To the 24 children living at The Children's Village of Sonoma County, in Santa Rosa, California, the fact that Deb Jackson, Jane Schwarten, Hank Mattimore, and Sister Judy Breslin are not their actual grandparents is irrelevant.
What matters to the children is that the quartet – three of whom have volunteered at this multigenerational home for children in foster care since it opened in 2006 – are always there to offer a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on, a ride to a baseball game, or even a horseback riding lesson. Most important, they provide the kids stable relationships adults who care about them.
The foursome, known to the children as Grandma Jane, Grandma Deb, Grandma Judy, and Grandpa Hank, were nominated for an Extraordinary Grandparent award by fellow volunteer Rowena Kennedy. To date, they have helped to support 43 kids at The Children's Village, whose mission is to provide nurturing, stable family homes in a multi-generational, enriched environment.
"Volunteer grandparents like Hank, Judy, Jane, and Deb allow the children to develop healthy emotional attachments," says executive director Anjana Utarid, who adds that the four serve the same roles any other hands-on grandparents would.
As Kennedy explains, "Grandpa Hank cheers them at their games, attends school plays or parents nights, and is there when they receive a reward for good marks or behavior. Grandma Jane is actively involved with the kids' healthcare and connecting with resources to meet their needs, and Grandma Judy brings years of teaching experience."
As chair of the garden committee, Grandma Deb gets the children involved in planting, growing, and harvesting herbs and vegetables for cooking. She's also introduced the kids to the joy of horses, and three of them now take riding lessons as a result. For her, life at the village is filled with everyday, gratifying experiences: "One day I could share my love for horses, share their love for superheroes, read a favorite story, or explore some new food or game."
Above all, she says, "I want these children to know that they are truly loved."
Grandparent volunteers at Children's Village are asked to commit to 10 hours a week, but for these four, it's a full-time job. They live in apartments on the Village grounds and offer a multi-generational component that kids without families wouldn't have otherwise. But the adults benefit as well. "I love the energy and enthusiasm of young people," says Hank, 77. "Their attitude toward life is hopeful and optimistic."
Working with the kids has its ups and downs, Hank says. Being told by a 10-year-old resident that he was "the grandpa I never had" ranks among his personal highlights, but the realization that some kids have been so damaged by life that even love is not enough is hard to accept.
Hank has now moved off the Village grounds in order to raise a foster child of his own, but still volunteers with the kids, saying, "Being a surrogate grandpa has rewarded me with a sense of community, a feeling of fulfillment. Besides that, life with the kids is a hoot. They are beautiful."
Meet the other winners of our 2011 Extraordinary Grandparents contest now
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