Caring for Grandparent Caregivers
Vicar Jennifer Sosinski of Kindred Lutheran Parish knows that the Holy Spirit is living and active. From time to time, she is moved to share the testimony of where she see's God at work in and through the parish she serves. As we enter into Clergy Appreciation month, we can’t help but give thanks to God for the way God is moving through Vicar Jennifer and the people of Kindred Lutheran Parish, too.
She writes,
“I Wanted to give testimony to the awesome thing God is doing. About a year and a half ago I did a power point presentation for a class I was taking through Wartburg Seminary. The subject was Grandparents who are caregivers because their children are unable to care for them adequately.
This happens for various reasons, but it takes an incredible toll on them. Many of them are on fixed incomes, battling serious health issues. There are a staggering 2.7 million grandparent caregivers in the US. My heart was moved!
I applied for the grant given for community outreach and the Parish was given monies for this effort. The challenge was finding them! For a year and a half I emailed, called and prayed to this end. Finally, I got connected with the amazing woman who runs the Headstart program in Antigo. (She is in the photo accepting the backpacks someone gave me to find a home for.) One of the support groups she runs is a Grandparent Support Group and there are 25 people who signed up to attend! (She happens to be the aunt of our current council president which was the connection needed!)
She asked if Calvary could host the monthly support meetings. I ran it past council and it was a go! September 30th was their first meeting of the year and held in our fellowship hall. Because school was in session and children were not able to be in the care of the center, 8 precious grandmothers showed up. Fellowship was sweet and I set up a welcoming refreshment table for them using some of the grant money.
They were overjoyed by the warm welcome and the refreshments. The director, Karen hugged me 4 times. The love of Christ was so tangibly present. Unbeknownst to me many of them stopped by the office to ask the administrator “what is a vicar.” The asked when church service was. They are planning on attending the community meal that will be held for the first time ever on the last Wednesdays of each month. (There is currently no community meal held in Antigo.) God is on the move!
One of the women stayed and helped me clean up after the others had left. Another grandmother came late after appointments. Those two precious ones sat around the table in the church kitchen sharing stories, words of strength and tears with each other while I sat with them, marveling at the goodness of God. They want to give back and asked if they could use the fellowship hall to tie fleece blankets over the course of a day, as their schedules allowed, to give out in the community in the future.
I am not sure where the update for the grant progress goes, but I wanted to share this beautiful happening with you. Unto the least of these…what an incredible opportunity we have been given to minister in this way! Thankful, so thankful!”
(If you are wondering, too… A vicar is a person called to ministry who is yet to be ordained - but serving in a pastoral role while attending seminary!) Thanks be to God for vicars!
