Pepperdine Foster Grandparent Program Featured in Caring Magazine

Pepperdine University’s Foster Grandparent Program was recently featured in Caring Magazine for its partnership with The Salvation Army and its positive impact on children and older adult volunteers throughout Southern California.

The article, “Foster Grandparents Make a Difference at Salvation Army Programs,” follows volunteers serving at The Salvation Army Long Beach Red Shield After School Program and Los Angeles Day Care. At these locations, Foster Grandparents work alongside staff and teachers to mentor children, assist with homework and reading, and provide consistent encouragement and emotional support.

Launched nationally in 1965 as an AmeriCorps Seniors initiative, the Foster Grandparent Program has been sponsored by Pepperdine since 1972. Today, approximately 150 Foster Grandparents serve at some 25 locations across Southern California as mentors, tutors, and friends to young people with exceptional needs or circumstances.

“The impact is deeply mutual,” Shanetta Weatherspoon, executive director of Pepperdine’s Foster Grandparent Program, told Caring Magazine.  “Children benefit from individualized support, mentorship, patience and emotional connection from older adults who bring wisdom, consistency and life experience into classrooms and community spaces…For older adults, volunteerism often provides renewed purpose, fulfillment, social connection and community involvement.”

Children receive individualized attention and mentorship from older adults, while volunteers gain a renewed sense of purpose, stronger social connections, and meaningful opportunities to remain engaged in their communities.

The feature also recognizes the dedication of Foster Grandparent Barbara Niles, who was named the Pepperdine program’s Volunteer of the Month for her joyful service at the Long Beach Red Shield program. Niles and her fellow volunteers demonstrate how dependable, caring relationships can support children’s academic and emotional development while enriching the lives of the older adults who serve them.

Through partnerships with schools and community organizations across Los Angeles County, Pepperdine’s Foster Grandparent Program advances a multigenerational approach to community service and brings children and older adults together through mentorship, learning, and friendship.