AoA honors today’s grandparents by sharing the individual stories of six grandparents identified by the Administration on Aging’s National Family Caregiver Support Program grantee organizations.

Frank and Francisca Colores have participated in the United Cerebral Palsy of Southern Arizona’s Aging Caregivers and the Exceptional Child (ACE) project during the last two years. The Colores’ took four children into their home because their mother was involved with substance abuse and eventually left the city.

Shig Kihara is a grandfather of three children and an infant. He also is a caregiver for his 92 year-old mother. At the time of this interview, Mr. Kihara just finished his weekly route as a volunteer escort for Asian Community Center (ACC) Rides, a para-transit program for older adults operated by the ACC in Sacramento, California.

Jesse Williams, aged 82, cares full-time for her seven-year-old great granddaughter Dorese, whose mother passed away during childbirth. She also provides childcare for her three-month-old great-granddaughter while the mother works a swing shift. Mrs. Williams receives help from a grandparent support group called Grandparents Offering Love and Discipline (GOLD) that meets once a month in her hometown of Danville, Illinois.

Albert Garcia, from Rochester, New York, assumed responsibility for his granddaughter Renee, aged 12 almost seven years ago. The courts awarded him custody of Renee since the parents were not able to care for her. It has not been an easy road for Mr. Garcia, but he has stayed committed to doing his best for his granddaughter.

Grace Broken Leg, a 78-year-old great-grandmother living on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, is raising her thirteen great-grandchildren and participates in the Native American Caregiver Support Program. She wants the best for her great-grandchildren and encourages their education.

Loretta Hollow Horn Bear-Iyotte also participates in the Rosebud Reservation Native American Caregiver Support Program. She is 79 years old, and is raising her five grandchildren. She has recently adopted her 14-year-old grandson through the Indian Child Welfare Act program.