How the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation supports marginalized caregivers

It is a revealing statistic: one-in-four Canadians is a family caregiver who helps to look after their parents, children, siblings or members of their chosen family.
And, as universal an experience as this is, many times they are also impacted — physically, mentally and financially —often shouldering the responsibility in isolation and in silence. According to a 2024 Leger survey funded by Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation, 51 per cent of family caregivers feel overwhelmed by their role and are often anxious and tired as a result.
For BIPOC and marginalized communities, that reality is even more of a challenge. The survey found that caregivers reported missing multiple days of work per year due to their obligations, while 23 per cent reported missing more than seven. Among BIPOC respondents, those 55-years-old and younger reported missing work twice as often.
A quarter of BIPOC caregivers also reported that their long-term financial planning or savings were impacted by caregiving, versus 13 per cent of non-BIPOC respondents, while 39 per cent reported that they and their loved ones experienced discriminatory behaviour from healthcare professionals, compared to 22 per cent for non-BIPOC caregivers.
“There are so many negative impacts on those who have taken up this additional responsibility willingly, but they are in need of support,” said Leila Fenc, executive director of the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation. Started in 2020, the foundation works to support family caregivers while inspiring a collective commitment to the cause throughout Canada.
“Some family caregivers who we have spoken to don’t even identify themselves as family caregivers — they think it is something they are doing for a loved one,” she said. “Until you have that epiphany that you are doing something extraordinary, you don’t realize that there are additional supports out there when you do need some help. We think that is really important.”
Fenc said the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation has four main pillars: to increase awareness about the issues faced by family caregivers, raise funds to support family caregiving, provide grants to registered charities helping those caregivers, and bring together experts in the field to talk about the issues and develop solutions.
“Our vision statement at the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation is a country where family caregivers are valued and recognized and supported,” said Fenc, who points out that mission statement hangs on a wall in her office as a reminder of the essential work the foundation is doing.
She said family caregiving is a universal reality across Canada — one that does not discriminate. It takes place regardless of age and gender, social and economic status, geography and ethnicity and languages spoken.
“Caregiving is really critical. We know on average that family caregivers are giving 19 hours of unpaid care a week — that is like an extra part time job. Multiply that by the fact that one-in-four Canadians are family caregivers and that is billions of dollars in unpaid patient care that is supporting our health care system in Canada.
“And it’s really hard on the people providing that family care, which is undervalued in society. Whether that burden is mental, physical or financial, they are taking on a large additional responsibility that is affecting their lives,” she said. “What we do is support them by providing financial resources to the experts. I am happy to say that since we launched four years ago, we have granted more than $7.6 million to organizations and registered charities who help family caregivers directly.”
Someone who appreciates the work the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation is doing is Moses Latigo Odida, a London, Ont.-based filmmaker who chronicles the experiences of Black caregivers in Canada.
His journey as a caregiver began four years ago when his daughter was born with Down Syndrome. At the time, Odida — who came to Canada from Uganda — was adjusting to his own diagnosis of clinical depression, which he only received a year earlier.
“These two diagnoses – my mental illness and my daughter’s disability – thrust me into a world of unknown fears and isolation,” he said. “The fact that I was born and raised in Uganda, a culture devoid of a healthy understanding of mental illness and disability, did not prepare me for these realities.
“I grew up with an awareness of the shame that was oftentimes associated with these diagnoses. This has resulted in my experience of being a caregiver being somewhat lonely. Moreover, the fact that I am a Black man has also shaped my experience, primarily insofar as I have not found many supports that are culturally sensitive.”
Odida has heard similar stories from Black caregivers he has spoken to while travelling across Canada. He said an overwhelming challenge most Black caregivers expressed is the feeling of isolation and loneliness, as well as a desire to be seen and acknowledged for their love and commitment to their loved ones. Among Black communities generally, he said, there is a well-documented set of barriers around accessing culturally relevant services. This is especially true for caregivers.
“One caregiver in Newcastle, Ont., shared that she often must be on high alert when walking with her autistic brother. She fears that police might stop him because he is a big Black man. She shared situations of microaggressions when people see her brother. Caregivers often deal with unsolicited curious and sometimes judgmental gazes from strangers, which becomes even more pronounced when the caregiver and loved one is Black.”
He said the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation helps to bridge those gaps in understanding when it comes to the experiences of Black caregivers by hosting conversations that are intended to spotlight underrepresented stories.
“We continue to raise awareness and bring the conversation of family caregiving into everyday life, so people understand that this is not a private family issue that they need to keep inside the walls of their family,” said Fenc. “Once we realize how universal family caregiving is, then maybe you can talk about it with your neighbour, maybe you can get some help. We think that is important as well.”
She said people can support the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation by going to its website to learn more about their work, make a financial donation, and also access resources to learn how they can support family caregivers that they know. This September, Petro-Canada locations across Canada will also donate two-cents for every litre of gas sold to the foundation.
Fenc has another quote on her wall, this one by former U.S. first lady Rosalynn Carter.
Fenc reads it: “‘There are only four kinds of people in the world. Those who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.’ That quote captures it for me. This is something that will touch all of our lives at some point.”
Visit Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation at www.caremakers.ca to learn more about the foundation and how you can support marginalized caregivers.