Support group for caregivers in Smithtown

A Smithtown church is hosting meetings every other week of a support group for caregivers.

Syosset-based Caring for the Caregiver began holding support groups last month at St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church, 29 Brooksite Dr. Its next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 10.

Meetings, which are free, are run by trained facilitators and a supervisor, said the group’s founder Craig Jennings.

Caregivers often work long hours in a stressful job for little or no pay, he said. Many are selfless people who put the needs of others ahead of their own and refuse to take time off or go on vacation, he said.

“The purpose of Caring for the Caregiver is to provide a place for the caregiver to come, because the caregiver realizes that they don’t have a life,” Jennings said.

Support groups give caregivers a place to “dump their pain,” he said. “Not only do they dump their pain, but they help to heal one another.”

The organization’s goal is to expand to five locations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, he said. For information, call 631-269-9259 or go to caringforthecaregiver.org.