Rev. Laurie Koivula, a retired United Methodist pastor, finds joy in volunteering as a foster grandparent to elementary school children and feels it’s an extension of her ministry.
JOHN E. HARNISH
Michigan Conference Communications
“Everyone should love Grandma Laurie.” Those were the words of a second grader at an elementary school on the south side of Port Huron. Grandma Laurie is actually Rev. Laurie Koivula, a retired pastor in the Michigan Conference. She serves as a Classroom Grandma, a volunteer in two schools here in Michigan, one in Memphis and the other in Port Huron.
“When I retired in Algonac,” Laurie said, “I was looking for volunteer opportunities. My daughter in Memphis brought home a brochure and said, ‘This would be a good fit for you.’ It was.” Laurie liked the idea of spending time with her grandchild in the Memphis school, and she also felt it was “a chance to bring the church to the children.”
She began serving two days a week in Memphis, then added two days at a second school in Port Huron. “They are very different schools,” Laurie said. “Memphis is a comfortable community with stable families while Port Huron serves many children at risk who often have little in the way of support systems or extended families.”
Laurie learned about the program through the St. Clair County Council on Aging. AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, developed this program to provide mentors, tutors, and helping hands in the classroom. The goal is ultimately to foster higher educational achievement, but it begins with the caring attention a foster grandparent can bring.
“Sometimes,” Laurie reports, “I just tie shoes, open juice boxes, and read to children. One child who lives in poverty and said he sleeps with four siblings all in one bed asked, ‘Can you just hold my hand?’”
Her presence is appreciated not only by the children but also by the teachers and parents. One parent thanked her, saying, “We’re so glad you are here. My daughter talks about you all the time.” A teacher thanked her for being a calming presence in the classroom.
Many schools have similar programs for Classroom Grandmas and Grandpas, mentors, or volunteers who read to children. Laurie constantly encourages other retirees to check them out. “I’m not sure who benefits the most — me or the kids. All I know is it feels like an extension of my ministry, and I love it!” So do the children, who believe “everyone should love Grandma Laurie.”
If you would like to explore the possibility of volunteering in public schools as a classroom grandparent, contact your local school or visit the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program at www.americorps.gov.
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Last Updated on January 9, 2025