Grace Harris found her calling in in-home caregiving through her Christian faith, which she says calls people to care for those who can’t care for themselves.
Grace Harris at PA Day on the Hill at the Minnesota Capitol. (Courtesy of Grace Harris)
Harris, 27, was born in Madison, Wis., and now lives in St. Paul. Inspired by members of her church, she says she wanted to be the “hands and feet of Christ” to help others. She is now studying to be a physician assistant after being named one of 13 recipients of the Jean Griswold Foundation’s National Caregiver Scholarship.
Harris was recognized in part because of her efforts caring for a 92-year-old woman from her church in Illinois while attending Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and Lewis University in Romeoville.
“It takes time, it takes resources, and it’s not like everyone has to take care of people in that way, but I think especially for Christians to serve one another, it’s not a burden, it’s a blessing,” Harris said.
Started as volunteer
Harris said church members asked if she could help a couple with groceries and housework after the wife broke her hip. What began as a few nights of assistance turned into months of care, including cooking, cleaning and providing companionship.
In 2022, Harris quit her job to help the woman relocate to California to be near family, where she later carried the woman to her granddaughter’s wedding and supported her through end-of-life care until her death in 2023.
Samantha “Eva” Laktineh, 71, daughter of the 92-year-old woman, said her family thinks the world of Harris, calling her “faithful, dependable” and someone who “never gives up on something.”
While Laktineh was dealing with severe back pain and unable to care for her mother, she said Harris stepped in to help both of them, doing the work wholeheartedly.
“It meant the world, because somebody is completely selfless,” Laktineh said. “I’m 71 now and I haven’t seen somebody like Grace.”
Need for caregivers
While Harris started out as an unpaid caregiver, she soon turned toward a career in health care, beginning work at Griswold Home Care in Anoka as a part-time caregiver in 2023.
The Jean Griswold Foundation awarded Harris a $2,000 scholarship in July. She’s using it as a student in the physician assistant program at Bethel University in Arden Hills.
“It was just a blessing to get some financial help and encouragement to keep pursuing compassionate health care as I train to be a PA,” Harris said.
The scholarship program honors Jean Griswold, who founded Griswold Home Care in 1982 in Philadelphia after a church member who lacked support died of dehydration. Griswold began matching caregivers with seniors who couldn’t care for themselves.
Sarah Latini, director of the Jean Griswold Foundation, said the pandemic showed how much caregivers sacrifice in supporting the elderly. That inspired the foundation to support caregivers by offering scholarships to continue their education and careers in health care. She said the foundation’s long-term goal is to attract people to caregiving through education and provide the financial resources to help them continue.
“Those who are at the early stages of the career trajectory don’t have a lot of resources or time to put toward saving for education or making space for educational advancement,” Latini said. “And so this was a way we could support dedicated caregivers and make sure they knew they were so important.”
Latini said Harris’ experiences in caregiving and pursuit of further education showed the compassion and dedication the Jean Griswold Foundation looks for in its scholars.
Latini said the shortage of in-home caregivers and nurses makes it a compelling career path, with wide opportunities for those who have experience, commitment and interest in providing care.
Rewarding work
Nicole Myhre, co-owner of Griswold Home Care of Anoka County, said the hardest part is working with clients on their bad days, while loneliness and isolation remain the biggest struggles for seniors.
She added that Harris stands out as an employee, working with purpose and a positive attitude, and encouraging others to bring a caring heart, passion and creativity to caregiving.
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“Having caregivers like Grace, when they help our clients, it gives them purpose again,” Myhre said.
Harris said the scholarship will help her continue serving future patients with the same care she gave Griswold clients and Laktineh’s mother.
“Though it’s tiring, it’s also so rewarding, especially when there’s gratitude on the other end. That companionship aspect for somebody that’s not able to do something for themselves or get help is really rewarding,” Harris said.
Gloria Ngwa was a summer 2025 reporting intern sponsored by the St. Paul Jaycees Foundation, in conjunction with ThreeSixty Journalism and the Minneapolis Society of Professional Journalists.
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