Foster Grandparents Program seeks individuals
ROCK ISLAND — The Tri-County Opportunities Council’s Foster Grandparent Program is seeking individuals who are 60 years old or older, who meet income guidelines, and who reside in Bureau, Carroll, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, Ogle, Putnam, Stark or Whiteside County.
Participants receive a tax-free stipend of $225 to $450 monthly for working from 15 to 40 hours weekly in day care and classroom sites. Transportation or reimbursement for transportation, meals during service, an annual physical, paid holidays, sick leave, vacation days, and training are also included in the benefits.
Eighty current Foster Grandparents met Aug. 14 for a “Back to School” in-service at the Whiteside County Senior Center in Sterling. Each grandparent received a personalized certificate of appreciation from the governor of Illinois for their total of 85,287 hours of dedicated service last school year in assisting youngsters academically in the classrooms. Kyle Ackman, principal from Dillon Grade School in Rock Falls, spoke to the Grandparents about their importance in the classroom. Andy Anderson from LSSI and Wayne Thompson from the TCOC Weatherization Program also spoke at the session and informed the Grandparents of current elder situations and home improvement opportunities that would benefit them.
Many elders dread the idea of being idle as they grow older. Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, supports the healthy living saying that says that “people who work longer also live longer” as they are “socially engaged, intellectually stimulated and physically active." A sign on 89-year-old Adelaide Yanow’s desk reads “Things Get Better With Age ... I’m Approaching Magnificent.” Older individuals work longer, because they love interacting and talking with others young and old and learning something new frequently.
For more information about the Foster Grandparent Program, call Lynn Scherer, assistant volunteer coordinator, at Tri-County Opportunities Council in Rock Falls, at (815) 625-7830, ext. 30 or (800) 323-5434 ext. 30.
