Meet Mary Cummings, a Foster Grandparent volunteer who has served in Moab for almost a year and a half! Before retiring, Mary was a victim advocate in Wyoming for 13 years. She also worked for the state with the Navajo people. Now she describes it as “icing on the cake” to serve children at Head Start.
Mary is grateful to serve at such a critical organization in the community. “I think Head Start is a wonderful program because I don’t know where these children would be without it,” she said. “Many of these children don’t know English, but within about five weeks at Head Start, they’ve just about got it! It’s really amazing.”
To understand Mary’s role, it helps to picture a typical day at Head Start. She teaches the children manners and life skills, encourages eating balanced meals, and guides them through social interactions with others. For instance, Mary emphasizes that during playtime, the children need to include everyone — not just their friends — to prevent anyone from getting left out. She also assists the preschoolers in learning their shapes and how to spell their name so they can be ready for kindergarten.
Mary loves that while her volunteer service is simple, she is building real relationships with these children. She said, “The kids run to me in the grocery store! I’ll be out shopping and I’ll hear someone say, ‘Grandma! Grandma!’ and run to me. They get excited and want to talk.”
Because of her calm presence, it is clear why the children seek Mary for encouragement. The kids know that if they are crying, Mary will listen to them, sympathize with them and help them feel better. She said, “I’ve made a big difference just by giving them a grandma’s love at school.”
Mary hasn’t let her challenges with hearing get in the way of serving, although some might view it as an obstacle. “I struggle to hear even with really good hearing aids, and I’ve told the kids. They understand and they’re patient with me, and love me nevertheless. I love them for that.”
Volunteering has also improved Mary’s life in unexpected ways. She said, “I find joy in areas of my life that I thought I had lost finding joy in, just by aging, ya know? Because of my background working with victims, everything got to be so serious. Now I can find that joy in the simple things in life again.”
And while working with high-energy children may not always be easy, Mary has gained a valuable lesson we could all embrace. “I've been learning patience with them, she said. “Sometimes they just need to cry and have someone listen. This year I'm thinking about that song that reminds us to let them be children.” We can all ‘let them be little, cause they’re only that way for a while.’”
Thank you for your caring, compassionate service, Mary.
If you are interested in serving as a Foster Grandparent, at a Head Start or school near you, please contact Laura at 801-538-3999 or leave contact information on our online interest form: https://bit.ly/AmeriCorpsSeniorsUtah