randparents

1. oster F G randparents

2. Welcome Welcome friends, family, and neighbors to our home on the web. The reason we have created this page is so that you, the community, can know who we are and what we do. Most of all, we want to let you know how proud we are of the many wonderful individuals who volunteer with us.

3. Where Do We Volunteer? Our foster grandparents volunteer in places like: • Day care/preschool settings • Public schools • Developmental centers • Residential treatment centers • Anywhere else love and support is needed

4. What Do We Do? Some of you may wonder what we do in these places. Well, we volunteer under the supervision of trained professional staff in order to provide assistance, support, love and companionship to children and teens with special or exceptional needs. These young people need all the love which we can give them and who better to give that love than a grandparent.

5. Qualifications In order to participate in the foster grandparent program an individual must: • Be 60 years of age or older • Like to be with children • Have good health • Be income eligible • Able to spend 4 hours per day-5 days a week • Enjoy serving others • Have a great smile

6. Benefits The main benefit of volunteering for the Foster Grandparent Program is the personal satisfaction of changing young lives forever. There is nothing which can compare to the joy of seeing a child bloom and grow with the love you provide. In addition to the intrinsic rewards we are able to offer:

7. Modest, tax-free stipend of about $200 per month to supplement your social security • A free yearly physical exam • A free meal during the volunteer day • Accident insurance while on the job • Travel reimbursement • Paid orientation and in-service training • The opportunity to volunteer with professionals • New friends and companionship • And many, many more…

8. Stories From Foster Grandparents This page is dedicated to the memories of Foster Grandparents both current and past. Please feel free to look around and enjoy the wonderful tales of caring and sharing from the Utah County Foster Grandparent Program. At the end you will have a chance to look around at your own pace.

9. Willy’s Magic Garden If you ever get the chance to go and visit the Utah State Developmental Center in the spring and summer you will get to see Willy’s magic garden. Willy is a mentally challenged individual who loves to garden. Every spring for the past couple of years, Grandpa Lynn has helped Willy plant a garden. Willy gets so excited watching the tomato plants grow that he almost can’t wait for the tomatoes to come. He doesn’t have to. Because, nearly every day,

10. Grandpa Lynn goes to the store to buy whatever they have on sale in the fruit and vegetable department. It is amazing what those neat little tomato plants will produce: pears, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, and even tomatoes. Every time Willy comes out to check on his magic garden, his face lights up. All because there was a man named Grandpa Lynn.

11. To Say Goodbye Grandma June volunteered with troubled kids. There was no one kinder or better with them. One young man, Alan was his name, came to know and love Grandma June. Month after month she was there for him as he worked through his problems. Eventually, Alan grew older and left the center, but they still kept in touch.

12. Then one day, Grandma June got sick, fell into a coma and was waiting for death. No one in the family was able to get through to her. It seemed as though she was gone forever. The family called Alan to tell him about Grandma. She didn’t have much time. It seemed that no sooner did they hang up the phone than Alan was at the hospital. As he walked into the room where she lay he said, “Grandma?”

13. Her eyes slowly opened for the first time since the coma and they hugged tightly. They talked for a few moments then it was time for Alan to go. “I love you,” he said. She knew. The next day Grandma June died.

14. I Never Knew Living in a youth detention center is anything but a walk in the park. It was a good thing that these kids had Grandma Mary. This frail little lady, walking around with her oxygen tank, looked after the boys. Grandma Mary was something of an anomaly because no matter who the child was, she could always seem to talk to them.

15. One day a boy had been sent to his room for fighting and Grandma Mary went over to talk to him. She knocked on the door and when invited in, came and sat down on his bed. They talked. She told him that she knew that it was hard for him in here but she understood, and he needed to go back and join the others. Just before they left the room, Grandma Mary looked at him and told him that she loved him. As they headed down the hall, the boy stopped.

16. “Do you really mean it?” He asked. “Of course I do,” said Grandma Mary, referring to how he had to go back with the other boys. He stood there and tears came into his eyes. “No one has ever told me they loved me.” But he knew that Grandma Mary did.

