Andrew Grimes, a volunteer with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan's Foster Grandparent Program, works with a young boy at the Wing Lake Developmental Center in Bloomfield Hills. The Foster Grandparent Program matches senior volunteers with at-risk youth who need mentoring.Courtesy of Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan
Metro Detroit — Phyllis Havard-Smith, a Southfield resident in her 60s, works with kindergarteners at Pepper Elementary School in Oak Park. She began serving as a “foster grandparent” more than seven years ago after her husband passed away.
“When my husband died, it sort of left me wondering: what is left for me?” Havard-Smith said. “Being a grandparent to these children fills a need for me as well as for them.” The kids at school call her “Grandma Phyllis.” “I think the word ‘grandparent’ says a lot,” she said. “These kids are smart, and they have challenges in life that are beyond some kids. They just need somebody to spend the time with them and sometimes a grandparent can really help.”
Havard-Smith is a volunteer with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan’s Foster Grandparent Program, which matches senior volunteers with students in the Detroit area who might not otherwise have a grandparent in their lives and gives them the reassuring presence of a loving senior mentor. Foster grandparents are typically assigned to positions in the communities in which they live. In addition to making transportation easier, keeping volunteers close to home also facilitates a strong connection to the community for both the mentor and the student. “I’ll see my kids in the grocery store or at the library and they’ll run up to me and hug me and say, ‘Hi, Grandma Phyllis!’” said Havard-Smith. “You see them growing up.”
The Foster Grandparent Program is one of several programs available to seniors through Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan. The program, which is federally funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service along with the Michigan Aging and Adult Services Agency, trains low-income volunteers ages 55 and older to work with youth who are at risk, are developmentally disabled or have special needs. Volunteers who qualify are given a small stipend and are reimbursed for mileage. Before working with children, volunteers must complete a 6-day, 40-hour orientation and complete a background check. Herschell Masten, director of Senior and Hispanic Services with Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, has worked with foster grandparents for 20 years. “This program began under President Kennedy with the intention of allowing people with limited income to give back to their community at no cost to them, while at the same time helping young people with special needs,” Herschell said. “These seniors are a valuable resource to the community in what they have to offer.”
Seniors work in schools and are assigned up to four children whom they mentor or tutor throughout the school year. Teachers match volunteers with their students to ensure a successful mentor-mentee relationship. Foster grandparent Zora Bender, also in her 60s, volunteers at Harrington Elementary in Pontiac and learned about the program from a friend in her exercise class. Bender has been a foster grandparent for 10 years; this year she helps second-grade students with math and reading, four days a week. When she’s not at school helping her foster grandchildren, Bender likes to spend time with her own eight grandchildren. They serve as a reminder to her that her role as a foster grandparent is important. “Seeing my own grandchildren, I know the help they need when they’re in school, and I know some kids don’t have that,” Bender said. “It’s very rewarding to know I’m making a difference.” During each school year, foster grandparents develop friendships with teachers and other volunteers. “We always have at least two grandparents per school, which allows them to get to know each other and share their experiences,” Masten said.
Once a month, all participants in the program gather for training and fellowship at the Costick Center in Farmington Hills. While this year, approximately 50 men and women are serving in the Foster Grandparent Program, Masten would like to have at least 20 more. “There is a need out there,” he said. “For anyone that has a passion for helping young people in need by mentoring or tutoring, who enjoys making new friends and giving back to the community, this would be the place for you.” Havard-Smith believes the Foster Grandparent Program has made all the difference in her life. “I believe I am blessed in my life because when difficult things were happening and I could’ve gotten depressed, I had those kids to keep me busy, and I know they loved me,” she said. “When you’re helping others, your problems dissolve and you heal.”
Foster Grandparent Program
Men and women over age 55 interested in learning more about becoming a foster grandparent can contact Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan at (855) 882-2736, or visit www.ccsem.org/services-for-seniors. To donate to the program, click on the “donate” tab at the top of the home page at www.ccsem.org.
