Jackie Woods received a special surprise on Dec. 14 at her Decatur home. Volunteers from Dream Weavers spread holiday cheer to the grandmother of seven by presenting her with hand-made owl ornaments to celebrate the Christmas season.
“During the holiday season, we get involved in a variety of ways to bring cheer. Dream Weaver members are action oriented and care deeply for the well-being of children. We made many owls from recycled sweaters and buttons and wished to honor these wise grandparents who are doing so much for their grandkids,” said Director Denise Eller, a community resource specialist with Avita Partners.
Woods is a part of the “grandfamily” population, or where children are living with grandparents or other relatives who are the householders. In Georgia, there are 100,000 grandparents who raise their grandchildren, which is a part of the 4.5 million children being raised by their grandparents in the United States.
Founder of the Grandparent Empowerment Project, Judy Perdue, said, “Grandparents are powerful, and provide so much to our generations. They are willing to put their lives on hold, and we want to ensure that they receive access to resources to help them raise their grandkids, but also receive acknowledgement and recognition for what they are doing.”
Perdue, who used to work with Project Healthy Grandparents at Georgia State University, connected Woods to the Dream Weavers. The initiative is a self advocacy group of adults with developmental disabilities. Woods’ three oldest grandchildren are special needs children.
Raising seven grandchildren is no easy task, but Woods recognizes that love and support make anything possible. “To see so much support from [Dream Weavers] and Judy, it truly is a blessing,” she said. “There is a whole generation gap that sometimes makes things a little difficult for grandparents to understand their grandkids, and vice versa. With the help of people such as Judy, the Dream Weavers, we can get the support we need to raise our grandchildren to be the best people possible.”
In addition to giving back to grandparents, Dream Weavers gets involved by collecting food for a local food bank, delivering random bags of goodies for animal shelters, hosting dinner for the women at Freedom Hill (a transitional home), and packing gift boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
With the help of volunteers and the community, Eller added, “We can give from the heart and work together to make a difference in the lives of others.”
To volunteer with Dream Weavers, contact Denise Eller at 706-894-3743.
For information on Grandparent Empowerment Project, contact Judy Perdue at judyandgrandparents@gmail.com
In Other News: Community leaders came together on Dec. 6 to host the 6th Annual Children's Chair-ity Event at Dolce in Peachtree City. Over $72,000 was raised to help care for the abandoned, abused, and neglected children who live in the cottages at Christian City.
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