Grand Rapids WOTV visited the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center on September 5th to film a special feature on the Center’s Traveling Grannies program. 

The Traveling Grandparents program, sponsored by the local Gerontology Network, places senior citizens on center to mentor and serve as “grandparents” to Job Corps students. 

WOTV News Special Projects Producer, Jamie Allen, interviewed students Kim Jordan and Natasha Silguero, Academic Instructor Matt Taliana, and Grandparents Cecile Chilton and Shirley Shear about the program and its impact on both the grandparents and students.  According to Grandma Shirley, volunteering at the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center “gives me life”.  She enjoys talking to the students and works hard to “encourage them to stay in the program and stay focused on their goals.”  Student Natasha Silguero reported that the grandparents help to make the Center feel more like “home” and provide extra support to struggling students. 

In total, the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center has 6 Traveling “grannies” that visit the center on a daily bases to tutor and mentor students. 

The segment featuring the impact of the Traveling Grandparent program on the Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Center aired on the WOTV Maranda Where You Live program at various times on September 14th and 15th and can be viewed by clicking here.