage, uplift and support family caregivers. Over the years, I have come to deeply respect my friends from the Alzheimer’s Association, Lifespan, the Livingston Co. OFA, and the many professionals in the field of elder care, as I watch how they love people through their work. I have worked in the world of non-profit organizations for 25 years and know how incredibly fortunate I am to have amazing colleagues who genuinely care about the people they serve and the work that they do. I have been tremendously blessed to work on projects like this that bring our community together.
