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Very few of us are lucky enough to grow up with three or four generations living under one roof. In fact, many of us rarely see our grandparents because they live hundreds or thousands of miles away. Sheila Keene-Hall, founder of the Adopt-A-Grandparent program, wants to remedy this by linking the elderly of our community with families who miss the opportunity to spend time with seniors.
Adopt-A-Grandparent is a program of caring and sharing between people regardless of age. Inspired by her strong belief in the importance of enriching the lives of the elderly, Sheila Keene-Hall founded the program in October 1998. "At first I thought the program would benefit the grandparents," Sheila says, "but the children are making it known that there is a relationship that is needed for them, too."
The program's grandparents, who come from nursing homes, assisted-living homes, and private homes, too, are matched to a compatible volunteer. "There are now 44 volunteers and 95 grandparents, so we still need more volunteers to reach our goal," she says. "We ultimately want 3 volunteers assigned to each grandparent."
In talking with volunteers and grandparents, I found a delightful bonding between our community's youth and our elderly.
Lisa Metcalf has a husband, two children, and a 30-hour-a-week job. Why she is involved in Adopt-A-Grandparent? "I took care of my grandmother, and when she died it left a void in my life," she says. "Adopt-A-Grandparent has filled that void." She has "adopted" Dorothy Dorothy, who lives at Nelson Nursing Home and just celebrated her 85th birthday. Dorothy grew up in Birmingham, graduated from Birmingham School, and moved to Fairfield. She has shared stories of her father working for the railroad and her mother washing and ironing clothes for other people. Her parents were giving people, so Dorothy learned to do the same. She gave to the community of Fairfield, working for 20 years at the Farm Bureau. Now, as life comes around full circle, what Dorothy has given with love and kindness is being given back to her by Lisa Metcalf and her family.
Bill Briggs, still very active at 91, maintains his own townhouse apartment. His adopted family is Marla Johnson and her two children, Alena and Vinney Sharp. When asked why she and her children take time from their busy schedules to volunteer for Adopt-A-Grandparent, Marla says, "By giving of my time it makes someone else happy and in turn makes our family happy."
Bill, who is known as the "Bead Man" because he has done Indian beading and loom weaving for 30 years, displays his work at the Gem Show held at the Jefferson Country Fairgrounds each year. Bill has lived in Fairfield most of his adult life and ran a plumbing business from 1937 to 1972. He was married for 61 years and has 3 children, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren. He served in the National Guard for 12 years and in 1972 started the Conservation Board in Fairfield.
When asked what he attributes his long life to, he says, "I never smoked, never drank much, and was always active." I asked Bill about all the changes he has seen in his lifetime and what he thinks of the world today. His reply was simple and direct: "I don't think the country is in as bad a shape as what some people portray it to be."
Bill, who has been blessed in his lifetime with love, a great attitude, and a caring family, now has the joy of having another family care enough to be in his life through the Adopt-A-Grandparent program.
Elery Stiles resides at the Sunnybrook Assisted Living Center in Fairfield. His hands are crippled with arthritis but his mind is filled with the stories of long ago. A very shrewd checker player, Elery is playing with his worthy opponent, 10-year-old James Gibson. James entered the Adopt-A-Grandparent program when it was offered by Lincoln Elementary School. When asked why he has volunteered his time to commit to this program, James says, "My Grandpa lives in Oklahoma and I don't get to see him very much, and I think a lot of older people need help. So since I can't be with my own grandpa I can help someone else."
Those are wise words of wisdom for one so young. It was wonderful to watch the two of them play checkers and to see a special bond of sharing and caring between them. Although Elery plays to win, he stops every now and then to teach James how to plan his moves more strategically. Meanwhile, his crippled fingers move the checkers across the board accurately and deliberately. Guess who won?
Adopt-A Grandparent offers more than just community service. Volunteers who give their time learn about how it used to be, enjoy the wisdom of one who has grown with time, and have the satisfaction of making a difference in another person's life.
But the job is not done. Adopt-A-Grandparent still needs more volunteers of all ages to contribute their talents in administrative positions as well as committing to spend time with grandparents.
If you are interested in volunteering some of your time to Adopt-A-Grandparent, or if you live outside Fairfield and would like to learn how to coordinate the program in your area, contact Shelia Keene-Hall at (515) 472-2905.
