VOLUNTEER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Program Description
"It doesn't take much. All it takes is caring, sharing and lots of laughter.
Share in family occasions, explore and be a part of your community with a grandchild or support a child in the classroom. Become a single grandparent or volunteer with your spouse. It doesn't matter if you have grandchildren or not - what matters is that you care and you want to be involved in your community.
"Volunteer Grandparents aims to facilitate extended family bonds and intergenerational relationships among adults and children who are not biologically linked. We believe strongly in the positive gains of intergenerational connections, and seek to provide the basis for long lasting and committed relationships between older and younger generations."
-volunteergrandparents.ca
Strong extended family bonds with grandparents may be a privilege that many take for granted. The Volunteer Grandparents program seeks to re-create some of the same support and life experiences in long-term extended family relationships.
Seniors can be an ideal volunteer grandparent and help kids and youth if they:
-Enjoy the company of children
-Enjoy being a part of a family
-Can enrich the life of a child
-Are age 50 plus
-Can share 2-3 hours a week with a child
-Would like to contribute to a learning environment and be involved in a school community
-Have a desire to learn or practice a skill with school-aged children
Volunteer grandparents can help through the following programs:
Family Match Program - matches volunteer grandparents with families who have children between the ages of 3 to 14 years old and who do not have accessible grandparents. The aim of the Family Match Program is to meet the social and emotional needs of older adults, children and families. The intergenerational exchange allows seniors to share time, love, skills and life experiences, and support. Seniors feel more connected to the community, avoid loneliness and isolation, and allow them to help contribute to society and youth
School Grandparent Program - seniors contributing in the schools to foster intergenerational communication and cooperation between themselves and school children. The School Grandparent Program benefits teachers and seniors are able to provide a valuable community service.
Ambassador Program - Seniors who would like to help can help spread the word of the volunteer grandparents program by promoting our programs at community events
Volunteer Grandparents aims to bring together seniors and youth by facilitating intergenerational connections all in the hope of building healthy communities.
source:volunteergrandparents.ca