It is with great sadness to announce that PEACE, Inc. will pause its AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program, effective immediately.
This decision does not come lightly. While AmeriCorps Seniors approved PEACE, Inc.’s 3-year renewal application for federal funding year 2025, the awarded dollars continue to be impounded by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This impoundment is affecting every AmeriCorps Seniors program across the country that has been approved for a 3-year contract renewal. Like others then, the PEACE, Inc. Foster Grandparent Program cannot continue our important work until the funds are released.
This is an especially troubling development for a city like Syracuse, where poverty among seniors has skyrocketed over the past 15 years and childhood poverty is the worst in the nation. Since 1972, the PEACE, Inc. Foster Grandparent Program has allowed low-income senior volunteers to share their time and talents by mentoring at-risk children in our community. This school year, 68 Foster Grandparents volunteers provided one-to-one attention, encouragement, and support to 225 Syracuse City School District (SCSD) and Head Start children who needed assistance overcoming social-emotional and academic challenges. Likewise, the volunteers themselves gained renewed purpose, companionship, and a modest stipend that helped ease financial strain. The program’s impact is indisputable:
- 81% of participating students exhibited improved social-emotional skills due partly to the time spent with Foster Grandparents. For one SCSD principal, “the Foster Grandparent Program at Delaware Primary is thriving and making a positive impact on the classes they serve and our school community as a whole.”
- 92% of their Foster Grandparents reported their mental and emotional health had improved due to the program, underscoring how giving back can be just as transformative as receiving help. For one volunteer, “the program has given me a reason to get up and going. I love the kids and they give me such joy. I have a purpose in my life now.”
If you want this important work to continue, please contact your local United States Congressman. Ask them to contact OMB and to release funds for AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Programs such as PEACE, Inc. For those who desire it, a letter template is available here.
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