Released: March 16, 2023
During AmeriCorps Week, held March 12-18, Delaware County Council joins the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA) in recognizing the dedication and commitment of the many Delaware County residents who have chosen to serve their country through AmeriCorps and the many older residents who have served in AmeriCorps Seniors and their community partners.
AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs provide opportunities for thousands of Americans to serve their country through service at nonprofits, schools, public agencies, and community and faith-based groups, bringing people together across race, age, and zip code to address critical issues facing the country, cultivating mutual respect, and helping build resilient and thriving communities.
Thank you to AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, and the countless volunteers, including Shelley Tribbitt, Faye Lombardo, and Lorraine Robinson—the newest graduating class of the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program.
As new members of the Foster Grandparent Program, Shelley, Faye, and Lorraine will soon be placed at volunteer sites throughout the community, mentoring and tutoring children in Head Start centers, childcare centers and schools. Good luck!
About the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program
The program, sponsored nationally by AmeriCorps Seniors and locally by COSA (Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging), was established for individuals 55 and older who have a desire to help children achieve their full potential.
Foster Grandparents can help guide students to higher academic achievement, care for premature infants or children with disabilities, mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers, serve as role models for those with exceptional needs, and experience the joy of knowing they are making a real difference in the life of a child.
AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers, who serve within the Foster Grandparent program, provide the kind of comfort and love that sets a child on a path to a successful future. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers themselves report better health and longevity having served their community, and enjoy new relationships with people in their community, while making a significant difference in the lives of others.
Interested in being a Foster Grandparent to a child in need?
Individuals who would like more information about the Foster Grandparent Program or would like to be in the next graduating class should contact Alisha Freeman by phone at (610) 490-1498 or by email at freemanas@co.delaware.pa.us.
AmeriCorps Seniors service provides tangible benefits for volunteers. The Foster Grandparent program offers modest tax-free stipends to eligible volunteers—up to $500 a month—to help offset the costs of volunteering, transportation assistance, and STO – stipend paid off and holidays.
Other benefits include training, accident, personal liability, and excess automobile liability insurance as well as community recognition.
Participants must be available at least 15 hours per week.
For more information, visit the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program website at https://americorps.gov/serve/americorps-seniors/americorps-seniors-foster-grandparent-program.