By Kelsea Ernst

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana is currently accepting new volunteers for the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program.

The Foster Grandparent Program began in 1965 under President Johnson as a “war on poverty” project to assist older Americans living on fixed incomes. The program started as a pilot project of 20 programs to entice low-income people over 60 in community service to demonstrate the effectiveness of the service model.

SWLA adopted the program in 1999 to benefit students and to enable low-income senior citizens aged 55 and older to supplement their income in a meaningful way by providing volunteer service to children in need.

Volunteers work alongside teachers and parents to give extra support and provide help to children in need.  Grandparents work one-on-one in a classroom setting with students who need extra support in reading and math to bring the children up to their targeted reading level and to score at least an “Above Basic” level on LEAP and iLEAP standardized tests.

According to a BBBS-SWLA press release, grandparents also help boost their children’s self-confidence and self-esteem by continually praising their efforts and achievements, no matter how big or small their achievements may be.

Kathy Richard, program director, explained that this process benefits both the volunteers as well as the children. “This program helps the senior citizens become more active by enabling them to give back to their community by working with the futures of our country, helping to ensure that these children have the best possible chance of a bright and productive future,” she said. “It helps to keep them mobile and helps to keep their minds active. It also allows them to receive the love of the children they serve, as well as giving that love back to the students they work with.”

As compensation for their time, volunteers receive a non-taxable stipend of $4 an hour that cannot be counted as income against any government benefit they may be receiving, and can work 20 to 40 hours a week. In addition, volunteers receive mileage reimbursement and paid time off for holidays.

To receive the stipend, volunteers are required to work a minimum of 20 hours a week and must meet income eligibility guidelines. If an applicant does not meet the guidelines but still wishes to volunteer, they are welcome to apply as a non-stipend volunteer. The application process is the same, but non-stipend volunteers are required to only work a minimum of seven hours a week.

To qualify, those interested in becoming grandparents must be 55 and older, both enjoy and are physically able to work with children in a classroom setting, meet income eligibility, pass a 3-tier – State, FBI fingerprinting and Sex Offender Registry – background check and complete 20 hours of orientation training.

Richard said SWLA has nine Foster Grandparent Programs with a total of about 485 volunteers, and they currently serve students in the Beauregard, Calcasieu, Jeff Davis, Acadia and Vernon parishes. She said the number of volunteers has dropped since COVID-19 and the hurricanes of 2020, and volunteers are “greatly needed” in Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Iowa, Welsh and DeRidder.

“Our children need us to step up and help them with reading. Won’t you be that person?”

To apply for the program or for more information, contact Kathy Richard at krichard@bbbsswla.org, or call 337-478-5437 ext. 104.