Jeremy Klimas and Elizabeth Peterson, Grayling, MI, live in a full house, blending families and three generations to make ends meet because one income as a DCW is not enough.
Raised in Detroit, Jeremy joined the Air Force, did three tours of duty, one in Afghanistan, two in Iraq. He then moved north to help his grandparents while working as a police officer. He left the force to become a DCW. “It is one of the best decisions I’ve made…Just seeing the joy on people’s faces when you’re providing them help…It makes me feel like I’m making a difference.”
Elizabeth’s mother is a DCW. “I half grew up in a local nursing home…I guess it’s in my blood.” It’s hard work. There are dangers; verbal abuse and being physically hit. Yet she, her mother, and Jeremy keep doing it because “It’s a calling. We’re not in it for the money. It’s the relationships that you build…knowing that you were able to hold somebody’s hand while they were dying and they weren’t alone.”