Felton Institute has an enduring legacy and commitment to serving older adults. Since its founding in 1889, Felton has served the Bay Area community with care and compassion. In the present day, our diverse programs and services empower and support older adults through our Senior Division. The AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), operated by Felton Institute in San Francisco, has been our longest-running initiative. Established in 1965, it matches older adults within childcare and school settings to help children with literacy and other developmental activities. The child-centric program provides an opportunity for children to connect with older adults.
AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving through the Foster Grandparent Program use their life experiences to help children learn new skills and gain confidence, finding value in the work they do every day. “I really enjoy working with the students,” AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer Donna Robblee explained. “And I really enjoy giving the students extra help.” This multi-generational approach is part of Felton’s unwavering commitment to providing multiple generations with the resources they need to flourish.
Archival Program Photos from the 1990s
AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers enrich young lives by sharing knowledge and experience through one-on-one classroom activities, group activities, reading support, creative play, field trips, and much more. A background in education is not a necessity as Robblee’s diverse resume, which includes owning and operating her own hair salon to working at a bed and breakfast, can attest. Felton Institute provides training and resources to AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers so that they can lead with confidence. Robblee has been with the program for 12 years and has worked with grades ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade. In addition to empowering the young learners, the program has been beneficial for her as well. Turning 78 this year, Robblee reflects that tutoring young children “keeps your mind a little bit sharper.”
Felton also places AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving through the Foster Grandparent Program in our Early Care and Education (ECE) centers that, for over fifty years, have fostered the educational endeavors of children and their families who have limited access to financial resources. Together, AmeriCorps Seniors and ECE are “building stronger communities, fostering relationships between young children and older adults,” Tieu Ly, FGP’s former Program Manager and current Associate Director of Digital Equity, said. AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers provide support, encouragement, and engagement with the children in Felton’s ECE centers, whether reading them a book or sitting down to breakfast and helping them learn how to use utensils, among other activities.
The decades-long success of Felton’s multi-generational programs reflects the commitment, strong leadership, and ingenuity of the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program and Early Care and Education programs. In 2016, the city and county of San Francisco presented Felton Institute with the ‘Foster Grandparent’ proclamation certificate honoring the work Felton does with the senior community. This engagement, Ly explains, “inspires others to become more involved and give back to the community.”
If you’re 55+ and interested in becoming an AmeriCorps Senior volunteer, email us today at volunteers@felton.org. Learn more about volunteering at Felton Institute: Felton.org/Volunteer.
Felton Institute responds to the needs of our community by providing innovative, evidence-informed social services to transform lives. Our organization offers 50+ programs that address mental health, the unhoused, early care and education, those impacted by the justice system, transitional age youth, as well as aging adults. Our award-winning programs, which have been recognized as national models, combine the latest scientific research with cultural sensitivity and a deep commitment to supporting and reflecting the communities we serve.
Founded in 1889, Felton is the oldest secular non-profit social services provider in the City and County of San Francisco. We have expanded our services across most Bay Area counties and continue to be at the forefront of pioneering new approaches to meet the emerging needs of underserved populations.
We know what it looks like to successfully build community.
We foster impactful change by strengthening the community as a premiere service provider. We also strengthen other service providers by supporting them in their fiscal, human resources, communications, IT and overall agency operations. With Felton’s support, they are able to focus on providing the best services to their clients, doing the work they were meant to do.
Felton empowers the community and ensures successful outcomes to all we engage with.
Felton Institute is a tax-exempt organization registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit under EIN 94-1156530.