Sheila Christakis volunteers Wednesday with a first grader in Patti Dube’s classroom at Walton Elementary School in Auburn. Christakis, a volunteer with the Foster Grandparent Program, works weekly in the classroom assisting students with their schoolwork and supporting their emotional well-being. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Last week, a kindergartener told Sheila Christakis, a volunteer foster grandparent at Auburn’s Walton Elementary School, “I know you’re old, and you’re going to die soon. However, I want to show you these beads.”

The child delivered the statement with a straight face, yet it was somehow heartfelt. Sheila laughed while recounting the story, saying, “It made my day; they have no filter!”

Christakis and Patricia Morin are the only two foster grandparents currently volunteering in Auburn. Once a thriving program, the Foster Grandparent Program was decimated during the pandemic. The program was shut down and has yet to recover to its full strength.

The Foster Grandparent Program is a federal initiative funded through AmeriCorps and administered locally in Maine by Penquis. The program connects adults 55 and older with opportunities to serve as role models, mentors and tutors for children. In Maine, it operates in 14 counties, placing volunteers in elementary schools, hospitals and childcare centers. Volunteers commit to 15 to 40 hours of service each week and participate in both initial training and ongoing in-service education.

Patricia Morin listens as Simon Eugley, 7, reads from a “True or False” book. Eugley has had two different “Grammies” in his classrooms during his school career. Morin enjoys volunteering, which she credits with helping her get out of the house and making her feel “worthwhile.” Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Patricia Morin, known affectionately as “Grammie Pat,” has been part of the program for 12 years. She began after retiring, inspired by her great-aunt, who was a foster grandparent in the 1970s. Over the years, Morin has watched the children she worked with grow up.

“They come up to me, saying, ‘It’s Grammie Pat, it’s Grammie Pat!’” she said, of how former students greet her when she’s out grocery shopping.

Despite having four grown grandchildren of her own, Morin spreads her love to the children she works with in the program.

“A lot of kids need the hugs,” she said. “It makes me feel good to know that I can help a child when they come into a classroom. They are worth everything.”

Seven-year-old Simon Eugley is one of those children. A seasoned veteran of the program, Eugley enjoyed connecting with Christakis, otherwise known as “Grammie Yaya,” last year and is now bonding with “Grammie Pat.” His favorite activity is reading to the “grammies.” He particularly loves true-or-false books, delighting in trying to stump the volunteers with tricky questions. “Grammie Pat” is always game, engaging with Eugley’s reading and offering one-on-one help with math homework or vocabulary lists.

Sheila Christakis, left, reviews her schedule with Penquis Foster Grandparent Program Manager Maria Staples. Staples oversees the program in 14 of Maine’s 16 counties, with recruiting new volunteers as her top priority. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

In the next classroom over, Christakis, 81, has been volunteering for over five years. For her, the program provides fulfillment and structure.

“Otherwise, I might vegetate,” she said. “I live in senior housing, and I do notice that some people who don’t work or don’t get out in the public do nothing. And that would drive me crazy.”

Christakis also has four grandchildren, all grown up, and she notices a difference between her past role as a grandmother and her current experience with today’s kids.

“It’s a different world. The kids today are not the kids of yesterday,” she observed.

Despite the positive experiences and benefits of the program, recruiting volunteers remains a challenge. Stringent background checks, income verification, and misconceptions about the program — such as the false belief that volunteers take children home — can deter potential participants. All volunteer activities take place in classrooms under the supervision of teachers.

Once seniors do join, they tend to stay for years.

“Once they get in the program, they don’t want to leave,” Program Manager Maria Staples said.

For information on how to begin the volunteer process, contact Staples by email at mstaples@penquis.org.