Honoring Caregivers: Why Love Impact Week Matters
- Dream Mentorship
- Nov 15
- 5 min read
The women who care for everyone else deserve to be celebrated too.
Community events for caregivers in North Carolina.
The Invisible Heroes Among Us
She wakes up at 5 AM to help her aging mother get dressed before rushing to work. She skips lunch to save money for her son's medication. She stays up past midnight doing laundry and meal prep for the next day. She hasn't bought herself new clothes in two years, but she makes sure everyone else has what they need.
If this sounds familiar, you either know a caregiver—or you are one.
In Catawba County, thousands of women carry the weight of caregiving on their shoulders. They're caring for aging parents, children with special needs, disabled spouses, or chronically ill family members. They do it with love, with grace, and often without recognition.
This December 6th, that changes.
The Hidden Cost of Caregiving
Caregiving is often called a "labor of love," but the reality is far more complex. According to national research, family caregivers:
Spend an average of 24 hours per week providing care (equivalent to a part-time job)
Face financial strain, with many reducing work hours or leaving jobs entirely
Experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and physical health problems
Often neglect their own medical care, nutrition, and rest
Here's what we don't talk about enough: Many caregivers face food insecurity. They're making impossible choices—feed themselves or their care recipient. Buy medicine or groceries. Pay the electric bill or put gas in the car to get to doctor's appointments.
During the holidays, when the world is celebrating abundance, these women are stretching every dollar, skipping meals, and feeling invisible.
Meet the Women We're Celebrating
The woman who cares for her mother with dementia while raising two teenagers. She works night shifts as a CNA so she can be home during the day. She can't remember the last time someone asked, "How are you doing?"
The single mom to a son with autism. Between therapy appointments, IEP meetings, and managing meltdowns, she rarely has time to shower, let alone feel appreciated.
These aren't hypothetical women. They're our neighbors in Hickory. They're checking out in front of us at Food Lion, sitting beside us at church, living quietly with burdens most of us can't imagine.
Why Love Impact Week Exists
Love Impact Week was born from a simple but powerful question:
"Who's caring for the caregivers?"
Too often, the answer is no one. That's why on December 6th, we're creating a day that says to 50 local women: "We see you. We honor you. You matter." This isn't charity. This is celebration.
What Love Impact Week Offers:
A Beautiful Meal – Not a rushed dinner grabbed between tasks, but a sit-down celebration where they're served for once.
Thoughtful Holiday Gifts – Practical items they need but would never buy for themselves, plus a touch of luxury they deserve.
Mentorship & Encouragement – Wisdom from women who've walked similar paths, reminding them they're not alone.
Connection to Resources – Information about support services, respite care, and community programs they may not know exist.
A Moment to Breathe – Space to laugh, cry, share stories, and remember who they are beyond their caregiving role.
The Ripple Effect of Recognition
When we honor a caregiver, something powerful happens. It's not just about one nice day (though that matters). It's about shifting how we see these women, and how they see themselves.
Caregivers who feel supported:
Provide better care to their loved ones
Stay healthier themselves
Build connections that sustain them long-term
Model resilience and self-care for their families
When we celebrate one caregiver, we remind hundreds of others that their work has value. One woman leaves Love Impact Week feeling seen. She tells her friend who's also struggling. That friend reaches out for help she's been too proud to ask for. A local church starts a caregiver support group. Slowly, the culture shifts. This is how change happens—one honored woman at a time.
The Power of Community
Love Impact Week is only possible because of partners who believe caregivers deserve celebration. Local businesses donating gift cards. Restaurants providing meals. Community members giving financially. Volunteers setting up, serving, and cheering these women on. This is Catawba County at its best—neighbors taking care of neighbors.
How You Can Be Part of the Impact:
If You're a Caregiver: Know that you're not alone. Your sacrifice matters. Your exhaustion is valid. Your needs are important. We'd be honored to celebrate you on December 6th. Register here to attend. We can't wait to see you.
If You Want to Give: Your donation doesn't just provide a meal or gift—it tells a struggling woman that her community hasn't forgotten her. You may donate on our giving page.
If You're a Business: Partner with us to show caregivers that Hickory values their contribution. Your support makes celebration possible.
If You Want to Spread the Word: Share this post. Tag a caregiver you know. Post about Love Impact Week. Sometimes awareness is the most valuable gift, helping caregivers know support exists.
What One Brunch Can Change
Will one brunch solve systemic caregiver burnout? No.
Will it end food insecurity? No.
Will it make caregiving easy? No.
But will it remind 50 women that they matter? Absolutely.
Will it connect them to resources that help? Yes.
Will it create relationships that sustain them through hard days? Yes.
Will it send a message to our entire community that caregivers deserve honor? Yes.
And sometimes, that's exactly what someone needs to keep going—to know they're not invisible.
The Invitation
This holiday season, as many of us plan celebrations, let's remember the women who make celebrations possible for others but rarely experience them themselves.
Love Impact Week is December 6th at 12 PM in Hickory, NC.
Whether you're a caregiver needing support, a donor wanting to give, or simply someone who believes these women deserve to be honored, you're invited to be part of this movement. Because in a world that often overlooks caregivers, Love Impact Week says loud and clear: You are seen. You are valued . You are celebrated. And that matters more than you know.
Join the Movement
Donate: donation link. Apply for Support: Registration link. Become a Partner: Email our team at info@dreammentorship.org. Follow Us: @dreammentorship. Nominate a Caregiver.
Please share this post with someone who needs to know they matter. Tag a caregiver. Spread the word. Together, we can make sure no caregiver feels forgotten this holiday season.
Love Impact Week is a community celebration honoring women and caregivers in Catawba County, NC. For more information or to get involved, contact info@dreammentorship.org
Comments