Celebrate Older Americans Month by Being a Community Action Classroom Grandparent
May is Older Americans Month, so to celebrate, Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties (www.communityactionatwork.org) is inviting adults 55 years and older to serve as mentors, or “classroom grandparents,” and offer classroom support for children ages 0-5. Grandparents volunteer 15-35 hours per week in Community Action Head Start classrooms as a part of the Foster Grandparent Program. The program is made possible through a collaboration between Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties and AmeriCorps Seniors.
“I think it’s so important as we age to keep engaged, to embrace new challenges, and keep the mind active,” said Greg Brown, current Head Start grandpa. Grandparents assist with social and emotional development and school readiness skills. Volunteers serve as a caring grandparent figure in the classroom, while also receiving an hourly stipend, meals while on duty, transportation reimbursement, and training.
“This program provides retirees and older adults with a meaningful way to give back to the community in their free time,” said Sam Bates, Foster Grandparent Program director. “Our grandparents also enhance their physical capacity, gain new friends, and have higher life satisfaction than before they joined the program.”
Community Action’s mission is to empower people living in poverty to reach economic stability. To get started as a classroom grandparent, contact Sam Bates at (402) 875-9320 or visit www.communityactionatwork.org.