Poet Uses “Genius Grant” Money to Award Vacations to Family Caregivers

A Seattle-based poet who received a “genius grant” from the MacArthur Foundation used her prize money to establish a nonprofit organization that gives vacations to family caregivers.

Heather McHugh, the grant recipient, used the $500,000 prize money to create the organization Caregifted, which rewards people who have cared for a family member for a decade or longer with a paid vacation.

By offering trips to “scenic vacation spots where caregivers can refresh their perspectives and record their views in words and images,” family caregivers return home better rested, the Caregifted website says.

As many as 70 percent of family caregivers say they have suffered depression due to their duties, the website Daily Kos noted in an August 18 story about Caregifted.

Family caregivers can apply to receive a vacation at the Caregifted website.

— by Matthew Ozga