Nationwide — In Black families, caregiving is not a choice. It is a calling, a cultural expectation passed down through generations, and one of the most underserved responsibilities in America. Now, one Bay Area founder is doing something about it.
Nikki K. Lopez, MBA, CDP, a Jamaican-born certified dementia practitioner, life coach, author, and speaker, is the founder of two organizations designed to meet family caregivers exactly where they are: Caregiver OneCall, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free 24/7 caregiver navigation and support services nationwide, and Caring Haven, an award-winning senior care agency serving the Bay Area.
Together, they form one of the most comprehensive wraparound support ecosystems available to family caregivers in the country, and they are reaching a community that research confirms is carrying a disproportionate burden in silence.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The data on Black family caregivers is sobering. Fifty-seven percent experience what researchers classify as high-burden caregiving, providing an average of thirty hours of care per week. More than a quarter report having no family, friends, or neighbors to help, making them solely responsible for all caregiving duties. Black families spend 34 percent of their annual income on care-related costs, compared to 14 percent for white families. And yet, access to formal support services remains deeply limited.
“Black caregivers are showing up every single day for their families,” says Lopez. “They are not complaining. They are not asking for help. Because in our community, we were raised to be strong. But even the strong get tired.”
That last line is the title of her book.
The Book: When the Strong Get Tired
Lopez’s caregiving-focused title, When the Strong Get Tired, speaks directly to family caregivers who have been holding it together at the expense of their own health, peace, and identity. Written from personal experience, the book serves as both a companion and a call to action for caregivers who need permission to receive support as well as give it.
The book is not a standalone resource. It is part of the ecosystem. Families who engage with Caregiver OneCall or Caring Haven are connected to tools, guidance, and resources, including Lopez’s own writing, that honor the emotional and cultural realities of caregiving in communities of color.
Caregiver OneCall: Free. 24/7. Nationwide.
Caregiver OneCall exists to answer a question that millions of family caregivers are asking in the middle of the night, on a lunch break, or in a hospital hallway: What do I do now?
The nonprofit provides free, around-the-clock caregiver navigation and support services to family caregivers across the United States, regardless of the care recipient’s age or condition. Whether a family is navigating a new dementia diagnosis, managing medication questions, dealing with caregiver burnout, or simply unsure of the next step, Caregiver OneCall is there.
The service is funded entirely through donations and grants, which means it costs families nothing to access. Lopez and her team are also building the Caregiver Champion monthly giving program, inviting individuals, faith communities, employers, and organizations to contribute as little as a few dollars a month to keep the line available to the families who need it most.
Caring Haven: Professional, Award-Winning Home Care in the Bay Area
For families in the San Francisco Bay Area who need hands-on, professional care support at home, Caring Haven provides award-winning in-home senior care services grounded in dignity, cultural competence, and clinical expertise. Lopez’s background as a certified dementia practitioner shapes every aspect of the agency’s approach, from caregiver training to family communication to care planning.
Caring Haven is recognized for its commitment to quality and has received numerous honors for excellence in the Bay Area senior care landscape.
A Mission Rooted in Personal Experience
Lopez did not come to this work from a boardroom. She came from a bedside. She left a career at the Federal Reserve Bank to care for her grandmother, who, at 99 years old, is still living proof that dedicated, loving care makes a difference. That journey led her to found two organizations, write a book, earn her certification as a dementia practitioner, serve on California’s Equity Advisory Committee on Aging and Disability, and advise some of the most significant aging policy conversations in the state.
She is also a Rotarian, serves on multiple Contra Costa County boards, and has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who 2025 and named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center.
For Caregivers, Partners, and Supporters
Family caregivers seeking free navigation support can reach Caregiver OneCall at 833-927-6599 or caregiveronecall.org, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at no cost.
Healthcare systems, nonprofits, faith communities, and employers seeking to support caregiving employees or clients are encouraged to reach out about partnership opportunities.
Those who wish to support the mission can join the Caregiver Champion monthly giving program at caregiveronecall.org.
When the Strong Get Tired is available on Amazon
About Caregiver OneCall
Caregiver OneCall (caregiveronecall.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free 24/7 caregiver navigation and support services to family caregivers nationwide, regardless of the care recipient’s age or condition. The organization is funded through donations and grants and serves all family caregivers at no cost.
About Caring Haven
Caring Haven is an award-winning Bay Area senior care agency founded by Nikki K. Lopez, MBA, CDP. The agency provides professional in-home senior care services rooted in clinical expertise, dignity, and cultural competence.
About Nikki K. Lopez, MBA, CDP
Nikki K. Lopez is a certified dementia practitioner, life coach, two-time published author (including the International Impact Book Award-winning Lesbian Who Are You), and founder of both Caregiver OneCall and Caring Haven. She serves on California’s Equity Advisory Committee on Aging and Disability and multiple Contra Costa County boards.
For press inquiries, contact 925-331-8387 or nlopez@caregiveronecall.org
