Janie Creswell, a 90-year-old foster grandmother has been attending Friendship Public Charter School in Northeast D.C. eight hours a day, five days a week. Greswell has been a regular volunteer for 26 years, spending time in various D.C. schools through the United Planning Organisation (UPO) Foster Grandparent Program.
“She means everything. She is just a very warm presence in the classroom and for many of them she is their grandma,” said school teacher Foster.
Kids at the Friendship Public Charter School love her. “Grandma is my favorite grandma in the whole wide world and I love her,” said 4-year-old Rae-Onna Newman.
“Children, the kids. They tell me their little secrets,” said Creswell who’s trained under UPO program which provides guidance and support to local school students.
Five-year-old Kamari Carter said the grandma is helping her learn ABCs. “I’m learning how to read,” she said.
Foster said Creswell contributes more than just instructional support for kids in the school. “She gives a lot of emotional support to the teachers and the children,” said Foster.
Creswell once assisted third-grader Jamar Copeland at the Friendship school. “She used to help me with my work and make sure that I was good in the classroom,” said Copeland.
Creswell, who recently turned 90-years-old, said the care and love she gives at the school is also returned.
“They tell me they love me and very few older people tell you they love you,” she said. “It means a lot to me. It keeps me going.”