The Foster Grandparents of Harris County were presented an American flag at their annual holiday party recently, and Congressman John Culberson had the flag flown over the United States Capitol in honor of the Foster Grandparents in November.
In addition to flying the flag over the Capitol, Culberson further honored the participants by designating Nov. 18, 2008 as Foster Grandparent Service Day.
Foster Grandparents are low-income men and women at least 60 years of age who serve their communities by volunteering one-on-one time with children for 20 to 40 hours a week. To defray the cost of volunteering, the volunteers receive a small, non-taxable stipend.
“All parties benefit from the Foster Grandparent Program,” said Barbara Melnik, director of the Foster Grandparent Program of Harris County. “The children and youth receive one-on-one attention from a non-judgmental, caring adult; schools, Head Start Centers and daycares benefit from the extra hands and hearts which mentor and tutor the students. The Grandparents get so much pleasure from seeing the impact they make on the children – improvement in academics and behavior – and the program gives them a reason to get up every morning and get out of the house. Inter-generational programs allow seniors to share their lifetimes of wisdom and experience.”
To find out how individuals, groups, and businesses can support the Foster Grandparent Program, contact Melnik at bmelnik@jcchouston.org or at 713-729-3200, ext. 3227.
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