Exhale Announces $2M in Grants to Empower Family Caregivers Across Southeast Michigan with Respite Programs

Image courtesy of Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative Exhale is giving family caregivers across Southeast Michigan a well-deserved breather. The Family Caregiver Initiative recently announced nearly $2.2 million in funding for 11 new respite programs powered by partnerships among 50 organizations. These innovative projects aim to reimagine relief, providing creative, community driven solutions that lighten the load for caregivers while supporting the ones they love. Grants were awarded to 11 lead organizations that partnered with other local organizations to develop projects to increase access to respite services and enhance families’ well-being in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne Counties. Misha Stallworth West, program officer for caregivers of older adults at Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, emphasized that each project team has its own creative idea that will allow family caregivers an opportunity to rest, recharge, and attend to their own well-being. “With more than 1.7 million family caregivers in Michigan—44 percent residing in Southeast Michigan—the need for respite projects is significant,” West said. These new respite projects will launch in early 2025 and include support groups, educational workshops, respite expos, community engagement activities, and more. For example, one team is hosting a support group and workshops about...