Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group

Article submitted by Mary Tishmack of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. She can be reached at 970-667-7897, www.fortnet.org/lcgrg.

Larimer County Support Group

First, let me tell you who we are. We are a grassroots movement that was started in September 2006 with a $50 checking account, and numerous questions, concerns and frustrations relating to the challenges and rising number of Grandparents raising Grandchildren on their own. We felt strongly enough about the issues to press forth to create an organized support group that serves such a population.

Our mission is to provide local support, information, referral and advocacy to caregivers (Grandparents) raising their Grandchildren. We also educate public and private agencies, community organizations, judicial and legislative systems concerning the needs of this group.

Since September 2006, we have been involved in a fundraiser at Christmas, and have been instrumental in forming a task force called The Larimer County Alliance of Grandfamilies. As part of this task force, we have become involved with Larimer County Department of Human Services working toward implementing change to provide additional resources for these Grandparents and Grandchildren. We, as grandparents, are stepping in and taking on the responsibility of raising our grandchildren when our own adult children can no longer take care of them. It is an endeavor of love, patience, and commitment. The reasons are many and diverse as to why we assume the role of caregiver for our grandchildren. As members of the Larimer County Grandparents Raising Grandchildren support group, we are also helping to close some of the holes in the system that grandparents in the past have fallen through. Without proper court papers, grandparents cannot get medical help, register the grandchildren for school or accomplish even the simplest, but very necessary tasks for our grandchildren.

Support group meetings are held twice a month. The 2nd Friday of each month the group is held in Fort Collins at Our Savior Lutheran Church from 9:30 am - 11:30 am, and the 4th Monday of each month in Loveland at LifeSpring Covenant Church from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm.