Grandfriends: Intergenerational Program

Grandfriends is an intergenerational program at a North Carolina church which joins children from the weekday pre-school program together with the congregation’s seniors to meet weekly for lunch, crafts and story time. Seniors possess a wealth of talent, time and love, and children benefit from dedicated one-on-one time with a grandparent-type figure in their lives. The Grandfriends program brings these needs together, and the result is beautiful! Children thrive with this attention and support, and their seniors come alive when spending time with young children. This program can help restore confidence and joy in seniors. And these seniors can, in turn, serve as a resource for young parents and families. This workshop will share the program’s development, the positive changes observed in both seniors and young families and steps for incorporating Grandfriends into almost any church structure.

Led by Linda DiFranco | Former Director, Children's Ministry and a Co-Founder, Grandfriends