Submitted Article

 

Mr. Rogers said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” 

 

Foster Grandparents are some of the helpers.  They might not wear a uniform and they might not be at emergency scenes, but they are the helpers. 

 

Foster Grandparents are the helpers that help a child learn to read; they are the helpers who show a child by example how to be kind; they are the helpers who make a child’s first day of school not so scary; they are the helpers to a child in so many ways. 

 

Foster Grandparents may not know all of the children’s names in a school, but all of the children know who the Foster Grandparent is.  

 

The Foster Grandparent is the one who will say hello to them every morning; be willing to get a surprise hug simply because a child needs one; they are the one students “high five” as they are walking down the hall and you hear echoes of “Hi Grandma, or Hi Grandpa,” as they walk past.  They are the ones a child talks to because they have had a bad day and need a caring person to listen.

 

The children are also helpers to the Foster Grandparents.  The children are the ones to bring a smile to the Foster Grandparents face; the children are the ones to keep a Foster Grandparent active; the children are the ones who need an older adult in their lives, the children are the ones who learn empathy for older adults; the children are the ones who bring joy.

 

The Foster Grandparents may not be as visible as other helpers in the world, but they are helping children every day and the children are helping them. 

 

The Central MN Foster Grandparent Program is sponsored by Catholic Charities and is under the direction of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  Contact Pat Braun, FGP Area Supervisor, for more information or to apply at pbraun@ccstcloud.org or 612-390-0617.