Eddie Van Zandt - Serve Virginia

Eddie Van Zandt

September 24, 2024

Edwina “Eddie” Van Zandt serves as a Forster Grandma in the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program at Senior Connections. She first got involved with the Foster Grandparents program eight years ago, at the recommendation of her friend, Barbara, who also continues to serve in the program. “It’s been a joyful experience,” says Eddie.

She recalls, “Barbara was talking about Foster Grandparents and I thought, ‘well how do I get involved in that.’ I’ve always worked with kids and even taught preschool so she got me interested and I got involved.”

Since then, she has served in the day care at Trinity Family Life Center in Richmond, working primarily with children who are 2-4 years old. She reads them stories and they sing songs together. Often she’ll also help prepare craft activities for them, from making kites to decorating bulletin boards and coloring. She also plays games like Mother May I with them and accompanies them for playground time and snack time.

Typically, she is matched with one teacher for a whole school year with about eight kids per class. She says, “I get to know all the kids… I’ve gotten to watch some of them grow until they go to kindergarten. It’s just amazing watching them all. I can’t really explain it. It’s wonderful to be able to be there with them!”

“I was out for a little bit because of my diabetes, and when I came back, I walked in and the kids all ran to me and were excited and shouting ‘Grandma!,'” recalls Eddie.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, she began writing letters to her foster grandkids to support them from afar, but she feels that it’s just not the same as getting to support them in-person. She says, “I love writing to them but I really love working with the young ones. They’re really great.”

Her advice to other considering the Foster Grandparent program? “If you like to be with kids or used to be a teacher and now that you’re retired, think about the children and what you can give back to them and what you can get back too. You might really enjoy it!”

“It gave me something to do and I really enjoy working with the kids,” she reflects. “I guess I got it back two-fold, loving them and them loving me. It’s really nice.”

Edwina also recently took part in a Photovoice project at Senior Connections in collaboration with Serve Virginia, AmeriCorps Seniors and research grantees Virginia Tech and VCU Center on Society and Health. Photovoice trains and puts cameras in the hands of AmeriCorps Seniors across Virginia to enable them to share their experiences, perspectives, and stories of volunteerism through the use of photography and discussion. Here is one of the pictures Eddie shared, along with the caption she wrote:

“Letters: These are my letters, I write letters for kids that are 2-4 years old. I don’t see kids as a pen pal, so this is my experience. Sometimes kids will send me back letters and artwork that they have made.”

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