Education United States Project #23441

Support UPO's Foster Grandparents Program

by United Planning Organization

Project Report | Apr 8, 2019
Donate a "Little" to Little by Little Matching Campaign

By Mervyn Myers | Development Director

UPO Foster Grandparent tutoring DC children

UPO's Foster Grandparents (FGP) Program trains low-income Washington DC senior volunteers to provide critical mentoring and emotional support to District children in a variety of local settings. The program operates at 60 locations in the District of Columbia and includes early education centers, public and charter schools, before and after-school programs, youth programs and hospitals.

Annually, more than 200 Foster Grandparents put in more than 175,000 volunteer service hours – working one-on-one or in small groups mentoring more than 15,000 DC children.

Foster Grandparents serve where the need is the greatest and because of this, our youth receive tremendous academic benefits alongside life-changing personal development. The program provides fulfilling volunteer service opportunities for seniors 55 years and older giving them an opportunity to give back by sharing their experience and wisdom with children who value and cherish the lessons.

The Foster Grandparents Program sponsored by UPO is funded by the Corporation for National & Community Service Senior Corps (CNCS). CNCS, a Federal Government Program that provides grants to organizations committed to strengthening their communities through volunteer programs. Cheryl Christmas, Project Director of UPO’s Foster Grandparents program, which is considered to be one of the exemplary FGP programs in the country, has recently joined the CNCS Steering Committee and will sharing UPO’s successful strategies with colleagues across the country.

The funds raised by Support UPO's Foster Grandparents Program helps us to cover the cost of training, materials, uniforms, and daily travel for more than 200 low-income DC senior volunteer FGPs. These expenses are not covered by CNCS.

From April 8-12, GlobalGiving will match donations up to $50 at 50%, with $50,000 in matching funds available. UPO through the tremendous support of our donors has earned GG Superstar Reward Status and will be awarded an additional 10% match on eligible donations!

This wil be our week to celebrate the power of the crowd and demonstrate that small donations add up to BIG change! See how much your gift of up to $50 can help! A gift of $50, will earn a $30 match, becoming $80!

So please take a moment to renew your Support of UPO's Foster Grandparents Program by making a “Little” donation to our Little by Little Matching Campaign, which will run from 9:00 am EDT on Monday, April 8, 2019, to11:59 pm EDT on Friday, April 12, 2019.

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Mar 13, 2019
Foster Grandparents Program Strategies go National

By Mervyn Myers | Development Director

ABC News visits UPO Foster Grandparents Program

Cheryl Christmas, Project Director of UPO’s Foster Grandparents program has joined the Senior Corps Steering Committee of the Corporation for National & Community Service. This organization runs the nationwide Foster Grandparent network; the Steering Committee shapes the content of the network’s training programs. She said, “I look forward to sharing UPO’s strategies with my colleagues across the country as they tackle program issues and position themselves for future trends.”

When Washington Post reporters went to DC schools, they kept seeing UPO Foster Grandparents in their blue uniforms. Finally, they asked about our program that brings seniors into classrooms to become mentors; they were so impressed that reporter Perry Stein wrote about two of our 200+ volunteers in the main story of the Metro section on October 29^th last year. We shared this article with our FGP supporters in our Giving Tuesday Program Report on November 26^th last year. Immediately, several other media outlets started calling us to do their own stories about the love and wisdom of our Foster Grandparents. Here is the latest one!

Last month on Valentine’s Day, ABC News showed how children and their UPO Foster Grandparents combine love and learning in the classroom. ABC reporter Karen Travers interviewed the principal of Ludlow-Taylor Elementary and a teacher about the profound impact on students. Grandpa Raspberry, Grandma Lewis, and Grandma Bates also gain from the connections: “This brings me joy. It keeps me young,” said Bates (age 95). She was also recognized by DC Councilman Robert White for her dedication to UPO and DC Public Schools. See attached Video, which documents ABC’s visit to Ludlow-Taylor Elementary.

UPO's Foster Grandparents provide critical mentoring and tutoring services daily to DC children from birth to 21 years of age in a variety of local settings. Help is needed to cover the cost of training, materials, uniforms, and daily travel for more than 200 low-income DC senior volunteer FGPs. The program improves the long-term health and well-being of senior volunteers and circulates seventy cents of every program dollar into the local low-income DC communities that our volunteers and students reside. With a mission to Unite People with Opportunities, UPO's Foster Grandparents offer the right mix of academic acumen and nurturing and give much needed attention to over 15,000 low-income children in Washington, DC.

We have a waiting list of 100 seniors to be FGPs, 10 educational institutions seeking to join the program and every current partnering volunteer site has requested additional FGPs. Your generous donations will help the UPO Foster Grandparent Program, now nationally recognized as one of the pacesetters in the field, meet these additional needs.

Links:

ABC News visit to Ludlow-Taylor Elementary

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Dec 21, 2018
FGP PROGRAM ON GOOD MORNING WASHINGTON

By Mervyn Myers | Development Director

The UPO Foster Grandparent Program (ABC7)

WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The United Planning Organization's Foster Grandparents Program was featured on ABC7 on Thursday December 20, 2018.

View the feature at the link below!

UPO's FGPs provide critical mentoring and tutoring services daily to DC children from birth to 21 years of age in a variety of local settings. Help is needed to cover the cost of training, materials, uniforms, and daily travel for more than 200 low-income DC senior volunteer FGPs. In addition we have a waiting list of 100 seniors to be FGPs, 10 educational institutions seeking to join the program and every current partnering volunteer site has requested additional FGPs.

UPO’s FGP Program is competing for bonus prizes in GlobalGiving’s Year End Campaign.
In addition GlobalGiving is offering a Match on all new Recurring Donations

All new recurring donations up to $200 per donor per project started during the campaign will get an additional 100% match on the initial donation as long as it remains active for at least four consecutive payments. The recurring match will be good throughout the entire campaign.

Dear friends of UPO’s Foster Grandparents Program please be generous by sharing your bounty in support of this program that improves the long-term health and well-being of senior volunteers and circulates seventy cents of every program dollar into the local low-income DC communities that our volunteers and students reside. With a mission to Unite People with Opportunities, UPO's Foster Grandparents offer the right mix of academic acumen and nurturing and give much needed attention to over 15,000 low-income children in Washington, DC who so richly deserve it.

Happy Holidays from UPO's FGPs and the low-income children they serve.

Links:

UPO FGP PROGRAM ON GOOD MORNING WASHINGTON

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