As I look ahead and dream the future of Lead with Love I see us focusing our energy on encouraging and celebrating a culture of service and supporting those who serve, especially those that serve children.

Lead with Love’s Care for the Caregivers, or C4C, Program honors our original intention and mission to shift culture from fear to love by supporting heart-centered leaders. Throughout my time directing this organization I have met so many incredibly inspiring people and organizations doing critically important work. When I’ve gotten to know the founder’s and people working behind the scenes, what I noticed was a huge amount of dedication and passion for the cause AND a great need for self care. These heroes are literally out there doing the work to prevent suicide, end gun violence, save the planet from destruction, save children from abuse and neglect, keep people fed, cure illnesses, etc and they themselves are lacking support.

Nurses, doctors, teachers, therapists, counselors, human rights activists, case workers, environmental advocates, mothers … The people on the front lines of “Caring” need to be cared for as well. We are looking at various ways to support caregivers. So far we have curated and are hosting monthly workshops in partnership with CASA of the Ninth, we helped organize and lead a day-long retreat in Glenwood Springs for caregivers of all sorts in July, and we are providing scholarships to our La Dolce Vita Retreat in Italy to three amazing caregivers.

The idea to codify this program came from a request I got in April of 2023 to help CASA of the Ninth to support their advocates. A CASA is a Court Appointed Special Advocate. CASA’s are volunteers who are often a lifeline for neglected and abused children in the child welfare system navigating the judicial system often on their own.

When I became a CASA in 2020, I was shocked that this essential role was being done by volunteers. Thank goodness people were willing to do it, but it is a heavy duty training and a big commitment to take on a case and a child. Of course it is also SO rewarding to be there for someone, especially an innocent child, who is lost in this cruel system because of incompetent and ill equipped parents and a society who agrees to let children suffer by placing priorities elsewhere. Look at THIS REPORT to see what I mean, these same red states that are predominantly led by people who espouse “family values” and faith have the worst record as far as actually doing anything to help kids. Actions speak louder than words!

What I learned from my own fertility journey and looking deeply into adoption and foster care is that there are really deep flaws and corruption within the system to help care for children globally. Because I know about this - and I think it is something we all know about to some degree, but don’t want to know so continually allow ourselves to be distracted - I feel like I must do something, anything to make life better for these kids. The best way I can do that right now is to support the people and causes that are doing the work on the ground.

Here are few of the causes that I personally support that help kids and families to possibly inspire you: CASA of the Ninth, Cambodian Children’s Fund, Jacmel Children’s Center, International Rescue Committee, LifeCamp, Elevating Connections, Covenant House, Choose Love, Charity:Water, World Central Kitchen, Planned Parenthood, Foster Love, UNICEF, Together Rising, Sandy Hook Promise, Pathfinders, Focused Kids, Aspen Hope Center. There are more in the environmental realm that of course also support children because we are destroying the earth and need to do all we can to protect her! I wrote a bit about that in this column.

I wrote about the need of this Care For the Caregiver’s program in The Aspen Times in May. Please read that HERE and reach out to us if you’d like to get involved more with this program and help to care for those who care for others, especially children.

Together with Lead with Love and Aspen Community Foundation, CASA of the Ninth was proud to host the first ever Care for the Caregivers Retreat! The idea for this retreat came to fruition after many conversations with volunteers at CASA, community partners and the CASA Board of Directors.

We know that many of our best, brightest, and most important caregivers are facing burnout and secondary trauma that surpasses any we have seen in recent years. Caregivers see that others are struggling and doing something to help is within their nature. We too wanted to offer care, but this time FOR the caregivers. Thank you to all that attended.

Special thanks to Lead with Love and Aspen Community Foundation supporting our vision!