Hi John —

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I wanted to take one last moment moment before the end of the month to share my story.

I started seeing a therapist in the fall of 2011. I was muddling through some unresolved conflict in lost personal relationships and trying to figure out what I wanted — career wise, in love, my goals or vision for the future. Pretty normal young adult existentialism.

Then, just three months later, my Abuelo suddenly passed away in Puerto Rico. My mother and I didn’t have any warning — and we definitely did not expect how our lives would abruptly change, as we took on the responsibility of caring for my grandmother, my Tata.

Caring Across Generations is working to make life better for caregivers around the country by providing additional support for families. Will you support our work to make this possible? Make a donation today to support Caring Across Generations.

Two relationships helped me rediscover my purpose: my therapist and the fellow caregivers I met through Caring Across Generations. My therapist was there to coach me through the darkest moments, the most exhausting weeks, the days I didn’t know how I was going to survive.

Meeting other caregivers through Caring Across Generations supplemented the hard work I was doing in therapy. Talking with others going through similar situations legitimized my experience. I soon learned that it's not just me, there really isn’t enough support for families like ours.

This is why investing in policies like those included in President Biden’s Build Back Better plan, like $400 Billion for expanded home and community based services and mandating Paid Family Medical Leave for all, is critical to supporting our families and yes, our mental health as well. As you and I are well aware, much of the strain on our mental and emotional well being are simply due to a lack of security or resources for the help that is direly needed. We can start fixing that right now by keeping the pressure up in D.C. — but we can’t do it without your help!

I found my voice through Caring Across Generations. Will you help us reach even more caregivers so we can continue to build the power of the Caring Majority? Your donation will help us advocate for the solutions we need to make caregiving just a bit easier for everyone.

Make your donation today.

I hope my experience will bring you some comfort in knowing you are not alone, not by any means.

With care,

Rebekah Azaylia Alexander
Caregiver & Individual Giving Manager
Caring Across Generations

PS — To read more about my story and the ways caregiving impacted my mental health, check out my blog post on the Caring Across site!