Kyle Woody can recall a time when he had no idea what a caregiver was. That time is in the distant past, before he cofounded Jack’s Caregiver Coalition, a nonprofit serving caregivers. Today he patiently recites the definition twice so I can get it on paper.
“A caregiver is someone who has taken responsibility for a loved one facing a health crisis.”
And Jack’s mission is to serve those caregivers. Initially started as a resource for men, today Jack’s provides support groups and other services for caregivers of all genders. Although Kyle is not a social worker, his work intersects with clinical social work, and Jack’s can serve as a resource for our clients and their families.
Kyle’s own caregiving journey began in the Tidewater region of Virginia, where he lived with his wife Sarah. They had just had their second child when Sarah was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer.
The couple were completely unprepared for how this diagnosis would upend their lives. Expecting Sarah to live no more than two years, they moved to Minneapolis, where Sarah had long wished to live. Kyle continued caring for her and their two children while working at his construction management position. Pushing through was all he knew to do.
A friend came to stay with them. Expecting to act as host to a guest, Kyle was dumbfounded when his friend looked at him and said, “That’s not why I’m here. I’m here to serve you.”
As time passed, Kyle began to digest his new reality, and to realize that he wanted to pay that service forward. He connected with two other men who were caring for ill spouses, and the three of them cofounded Jack’s.
Jack’s was originally started to support male caregivers, and the majority of men who participate are caring for spouses with cancer. The organization still offers one-on-one coaching and respite activities for men, but is otherwise open to all genders.
I ask Kyle about the focus on men. He replies that caregiving is not easy, particularly for men who have been socialized to fix things and put aside their feelings. He goes on to point out, “The people who have the most to gain from emotionally well-equipped male caregivers might be women.”
And just who was Jack? He was a friend of the friend who came to help Kyle when his wife was ill. Asked what a person was supposed to do in that situation, he had responded, “Serve the caregiver.” And Jack’s Caregiver Coalition does just that.
For more information, visit the Jack’s website: https://www.jackscaregiverco.org/
Jack’s also sponsors a caregiver conference: https://www.caregivercon.com/
