Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Sound Publishing’s The Time of Your Life, Spring 2015.

Are you on a limited budget? Are you over 55 years of age? Are you willing to spend 20 hours a week helping children in a classroom?

Then you might want to consider joining the Foster Grandparent Program.

A Foster Grandparent is someone who serves in a classroom, under the teachers’ guidance, helping needy kids. You might read, sing, tell stories, do crafts, help socialize or have fun in many other ways. You receive a meal each day, are reimbursed for your transportation, and receive a small stipend for serving.

The benefits are threefold: you get to contribute to your community in a meaningful way, the teacher gets some additional help in the classroom and, most importantly, children get some much needed guidance and positive attention.

“Grandma Sue B.” expressed the feelings of many of the Foster Grandparents when she said, “I’d go insane if I had to sit at home all day long. I couldn’t bear to be away from my kids.”

Her “kids” are the ones she helps and watches as they grow into young adults.

“Grandma Sandy” helps newborn babies and their parents.

Although the monthly stipend does help with expenses, she said she loves what she does so much that she would pay the school for the privilege of coming to work.

For more information, contact Bill Tracey at 360-405-0072, ext. 4, or by email at billt@ccsww.org.