They know him as Grandpa Paul at Eastside Elementary School and look forward to seeing his friendly face and receiving his help every day.
Since 2019, Paul Murray has been a Foster Grandparent for Sweetwater County School District No. 1.
“For the most part I’m tutoring kids one on one or in a small group, Murray said. “I also help out with class discussions.”
While at Eastside, Murray visits certain classrooms building relationships with the teachers and students in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. Some of the subjects Murray helps out with are reading, writing, science, social studies, and sometimes math, which is fine with Murray since he said “I was never really good at math.”
Maryalice Snider, Foster Grandparents of the Wyoming Rockies Program Director, said “The Foster Grandparent Program is an intergenerational program which began in 1965 to connect volunteers aged 55 and over with opportunities to provide one-on-one mentoring, nurturing, and support to children that could use a little more attention and support,” Snider said.
The program runs under the national umbrella of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors, she explained.
“Classroom grandparents act as an extra caring and consistent adult in the classroom, and help with tutoring, literacy development, and mentoring to provide the skills and confidence to succeed in school,” Snider said. “Foster Grandparents themselves derive significant emotional and health benefits from their service, which can improve their quality of life and provide them with a strong sense of purpose.”
“The kids like me and a lot of them give me hugs when I see them around town,” Murray said. “I feel like I’m a good male role model for these kids.”
Not only does Murray spend time in the classroom, but one of the perks of being a Foster Grandparent is getting to have a free lunch with the kids. Murray knows he could work somewhere else and make more money, but that would just not be as rewarding or enjoyable. For Murray, the program is rewarding because it benefits the children, teachers, and himself.
“Our volunteers say they enjoy giving back and being a part of a community and that they see improvements in their own physical and mental health, quality of life, and sense of purpose,” Snider said.
About the Program
According to Snider, Sweetwater County only has two foster grandparents and they are always looking for more.
Foster Grandparents of the Wyoming Rockies currently serves seven counties: Albany, Carbon, Sweetwater, Uinta, Lincoln, Sheridan and Johnson. Grandparents can be placed in classrooms, residential treatment facilities, day care centers, child development centers, and other programs.
“We ask for a minimum commitment of 15 hours per week; volunteers can serve as much as they want or are needed, however,” Snider said. “Grandparents by and large choose their own schedule and the age group with which they serve.”
To offset the cost of volunteering, the volunteers earn a tax free stipend, mileage, paid holidays and leave. Most of the volunteers’ work follows the school district’s schedule and have the summers off as well.
For more information on the program or to become a volunteer, click here.
