By Alexandra Newman
One of the things I value most about my role at Area Agency on Aging is getting to tell stories about how the programs we run impact lives.
Sometimes I’m interviewing a client who lives independently in their home thanks to the MI Choice Waiver program, or a caregiver who got a break thanks to a respite program, or a daughter who called the Info-Line for Aging & Disability for resources to help her aging parents.
Some of the most fun stories to tell are about our senior volunteers, because the volunteer is both being impacted by the program and creating impact in the community. And, fittingly to the name of this column, the story I’d like to share with you today has an intergenerational aspect to it that always tugs at the heartstrings.
Betty Thompson has two loves: getting out of the house and working with children.
“I feel healthier when I’m out doing something rather than sitting in my house eating junk,” she said on a recent break from her position as a Foster Grandparent Volunteer through Area Agency on Aging (AAA).
Betty, 65, has been a volunteer with the program for about two and a half years, serving at Benton Harbor Charter School in a Great Start Readiness Program classroom.
Foster Grandparents support the teacher and spend one-on-one time with students who need a little extra help. AAA has been running this program since 1978 and has seen hundreds of volunteers make lasting impact on thousands of children in Southwest Michigan.
Volunteers are age 55+ and lower income. They receive a small stipend for their work and receive ongoing training throughout their service. All volunteers are background checked. Many end up serving for decades. One volunteer retired last year at the age of 99.
Like the kids, AAA staff tend to refer to the volunteers as Grandma and Grandpa. Betty said the kids started calling her Grandma Betty pretty quickly. If they see the volunteers out in public, they’re often met with a, “Hi, Grandma or Grandpa!”
Betty said getting to work with the students is rewarding. She said that now that her own grandchildren are grown up, and the youngest is in high school, she wanted to spend time with little kids again.
“It’s amazing to see them trying to do something one day, helping them out with it, and then them being able to do it all on their own the next,” she said.
Grandma Betty has a strong relationship with her classroom teacher, too. The teacher sent in this comment just before the holiday break: “Grandma Betty is wonderful and is doing a spectacular job with the kiddos.”
When asked what she’d say to someone else considering becoming a Foster Grandparent Volunteer, she said they must have patience.
“When you’re working with children, you must think about all those personalities. If you can handle 13-14 kids in a room, then it’s the job for you,” she said.
Grandma Betty said volunteering gives her purpose, and being able to have a position so close to her home she can walk to everyday is a blessing.
“I love it. I feel like I’m achieving something every day. I look forward to getting into the classroom and having one of the littles climb up into my lap,” she said. “I love my job and I am happy.”
If you’re interested in becoming a Foster Grandparent Volunteer, or know someone who might, AAA is hosting a training day for new volunteers in May.
To express interest, or for more information, visit www.AreaAgencyonAging.org/volunteer-opportunities or call the volunteer team directly at 269-983-7058.
If working with kids isn’t your thing, we have a variety of other volunteer opportunities available. Who knows, maybe in a year or two, I’ll be sharing your story in this column!
The Generations column appears each weekend in The Herald-Palladium.