Heather McHugh's MacArthur Went to Care for Caregivers
Wow: In 2009, poet Heather McHugh was awarded a $500,000 MacArthur Foundation fellowship, reports The Daily Kos, "and had no idea what to do with the money." Upon recognizing that "people who are full-time caregivers truly need a break," McHugh created a grant-service organization called Caregifted, which offers getaways for those who care for the disabled:
CAREGIFTED grants respite to long-term family caregivers, and works to greaten public recognition of their gifts to society, as well as of their historically unprecedented numbers.
Full-time caregivers of the most severely disabled have sacrificed their own leisure, resources and ambitions to serve those unable to serve themselves. Such acts of love go largely unnoticed because these caregivers are generally confined to their homes, mired in unpaid labors.
CAREGIFTED offers weeks away in inspiring locations—scenic vacation spots where caregivers can refresh their perspectives and record their views in words and images, returning home better rested and represented.
Find out more about McHugh's project by watching the video below.