In early February of this year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to eliminate Senior Corps programs. Senior Corps, like AmeriCorps, is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which is a federal agency. The Foster Grandparent program, which is a part of Senior Corps, serves at-risk children in schools, child care facilities and in other community settings.
I have worked as a foster grandparent in a Head Start and at the Boys and Girls Club for about a year. Though the stipend of $2.65 an hour has been small, as a low-income senior citizen, this has been welcome. I’ve loved working with the children and I will miss them a great deal.
I do take issue, however, with not only the program being cut but with the Obama administration giving a sizeable amount of stimulus money to AmeriCorps and none to Senior Corps. I also take issue with any hours being cut in December because (we were told) there wasn’t enough money. I feel that the treatment of seniors and Senior Corps by the government has been unconscionable. Doesn’t anyone care about the children that the seniors serve, or about the seniors themselves?
Linda Wade
Vancouver
