On July 28, Easter Seals Dixon Center continued its webinar series with a special Spanish-language event focused on strengthening the emotional intelligence of caregivers. This webinar, which featured Texas Dole Caregiver Fellow Sonia Alvarado, marked more than two years of free, online training opportunities offered by a team of nonprofits and veteran service organizations, led by the Dixon Center and held in partnership with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. The training initiative was one of the first pledges of caregiver support announced at the launch of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation National Coalition.
Since the first webinar in May 2014, the Easter Seals Dixon Center has worked with other members of the National Coalition to provide expert guest speakers on topics and skills that caregivers would otherwise be left to learn on their own. The series has also focused on strengthening the well-being of the caregivers themselves, preparing them for the emotional challenges of caring for a loved one. Over the last two years, the Dixon Center has built a catalogue of recorded webinars on its website that are available to caregivers whenever and wherever they need them.
The webinar series was created as a direct response to the Foundation’s RAND study, which called for caregivers to be empowered through knowledge and skill-building opportunities. Dole Caregiver Fellows and other select caregivers speak as part of each training to give firsthand perspective on the chosen topic. The Foundation is grateful to Easter Seals Dixon Center, its partners – USO, Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, Caregiver Action Network, National Alliance for Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance, and Atlas, LLC – and webinar sponsor Newman’s Own for providing such a valuable resource to hidden heroes.
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