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Foster Grandparents Making Difference In Children’s Lives

The Foster Grandparent Program has been going strong across the country for 50 years, and generations of the Carroll area have benefitted from the generosity of foster grandparents for the past 20 years. Melanie Miller, director of the program, says she hears many stories about just how important the program is to the seniors and the children with whom they interact. The story of one grandmother, in particular, has stayed with her.

 

There are currently 12 grandparents participating in the program and Miller says she is looking for two to three more to help out in area classrooms. They will be working with kindergarten through third-grade students for a minimum of 15 hours per week, up to 40 hours or more. Many of these children will receive literacy assistance as well as some much-needed love and attention. Grandparents might help with reading, writing numbers or letters or any other work assignment for which they may need a guiding hand. Miller says the benefits for everyone are innumerable.

Foster grandparents will receive a tax-free stipend of $2.65 for every hour they volunteer as well as some travel and meal reimbursements. The goal of the program is to engage our area seniors and meet critical community needs while supplementing their fixed income. Volunteering is as easy as contacting Miller at the Foster Grandparents Program office in Carroll.

Qualified volunteers must be at least 55 years old, willing to make the time commitment required and be income eligible.

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