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RurAL CAP Elder Mentor Program Offers Opportunities to Children and Seniors

http://ruralcap.com

This August an orientation will be held at the Bristol Inn for those in Dillingham interested in the Rural Cap Elder Mentor Program. 

The Rural Alaska Community Action Program was founded in 1965.  It’s a private, statewide nonprofit that aims to improve the quality of life for low-income Alaskans.  The organization created the Elder Mentor Program in the hopes of providing some financial assistance to low income Alaskans and help school children with their school work.

The Elders in this program earn a small stipend of $2.65 per hour and receive transportation and meals.  Program manager for the Foster Grandparent and Elder mentor Program Jan Abbott says the program is designed for seniors and Elders aged 55 years and older.

“We look to them to help out in either schools or other community settings where they can be working with the students on a one on one basis. We even work in head start programs with preschool children to establish a higher level of readiness to get into kindergarten and Elementary School. For our elementary school students, to help the teachers work with them for some of the students that need a little extra time and attention to get their homework done or if they need some extra care throughout the day.”

Although there are non-natives in the program, the Native Alaska Elders often use their time with the students to teach them about native culture.  Elder Mentor program coordinator Doreen Lacy says this program helps teach students about the culture and traditions in their area.

“We’ve had Elders work on storytelling, traditional values, survival skills, doing all sorts of knowledge and wisdom from our local culture and bringing it back into the classroom.”

Abbott says there are three groups of people who benefit from this relationship.  The Elders are able to pass on their culture and feel involved with the community while making money.  The children can learn and get help with school work.  And the teachers are getting a little extra help in the classroom. 

Before Manokotak program coordinator Louise Gloko began working with the Elder Mentor Program, she was a head start teacher. She says she enjoys working with the students and the Elders because she likes watching the cultural projects that arise. 

“They teach different projects such as the girls, not even girls, the previous years they made fur hats, qaspeqs, mittens, bracelets, kayaqs, dolls, even sleds. Last year the guys made sleds, maybe like four of them and we sold those and uluaqs. So there’s all kinds of different projects they get to work on. So they can be aware of making those things when they’re out of school.”

Last year, Gloko had five volunteers working for her.  She says this program is important because it will help keep kids in school.

“When I was in high school we didn’t have these programs and I didn’t have an idea of some projects like making qaspeq and how to make mittens and hats until later on. These students are lucky to have Elders and this class so they can learn how to do all this stuff when they are young and in school.”

There is currently no Elder Mentor Program set up in Dillingham.  However, there will be an orientation at the Bristol Inn on August 27th and 28th for those Elders and seniors interested and for community members curious about the program.  For more information, call   800-478-7227.