The Heart Behind the Foundation
By Carlo — Founder, California Respite Care Foundation
I learned about caregiving long before I ever called myself a caregiver.
As a child, I struggled with asthma, sleep apnea, and severe anxiety. We didn’t have much. Medical resources were limited. But I had something stronger than medicine — I had my grandmother.
She stayed up with me through breathless nights. She prepared my meals, watched over my sleep, and carried fears I was too young to understand. I never realized how heavy that responsibility was. I only knew I was loved.
Years later, when I became a professional caregiver, I finally understood what she had given me. I began caring for seniors in their 70s, 80s, and 90s — and I saw the same story repeating itself in home after home.
Sons becoming nurses overnight.
Spouses becoming full-time caregivers.
Families exhausted, untrained, and overwhelmed — but continuing because love leaves no other option.
One client told me something I will never forget:
“You can have many problems in life. But when you have a health problem, you only have one.”
Behind closed doors, families are quietly breaking under the weight of caregiving. There are not enough resources. Not enough support. Not enough relief.
Caregivers need care, too.
During the pandemic, my grandmother — my hero — passed away with dementia and COVID. I was caring for others while she needed me most. That grief changed me.
I knew helping one family at a time was no longer enough.
That is why I founded the California Respite Care Foundation.
Our mission is simple but urgent:
To give family caregivers rest.
To provide dignified respite care.
To offer guidance, education, and emotional support.
To make sure no caregiver feels alone.
This is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Your support does more than fund a nonprofit. It gives a caregiver a moment to breathe. It protects the dignity of an aging parent. It restores strength to families who are running on empty.
This foundation is my promise — to my grandmother, to the families I’ve served, and to every caregiver who feels unseen.
Help us build something that outlives us.
Help us bring relief where there is exhaustion.
Help us remind caregivers that they matter, too.
Together, we can give families the one thing they desperately need:
A chance to breathe again.
Please join us in our mission
