Building Community: Weekly Support Group for African American Caregivers
February 28, 2025
Q&A with Family Consultant Norell Wheeler, MPH / MBH
Despite disproportionate stress experienced by African American caregivers in our culture, support services designed for this community are few and far between. That’s why Family Caregiver Alliance is excited to announce our African American support group, kicking off Tuesday, March 4, 2025, from 4:00 to 5:30 pm.
This recurring online gathering will be hosted by FCA Family Consultant Norell Wheeler, MPH / MBH, and will provide a safe space for caregivers to build community, discuss caregiving topics, and share healing self-care practices. We sat down with Norell to discuss this unique offering, what participants can expect and why this group is so important.
What: African American Caregiver Support Group
When: 2025 schedule runs March 4 – April 1; May 6 – June 3; July 8 -August 5; September 9 – October 7; November 11 – December 9
Who: San Francisco Bay Area family caregivers of Black/African descent who care for someone with adult onset neurodegenerative disorder or who have a chronic health condition and are over the age of 60.
Registration is ongoing. Visit the FCA Support Groups page to learn more.
Who is invited to join the African American support group?
Anyone who is of Black African descent, who cares for someone with an adult onset neurodegenerative disorder or is over the age of 60 and lives with a chronic health condition; who provides care in the San Francisco Bay Area, including Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Men, women, non-gendered and trans individuals are all welcome. The idea of this group is to build community with others who understand you and your caregiving journey, so I’m looking for people who can commit to our ongoing schedule.
What can a participant expect from an African American Support Group gathering?
We’ll open each meeting with a positive affirmation, then give space and time to check in with everyone. You can share what’s coming up for you or something that you need support for, in regard to caregiving. Or, you can just sit and listen and be held in a supportive space. We’ll allow enough time for everyone to speak, network and support each other. We’ll then close with a spiritual modality that I’ll teach or that a participant would like to share.
Can you talk about self-care practices you’ll cover and why these are so important for this community?
Whether it’s meditation, prayer or sacraments, spiritual fitness is a big part of our community. We’ll invite participants to share their own spiritual fitness routines and I’ll also introduce them to new modalities. Kirtan Kriya, for example, is a meditation practice that incorporates sound, music and touch and is scientifically proven to improve brain health and lower stress and anxiety. It’s a practice that most people are not privy to, so we’ll spend time teaching and learning these modalities together. My hope is that caregivers will incorporate these into their daily life to relieve stress and bring more light and levity to their lives.
Can you talk about what inspired you to create this support group along with Family Caregiver Alliance?
I’ve been a caregiver since I was a child. In my teens, I began doing the same for my dad. Later, I dropped out of college and took care of him until he transitioned. Then, my sister died, and I helped parent her three kids. Eventually, I was able to go back to school. Today, I’m balancing caregiving for my mom and second dad with working on a doctorate degree.
Because of these experiences, I know what it’s like to not have that support and to hold space for yourself. Who can I talk to who understands how I’m balancing all of this—as a daughter, an employee and a student? I’m so honored to be able to offer this caregiving group, and I want to build something that will carry on beyond me. It’s a very special project.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about the African American Caregiver Support Group?
There is a uniqueness to the experiences that Black caregivers share, and this group is one way to bring us together so we can support one another. Come as you are—this is your safe space.