Project Grant 19SFNOH001

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SENIOR CENTERS, INC. IS A MULTI-PURPOSE SENIOR CENTER OFFERING A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SENIORS IN THE COMMUNITY. SENIOR CENTERS, INC. IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE AGING NETWORK ENSURING DELIVERY OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY SENIOR CENTERS, INC. FOR OVER 40 YEARS. THE LENGTH OF TIME THE FOSTER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN PLACE IN TOLEDO IS TESTAMENT TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A REAL COMMUNITY NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM, BOTH FOR SENIORS WHO WISH TO REMAIN ACTIVE AND SUPPLEMENT THEIR INCOME AS WELL AS FOR STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS WHO HAVE EXCEPTIONAL/SPECIAL NEEDS. WE ARE FILLING THIS NEED. THE PLACEMENT OF FOSTER GRANDPARENTS IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS PRE-SCHOOL AND DAY CARE SETTINGS, BENEFITS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY BY ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE VOLUNTEERS, PROVIDING EXTRA SUPPORT TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL/EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS AND HELPING ADDRESS COMMUNITY NEEDS. AN ESTIMATED 72 FGP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE AS FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WITHIN THE COMING THREE YEARS. OF THIS NUMBER, APPROXIMATELY 70 FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING, FOCUSING ON AREAS THAT COOPERATING TEACHERS HAVE PINPOINTED AS AREAS OF NEED FOR THE CHILDREN ASSIGNED THEM. OTHER ACTIVITIES WILL BE PROVIDING MENTORING AS WELL AS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO THE STUDENTS WITH WHOM VOLUNTEERS WILL WORK. THESE AREAS ARE NOTED ON THE TEACHER-WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT PLANS, WHICH ARE FOLLOWED BY THE FOSTER GRANDPARENTS. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS EDUCATION. AT THE END OF THIS THREE YEAR GRANT, CHILDREN WILL HAVE SHOWN IMPROVEMENT IN CURRICULAR AREAS IN WHICH THEY HAVE WORKED WITH THE FOSTER GRANDPARENTS. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $277,059 (YEAR ONE TOTAL OF A NEW THREE YEAR GRANT) WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING, AS WELL AS WITH IN-KIND DONATIONS.