17. See it again? • Welcome • Where do we volunteer? • What do we do? • Qualifications • Benefits • Stories from Foster Grandparents • Utah County Foster Grandparent Program (801) 370-8384

18. Welcome Welcome friends, family, and neighbors to our home on the web. The reason we have created this page is so that you, the community, can know what we are and what we do. Most of all, we want to let you know how proud we are of the many wonderful individuals who volunteer with us.

19. Where do we volunteer? Our Foster Grandparents volunteer in places like: • Day Care/Preschool settings • Public Schools • Development Centers • Residential Treatment Centers • Anywhere else love and support is needed.

20. What do we do? Some of you may wonder what we do in these places. Well, we volunteer under the supervision of trained professional staff in order to provide assistance, support, love and companionship to children and teens with special or exceptional needs. These young people need all the love which we can give them and who better to give that love than a grandparent.

21. Qualifications In order to participate in the Foster Grandparent Program an individual must: • Be 60 years of age or older • Like to be with children • Have good health • Be income eligible • Able to spend 4 hours per day-5 days a week • Enjoy serving others • Have a great smile

22. Benefits The main benefit of volunteering for the Foster Grandparent Program is the personal satisfaction of changing young lives forever. There is nothing which can compare to the joy of seeing a child bloom and grow with the love you provide. In addition to the intrinsic rewards we are able to offer:

23. Modest, tax-free stipend of about $200 per month to supplement your social security • A free yearly physical exam • A free meal during the volunteer day • Accident insurance while on the job • Travel reimbursement • Paid orientation and in-service training • The opportunity to volunteer with professionals • New friends and companionship • And many, many more…

24. Stories from Foster Grandparents This page is dedicated to the memories of Foster Grandparents both current and past. Please feel free to look around and enjoy the wonderful tales of caring and sharing from the Utah County Foster Grandparent Program.

25. Willy’s Magic Garden If you ever get the chance to go and visit the Utah State Development Center in the spring and summer you will get to see Willy’s magic garden. Willy is a mentally challenged boy who loves to garden. Every spring for the past couple of years, Grandpa Lynn has helped Willy plant a garden. Willy gets so excited watching the tomato plants grow that he almost can’t wait for the tomatoes to come. He doesn’t have to. Because, nearly every day,

26. Grandpa Lynn goes to the store to buy whatever they have on sale in the fruit and vegetable department. When he comes to visit, it is amazing what those neat little tomato plants will produce: pears, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, lettuce, and even tomatoes. Every time Willy comes out to check on his magic garden his face lights up. All because there was a man named Grandpa Lynn.

27. To Say Goodbye Grandma June volunteered with troubled kids. There wan no one kinder or better with them. One young man, Alan was his name, came to know and love Grandma June. Month after month she was there for him as he volunteered through his problems. Eventually, Alan grew older and left the center but they still kept in touch.

28. Then one day, Grandma June got sick, fell into a coma and was waiting for death. No one in the family was able to get through to her. It seemed as though she was gone forever. The family called Alan to tell him about Grandma. She didn’t have much time. It seemed that no sooner did they hang up the phone than Alan was at the hospital. As he walked into the room where she lay he said, “Grandma?”

29. Her eyes slowly opened for the first time since the coma and they hugged tightly. They talked for a few moments then it was time for Alan to go. “I love you,” he said. She knew. The next day Grandma June died.

30. I Never Knew Living in a youth detention center is anything but a walk in the park. It was a good thing that these kids had Grandma Mary. This frail little lady, walking around with her oxygen tank, looked after the boys. Grandma Mary was something of an anomaly because no matter who the child was she could always seem to talk to them.

31. One day a boy had been sent to his room for fighting and Grandma Mary went over to talk to him. She knocked on the door and when invited in cam and sat down on his bed. They talked. She knew that it was hard for him in here but she understood and he needed to go back and join the others. Just before they left the room, Grandma Mary looked at him and told him that she loved him. As they headed down the hall, the boy stopped. “Do you really mean it?”

32. He asked. “Of course I do,” said Grandma Mary, referring to how he had to go back with the other boys. He stood there and tears came into his eyes. “No one has ever told me they loved me.” But he knew that Grandma Mary did.