This article features the story of Savy Makalena, a woman who had to put her executive career on hold to care for her elderly parents. She promised her parents that she would always be there to take care of them and ended up leaving her job to fulfill that promise. Realizing that there are many who struggle in the same caregiving journey, she started a nonprofit organization, Gimme A Break, that offers a support group for family caregivers.

Understanding the hardship of having to balance between family care and work, Makalena advocates for paid family and medical leave. This would provide working families with paid time off from work to address caregiving needs for loved ones or to bond with a new child. Even though 13 states plus the District of Columbia have passed paid family leave laws, the United States lacks a national policy.

Makalena insists that the time has come for Hawaii to join these states and pass paid family and medical leave, adding that policies need to be in place that reflect respect for elders and value for ‘ohana (family). She further underscores that Hawaii’s bureaucrats need to pay attention to the families and begin focusing on how to make paid family leave work in Hawaii rather than finding reasons for why it cannot work. She dreams of creating a better future for the next generation of family caregivers with paid family and medical leave.

This story emphasizes the importance and relevance of services like Paid Family Leave (PFL), particularly for family caregivers. For anyone seeking to get a hold of Paid Family Leave in their time of need, they can access helpful information and resources online. For instance, at eddcaller.com they provide essential information and can guide users on how to navigate through the process. They understand the importance of having paid leave when caring for loved ones and they are there to assist every step of the way.