NEWS

BY KRISTIE LAL

klal@sunherald.com Twitter: Kristiewlal

July 28, 2015 

Marston Rogers Group is looking for 500 volunteers to spend one hour with the elderly at local ursing homes Sept. 12.

“The premise of Adopt A Grandparent is for volunteers to give up one hour for one day to visit with the elderly in nursing homes and retirement facilities,” said Kathy Rogers, owner of Marston Rogers Group. “Our hope is that they will form relationships and go back on their own. However, we do not track if they go back or not.”

The National Center for Health Statistics says 50 percent of nursing home residents have no close relatives and 46 percent have no living children. Many seniors, particularly those in nursing homes, feel lonely and isolated.

In 2014, Marston Rogers Group set out to change the statistics by starting Adopt A Grandparent Day.

“Last year, we had 18 nursing homes and 326 volunteers from Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties participate; this year we expect even more participation,” Rogers said.

The second annual Adopt A Grandparent Day will take place the day before National Grandparents Day and volunteers will perform organized visits to the residents of nursing homes and senior living facilities across South Mississippi. The result is a day filled with smiles, fun and laughter.

“We are in the process of preparing for this year’s event; yesterday we visited the nursing homes who participated last year along with some new ones,” Rogers said. “All the feedback was positive and the staff is looking forward to our return this year.”

Marston Rogers Group handles all of the scheduling of the nursing homes and volunteers. Each nursing home has a planned time for their event and each volunteer signs up for a specific nursing home at their specific time.

“I was blessed with the opportunity to lead a team to Bay Cove for Adopt A Grandparent Day last year,” said Kate Lawler, Bay Cove team captain. “It was amazing to witness the joy of the residents when we showed up. They especially loved all the children.”

“You could tell that they really appreciated the time we spent joining them for the afternoon game of bingo and by the conversations that took place. On my way out, I ended up connecting with the wife of one of the residents who is a retired Air Force pilot and have actually returned to visit with them on several occasions. I will definitely be participating again this year.”

Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt and materials necessary for arts and crafts at each location.

For more information on Adopt a Grandparent Day or to volunteer for the event, visit www.adoptagrandparentday.org.

This week, support a good cause while vying for a fun-filled “staycation” and make a new friend.

From 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi will host its Don’t Worry Be Happy fundraiser at the Biloxi Civic Center.

The night will feature music by 3HG, a raffle of staycations, including a night’s stay and dinner at the Palace Casino, food tastings from local restaurants, auctions and more. Special guest Mark Landis, an artist who duplicates famous paintings, will be in attendance along with recipients of the 2016 Annette O’Keefe Humanitarian Award.

Admission tickets range from $30 to $50. Attendees must be at least 21 years old. Details: 864-6274.

On Saturday, the third annual Adopt-A-Grandparent program returns to South Mississippi. At either 10 a.m. or 3 p.m., volunteers will visit the elderly in the Coast’s nursing homes and senior-living residences. About 1,000 volunteers are being sought to participate in Adopt-A-Grandparent Day.

Interested volunteers can sign up at adoptgrandparentsday.org. Donations are also being accepted, which will help promote Adopt-A-Grandparent Day and buy gift items for seniors. To become a sponsor, contact Brenda Saucier at adoptgrandparentday@gmail.com or call 228-206-5902.

Source: Sun Herald(BY ALANDERIA WHITLOCK, awhitlock@sunherald.com)

Kathy Rogers of Rogers Insurance in Gulfport said her mother came to live with her in 2011 after suffering a stroke.

But when her mother fell in 2013, Rogers said they placed her in a nursing home for rehabilitation for 30 days. Rogers said it’s an experience she will never forget.

“I remember seeing my mom the next day, and she was crying — she said she thought we weren’t coming back for her,” Rogers said.

She said she and her family continued to visit her mother during her stay.

“My husband would go around the same time every day, and people would be waiting on him in the hall — just waiting to talk to him,” she said. “So many people in nursing homes don’t have families, and they get lonely and they just want someone to talk to.”

Rogers and her staff created Adopt A Grandparent Day as a way to bring some caring and attention to those in assisted-living and nursing care.

National Grandparents Day is celebrated the second Sunday in September.

“We decided to have Adopt A Grandparent Day on the second Saturday in September, and we are needing some volunteers for this Saturday, Sept. 10.”

Rogers said they started the program in 2014 with 3,230 volunteers and went to 18 nursing homes in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties.

This year, she said, they are trying to almost double their visits.

“We are looking for 1,000 volunteers to spend an hour of their time visiting with people in nursing homes on Saturday,” Rogers said. “We are going to 32 facilities, and we have added George, Stone and Pearl River counties to our service area.”

Those interested in volunteering can complete a form at adoptagrandparentday.org.

“We need 1,000 volunteers this year,” she said. “We are going to visit at 10 a.m. and at 3 p.m., depending on what’s best for the nursing homes.”

The volunteer signup ends Thursday at noon.

Rogers said the whole family is welcome to participate.

“We encourage people to bring their children,” she said. “(Elders) love to visit with children.”

Source: Sun Herald (BY JEFF CLARK, jclark@sunherald.com)