Press
Room
Grandparents Day
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
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
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
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
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
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 Lyotte
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.
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