Hi, I work for a company that’s getting the word out about a contest especially designed for America’s unsung heroes, the 50 million American caregivers who work tirelessly on behalf of their loved ones.

Caring Today magazine, and Home Instead Senior Care are sponsoring the third annual Caring Today magazine’s “Give a Caregiver a Break” essay contest.

The contest offers family caregivers the opportunity to write about their experiences, and winners will be awarded with much-needed help. Grand prize for the essay contest is $5,000 worth of free care from Home Instead Senior Care. Two first prize winners will each receive $2,500 worth of care from Home Instead Senior Care, and 12 “Extraordinary Caregivers” will receive $500 each in service. That’s $16,000 worth of relief to the people who really need it.

To enter the contest, family caregivers are asked to describe their caregiving experiences, including the challenges they’ve faced, how they’ve embraced their role as a caregiver for a senior loved one and inspired others, and how a Home Instead CAREGiverSM could make a difference. Entries, must be 500 words or fewer, and the deadline is July 16, 2008.

Winning essays will be published in the November/December issue of Caring Today, both online and in the magazine. Videos of the winners will be posted on CaringToday.com .

Contest details are available on Caring Today’s Facebook group page, which is a great place to ask questions and share caregiving experiences (http://www.facebook.com/group .php?gid=22731175184), on the Caring Today website (http://caringtoday.com), and on the Home Instead Senior Care website (www.homeinstead.com).

We hope you’ll get the word out about this great way for caregivers to tell their stories and get some relief!