“Mr. John! Mr. John!” When John Pechko, a retired accountant from Donora, Pa., heard two teenagers calling to him from a local store, he wondered who they were. After all, only his grandchildren call him "Mr. John.” But for a moment, he couldn't recall the teens’ names. It was understandable, though — at last count, Pechko had 300 grandchildren.
This summer, Pechko, a widower, will celebrate a decade of volunteering with the Foster Grandparent program. Never one to sit back and watch the world go by, Pechko decided to do something positive with his life after he retired. After a short stint with Meals on Wheels, he learned about the Foster Grandparent Program, a federally-funded program launched in 1965 that pairs volunteers over age 60 with disadvantaged and disabled youth.
Who Can Be a Foster Grandparent?
In 2008, more than 29,000 volunteers will touch the lives of about 273,000 children across the country. There’s no cookie-cutter version of the perfect volunteer. Although he had no children or grandchildren, or experience working with children, Pechko still saw himself as a perfect fit. “It doesn’t take a lot of education and knowledge,” he says. “What it takes is the desire to help and a love of children.”
Program officials agree. “Foster grandparents don’t need highly-specialized skills,” says Karen Hillman, an organizer in North Dakota. “All they need is a sincere interest in children and the ability to interact in a loving manner.”
Volunteers undergo an extensive orientation before being assigned to any children. “Our volunteers have 20 hours of internal classroom time plus 20 hours of shadowing another volunteer,” says Michael Parker, project director of Foster Grandparents for six southwestern Pennsylvania counties. “Then we match the new volunteer to an opportunity according to his or her interests, geographic location, and strengths.”
What Does a Foster Grandparent Do?
Foster grandparents go into schools and Head Start programs to give struggling students one-on-one instruction and time. They visit local children’s hospitals to brighten the days of young patients. And they provide a supportive and caring ear to teenage parents struggling to get by.
At nearby Monongahela Elementary, Pechko helps kids with their homework, reviews spelling words, reads stories, and provides whatever kind of attention the teacher believes a student needs most.
What's in it for You?
Volunteers are asked to give between 15 and 40 hours of service a week, to offer continuity to the children they support. During their hours on duty, volunteers receive a non-taxable stipend of $2.65 an hour (depending on their other income), transportation assistance, meals, and health insurance.
Those perks are noteworthy on their own, but volunteers point to other, immeasurable benefits. “Most foster grandparents will tell you that the experience gives them a reason to get up in the morning and gives meaning to their lives,” Hillman says. “They tell us that being with the kids keeps them young and able to appreciate the beauty in the world around them."
Pechko says he experiences that feeling every day on the job. “For me, there’s no sweeter music than the laughter of children.” He recalled one group with special fondness. “I started out at Monongahela Childcare. Emily, who was about 4, went on vacation with her family. I kind of missed her and I guess she missed me too. When she walked in the door I was in the back room and she came running, ‘Mr. John, Mr. John!’ Then a few others joined her and they all clobbered me at once with hugs. I ended up sprawled on the floor. She’s in junior high now. But thinking back to that day still makes me laugh.”
For more information: Visit Foster Grandparents or call 800-424-8867 or 800-833-3722 to find out how you can connect with a child in need of a caring friend.
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