Seniors in Service- a division of AmeriCorps Seniors- is looking for grandparents to volunteer in the Northern Nevada region. Headquartered in Sparks, the Foster Grandparent Program currently has 76 volunteers. The main prerequisite for being a volunteer is to be at least 55 years or older, enjoy spending time with children, and be able to dedicate at least five hours a week mentoring and tutoring them.
Volunteers are generally those living off social security and can make some extra income (Seniors at Service pays a $3.15/hr. stipend, reimburses gas mileage, and includes paid holidays as well as accrued vacation/sick time) while being an integral part of the school culture.
The program creates a way for seniors to remain physically and mentally active by contributing their mentorship and experiences with our community’s youth.
“[Volunteers] go where the kids are…they visit schools, the juvenile detention center, the Boys & Girls Club, the Discovery Center, the Children’s Cabinet,” says Foster Grandparent Program Volunteer Coordinator Sheri Brown. There are currently around 40 “stations” that foster grandparents visit, that are completely driven by volunteers dependent on how many hours they can dedicate per week, where they want to go, and the age of kids they’d like to mentor (it’s mostly elementary school children and some middle schools are partners in the program as well).
When asked if she’s noticed the program change over the last 16 years she’s been there, Brown admits that the pandemic affected engagement with Seniors in Service quite a bit.
“With the pandemic we couldn’t go into schools, so some volunteers dropped out and others were anxious about coming back to school. We saw a steep decline, but some volunteers have realized that the kids are falling behind in their studies and really need them. And the seniors have missed being with the kids, too,” Brown replies.
“We need grandparents more than ever before, and the volunteers have really needed it,” she adds. This program gives volunteers a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning, and the little hugs and smiles they receive all day make a difference in their lives.
It makes quite an impact in the children’s academic success as well. While it’s hard to quantify what an impression it makes, Brown says that when they get reviews back it seems that the teachers are truly grateful to have the grandparents around, giving the kids extra attention that they may not be able to give struggling students normally.
Ninety-year-old Dolores McKay has been with the program for 20 years, ever since she retired after a 28-year career with the Nugget Resort Casino.
“I just have so much fun there all the time,” she says about volunteering at the schools. McKay says that nowadays the teachers have crazy agendas with a lot more time dedicated to forming the curriculum, and they need McKay’s help.
“And so do the kids. When they see me, they yell ‘Grandma Dee! Grandma Dee!’ and come up and give me hugs. Some don’t have grandparents, or dads, and a few don’t even have moms. There are I think 750 kids in Washoe County looking for homes,” she says. McKay volunteers anywhere from 3-5 days a week and a lot of times she is the first person a student goes to when they have a problem. Looking back on her 20 years of service with the Foster Grandparent program, McKay rattles off all the fun times she’s had, from when the teachers took her to the Sunrise Café in Reno on her 90th birthday to winning a 3-day trip to Washington D.C. One of her Native American students even sang her a song in his inherent language.
“It was really special,” she smiles. “I’ve just enjoyed these years; the Foster Grandparent program has kept me young and lively. I encourage anyone who’s older, likes helping kids, and needs something to do, to join,” McKay adds.
AmeriCorps Seniors is a nationwide program that was formed in 1965; and a few years later a chapter was formed in Sparks. While it covers all Northern Nevada, most volunteers are in Washoe and Lyon counties. Brown says that it has a big presence in Silver Springs and some volunteers in Fernley, but there are no volunteers in Carson City.
“It blows my mind that we don’t have any seniors there, and would love to change that,” Brown says about Nevada’s capitol city.
Seniors are regarded a valuable resource in our Northern Nevada communities, and people ages 55 and older are encouraged to apply. For more information about donating, volunteering, or getting involved, visit https://seniorsinservicenevada.org/.
Seniors in Service is also holding a Pirates, Pins and Pints Bowl-a-Thon at Wild Island Coconut Bowl in Sparks on October 23 from noon-3 p.m. It costs $35 per person (or $25 for youth 14 and under) for two games, shoe rental, and a $10 Wild Island gift card. A raffle and silent auction will also be held with proceeds helping the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs within Seniors in Service. To buy tickets, call (775) 358-2322.
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