Every hour for someone else

Ramona Seyler is a giver. Even when times are tough, her instinct is to step in where she can, whether it's in her home or throughout her community. Her caring personality is a trait she learned from her kind-hearted mother.

Seyler, 57, who lives in Bellefonte, Pa., doesn't sit still. She spends time with her husband, Barry Hixson, 68, helping him do laundry, clean his apartment, sort mail and handle money. Cleaning, in particular, comes naturally to her; it was once her primary source of income. She also cares for two grandsons. Andrew is 10. Isaac is 6.

Nearly every hour of her day is structured around someone else's needs.

Seyler is part of a growing and often invisible population: grandparents raising their grandchildren. According to the American Society on Aging, approximately 2.1 million grandparents in the United States are primary caregivers for their grandchildren. For most families, grandparents typically step in during times of crisis.

For Seyler, that crisis came when her son, John Seyler, was unable to care for Andrew, born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She became Andrew’s legal guardian when he was very young. His mother is no longer part of their lives, and while John lives next door, he has relinquished primary caregiving. Seyler describes the situation plainly: she had to choose between her son and her grandson, and she chose Andrew. Isaac's circumstances are different; his mother is still involved, and he splits time between her and his grandmother.

Times were already hard before the pandemic, but when Seyler and her husband became sick, making ends meet was a near impossibility.

The couple started attending Trinity United Methodist Church, where they found community, faith and access to resources. A few years later, their health issues persist, and they go to the church for more than just Sunday service. Trinity provides free food distribution and hot lunches five days a week, a resource that has made a big difference for Seyler's family and others in need.

The financial strain of grandparent caregiving is well documented. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than one-third of grandparent caregivers live below the federal poverty line, and many face hardships including food and housing insecurity. The COVID-19 pandemic deepened the problem: nearly 64 percent of grandparent caregivers reported financial stress during and after the pandemic.

Seyler and Hixson also receive help paying their bills through Interfaith Human Services, and Seyler receives a $300 monthly grocery allowance through the same organization. She also relies on $23 in SNAP benefits to assist her family.

As the family navigates scarcity, Seyler keeps going, dedicating every hour to someone else. It’s how she was raised, how she survives, and — in the hours she spends with Andrew and Isaac — how she loves.