by Michelle Boudin
Like many nonprofits, the Gladys Love Project came about after someone saw a need and wanted to fill it. Kym Motley founded Gladys Love Project based on her own experience as a caregiver. Her parents died 11 years apart, and her grandmother Gladys served as additional inspiration.
“When I was visiting my grandmother in the nursing home, I thought about how much she lived life to the fullest. I started to know the names of residents on her hallway, and I thought, ‘They probably have stories too,’ but they seemed invisible to me. So our original mission was to deepen the relationship between caregivers and their patients.”
Motley, a Charlotte native and Davidson College alum, worked for more than a decade in digital marketing in New York City before moving home in 2021, when her mom was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
“I thought it would be a short stint home, but it turned into 10 months. For 10 months, I went to the nursing home every day and made sure she had lunch and dinner and just hung out with her,” Motley recalls. “I felt like I was living my dream with my career — working for a top-tier agency with a top-tier client — but it was not fulfilling. After all of my time at my mom’s bedside, I had this idea to start a nonprofit.”
A SIGN OF LOVE
More than one in four American adults is a family caregiver, according to a 2025 AARP study. They spend an average of 27 hours a week providing care, and many juggle these unpaid caregiving roles with their regular full- and part-time jobs. Sixty-four percent of caregivers report experiencing high emotional stress.
Motley began building out the concept for the Gladys Love Project while caring for her mom. After her mother passed, she focused on the nonprofit — named after her grandmother — as a way of healing.
The first initiative of the three-pronged program was the creation of Love Kits for both older adults and their caregivers.
“I saw how invisible other [nursing-home] residents felt, so we put together this kit. Volunteers decorated love notes, and we had lapel pins for the nursing staff that say ‘you are wonderful,’ meant as a thank you for taking care of our seniors.”
Motley says the goal is to improve the mental health of both the seniors and their caregivers — that’s why the kit includes something for each.
“The caregivers in these facilities are not doing this for the income — it’s coming from their heart. They’re stretched thin and overworked, they get yelled at and have to change diapers. I just wanted to send a sign of love and appreciation.”
DIGGING DEEPER
Once she saw the impact of the Love Kits, Motley — who is also an artist, writer and certified Reiki specialist — wanted to do more.
“We dug a layer deeper, and now our mission is to improve the mental health of elders and caregivers through mindful activities, and to alleviate life-threatening isolation and caregiver burnout. I started with the kind of programming for things I wish I had when I was caregiving, because it’s so overwhelming and isolating.”
At Caregiver Teas, Motley uses her own mother’s and grandmother’s tea sets to create a place for people to relax and recharge.
The third segment, Capture the Love, is a portrait project — a professional photographer, Michael Maxwell, takes pictures of the seniors and their caregivers to capture their story.
“We have tea and snacks and have volunteer stylists for hair and makeup,” Motley says. “It’s a full photo shoot and a day of pampering where they feel seen.” The hope is to have an exhibition showcasing the portraits; a high tea fundraiser is also planned.
“Everything we do is intentional and mindful. They’re simple things, but when you put them together it can make a positive impact.” SP
