The National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Foundation Honor Innovators Making a Difference in the Lives of ...( MINNEAPOLIS July 21 USNewswire ...),Health

MINNEAPOLIS, July 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Representatives from leading national aging organizations and agencies convened today in Minneapolis, MN to honor the 2009 winners of the National Family Caregiving Awards, sponsored by the National Alliance for Caregiving and MetLife Foundation. The event recognized community-based programs supporting family caregivers of older adults, rewarding innovation, effectiveness, and responsiveness to caregiver needs.

"We were thrilled to learn about so many diverse and effective programs around the country that support and educate family caregivers in their communities," said Gail Gibson Hunt, President & CEO, National Alliance for Caregiving. "The support these programs provide to caregivers is so critical especially during these difficult economic times when the time and expense of caregiving are so challenging for so many."

This year's award winners are:

• Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) of New York, NY for the SAGE Caregiver Program, the only program in the country specifically designed to meet the complete care and support needs of LGBT caregivers, who are often marginalized from mainstream service and support.
• The Pro Bono Counseling Project of Baltimore, MD for its Caring for Caregivers program, which links low-income, uninsured caregivers with licensed mental health professionals, who donate their time and skills to families of persons with cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis, among others.
• James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA for its Caregivers Community Network, which recruit
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