Page 21 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2018

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Women of wisdom
needed to coach and VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
support new parents.
COMMUNITY
Our mission Want to volunteer? Every baby needs a grandma. Harnessing the wisdom of the ages
• Give every child a strong foundation for lifelong success. We need women-of-widsom to coach and support new Every family needs a coach. Join us in helping to create a new paradigm where the
• Model and share positive parenting skills. parents. There are many ways we can utilize your unique wisdom and power of older women guide our younger
skills and talents. sisters through the next stage of life to accomplish the
FOSTER GRANDPARENTS
• Help at-risk families break the cycles of abuse, neglect, Share the wisdom of your life experience and shared goals of building a global village that is tolerant,
violence, addiction, poverty and hopelessness that Call us today to learn more, 541-840-2604. make a lasting difference in our community. nonviolent, and life affirming. We need this for ourselves,
plague our communities. and our planet. It is time to nourish the soul and regard
• Provide women of wisdom and experience with aging in a celebratory light.
opportunities to stay active, engaged and connected. Women 50+ are in an ideal position to act as mentors.
Along with a left-brain of linear intelligence, we also
Be a role model, mentor and friend
possess a deep appreciation and creative respect for life.
www.grandmas2go.org
The name Foster Grandparents is a misnomer, as volunteers are not
part of the foster care system as most people would guess. Foster
Grandparents are role models, mentors, and friends to children with
exceptional needs. The program provides a way for volunteers age
55 and over to stay involved in our community. Locally, volunteers
serve youth at over 45 different locations including schools, Head
Start centers, libraries, and even at juvenile hall. The role of a Foster
Grandparent is to offer non-judgmental, ongoing support to at-risk
and special needs children. Volunteers might help children learn to
read and provide one-on-one tutoring or mentor troubled teenagers.
They might help care for children with disabilities or help children
who have been abused or neglected.

The senior volunteers are provided opportunities to put their wealth
of knowledge and skills to work and the youth benefit from indi-
vidual assistance and learning to bond with a caring adult. When you
volunteer, you’re not just helping others, you’re helping yourself.
Volunteering leads to new discoveries and new friends. Plus, studies
show that volunteering helps you live longer and promotes a positive
outlook on life. Women of wisdom
All you need to join is the ability to give the kind of comfort and love needed to coach and
GRANDMAS2GO that sets a child on a path toward a successful future. If you’re 55 or older support new parents.
and want to share your experience and compassion, you have what it
takes to be a Foster Grandparent.
Babies don’t arrive with a training manual! The Foster Grandparent Program
If you are a “woman of wisdom and experience” (50+), and you of Southern Oregon is currently
have a place in your heart—and your life—for a struggling family, accepting applications for Jackson,
you might consider volunteering for a new non-profit in Southern Josephine and Klamath County.
Every baby needs a grandma.
Want to volunteer?
Our mission Oregon called Grandmas2Go-Family Coaches. Linda Otto founded There are some added benefits Harnessing the wisdom of the ages
this grass-roots program after years of service to families as a Court to the program including a non-
Every family needs a coach.
• Give every child a strong foundation for lifelong success. Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and a baby “Cuddler” in the taxable stipend, mileage reim- Join us in helping to create a new paradigm where the
We need women-of-widsom to coach and support new
Asante Special Care Nursery. bursement, and ongoing training. wisdom and power of older women guide our younger
parents. There are many ways we can utilize your unique
• Model and share positive parenting skills. Income thresholds do apply, please
skills and talents.
Parents today are stressed and overwhelmed. Extended family mem- call us to find out if you are eligible sisters through the next stage of life to accomplish the
Share the wisdom of your life experience and
• Help at-risk families break the cycles of abuse, neglect, bers often live far away. Many parents need a mentor to guide them to participate. shared goals of building a global village that is tolerant,
Call us today to learn more, 541-840-2604.
violence, addiction, poverty and hopelessness that through the mysterious stages of raising a baby. Grandmas2Go trains make a lasting difference in our community. nonviolent, and life affirming. We need this for ourselves,
community volunteers in current childcare best practices, positive
plague our communities. parenting, brain growth, infant mental health, and the life-long effects and our planet. It is time to nourish the soul and regard
of early trauma. Coaches nurture and support parents and their chil-
• Provide women of wisdom and experience with dren. The goal is to strengthen families and give all children a strong aging in a celebratory light.
opportunities to stay active, engaged and connected. foundation for life-long success, while giving volunteers a new life Women 50+ are in an ideal position to act as mentors.
purpose. And don’t forget about oxytocin—the love hormone that
gives you that feel-good rush when you’re holding a precious little Along with a left-brain of linear intelligence, we also
human being. That’s the bonus benefit that all G2G volunteers enjoy! possess a deep appreciation and creative respect for life.
ABOVE: Grandpa Bruce visits
www.grandmas2go.org
The program was one of the five finalists for the 2017 Encore Prize, Orchard Hill Elementary.
a national competition seeking innovative, inter-generational pro- LEFT: Grandma Jean at
grams. With plans to grow beyond Southern Oregon, you can be Lone Pine Elementary.
part of this simple solution of rebuilding our village.

www.Grandmas2Go.org

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