Foster Grandparents

Each day you can find me assisting at DeBerry School in the 1st grade classroom. I have been a Foster Grandparent Volunteer for nine years and I have not regretted my time spent impacting and making a difference in children’s lives. I assist with reading, writing, and math. Some students still require help with the alphabet and numbers. There are times when emotional support is needed. Being a FGP volunteer gives me a feeling of worth and a renewed purpose. There is a great bond between me and the children, they have a way of making you feel loved and needed. It is also great when they say to you,” you are the best teacher.”

I am proud and pleased to participate in one of the many wonderful programs that Urban League of Springfield sponsors, the Foster Grandparent Program. I help other foster grandparents with computer skills. We learn together and have fun doing so. We learn skills that we can take into a classroom to help children. You would be surprised at what children can do and learn when it is introduced to them in a way that they like, and children like computers. With a preschool computer learning game, we can help children with reading, vocabulary, problem solving, math, social studies and science skills. Computer programs help seniors to learn about technology, to focus, and introduce them to new activities and people.

As a participant in the Urban League of Springfield Foster Grandparent Program for twelve years (12), I have had an opportunity to work with amazing and beautiful children. These are a combination of children with special needs as well as those needing social and emotional support. In addition, I give support in math, English, reading and in other areas as needed. Two groups benefit from FGP, children and the seniors. I know personally these children have been and are a joy and a lifeline in my senior years.

I have been a FGP volunteer since 2013, first at Boland Elementary and now Sumner Avenue Elementary. I volunteer in the kindergarten classroom where we have the teacher and the para. We all work as a team, and I am treated with respect. I usually focus on a couple of students during the school year. I read stories, play games, games that improve their attention, focus and memory recall. It is a joy to watch these students grow and to know that I have been a part of their development. It is more of a blessing when I see them advance to other grades. It is a nice feeling seeing them outside of the school setting and they approach me just to say hello. Thank you to the Foster Grandparent Program and staff for allowing me to continue to live a fulfilling life at my age. It is never too late to make a positive impact in a child’s life.

I am eighty (86) years old, and I have volunteered with the Foster Grandparent Program, at Phoenix Charter Academy for nine years. Sometimes, I volunteer in the night school, which ends a few hours after day classes end. The school provides services to high-risk youth, ages 14-22. These students are provided an opportunity to receive a high school diploma and college preparation. My volunteer work at Phoenix is mostly tutoring, role modeling proper behavior, self-help skills, comfort and communication. These are the areas where I am most needed. I find that the students will relate to me rather than the teacher. The students tell me that I do not yell at them. This makes me feel like I am needed. I love my job as a volunteer and hope and pray that I will continue here for a few more years. I am told daily by the principal, administrative staff, and teachers what a good job I am doing.

We are sisters (twins) volunteering at Westover Head Start. We have been a part of the Foster Grandparent Program since 2011, enjoying every minute of our volunteer experience. We spend our days helping kids with numbers and letter recognition, reading stories to them, teaching shapes, sizes, and colors, and we assist with self-help skills. Our goal is to help them to be ready for kindergarten. As volunteers, we role model proper social skills and teach them how to become independent, to work on them. Our teachers are grateful for the extra help in the classroom. While we are working with a group, this allows the teacher to do other activities.

I have been a volunteer with the Foster Grandparent Program at DeBerry for nine (9) years. This program offered through the Urban League of Springfield is a wonderful experience. The children that I have worked with have made significant improvements in the school year and have come a long way. I am able to help children individually who have a hard time reading, understanding math, and dealing with their emotions. Over the years, I have helped numerous children that have not been able to read or write clearly and are below grade level. By the end of the year, we help these students succeed in graduating with a third-grade education. My volunteering keeps me youthful and energized because of the activities I do, throughout the day, at school. I previously spent 20 hours a week at school and gradually progressed to 40 hours. My love for these children and the environment of this school has encouraged and motivated me to continue doing volunteer work. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this organization.

I am Native American and there was always an elder helping care for the younger children. So, when I retired, I joined the Foster Grandparent Program to give back to the community. I chose Brookings School because my children attended Brookings. All children need someone to show them love and care, helping them to feel that they matter. At Brookings I assist children needing comfort, talking to them, calming them, and taking them for walks when they become overwhelmed in the classroom. I read stories, tie shoelaces, and I offer praise and encouragement. The school keeps a closet with clothing to provide for children in need. This is something that I enjoy as well, I pick up clothing items and donate them to the school. I have been a foster grandparent for 22 years. It gives me a reason to get up every morning. It is a wonderful program and I think others should join. The children always ask me at the end of the school year if I am coming back when school reopens. My answer is, I will come back as long as I can. I love what I am doing each day.