Back-to-school grannies
11 August 2023
Back-to-school grannies
Gill Stevenson and Darren Stevenson
Having been involved over many years with programs connecting young students with retirement home residents, school principal Darren Stevenson has long known the wonderful benefits of intergenerational relationships for all involved. So, with his mum - retired teacher Gill Stevenson - Darren introduced a program at his suburban Adelaide state school which sees a group of Lutheran ‘grannies’ teach English to children, many of whom are refugees or new arrivals in Australia. And they say the blessings are amazing.
There will always be children who can benefit from developing a relationship with an older person and there will always be older people who can benefit from encouraging and helping any young person.
We're not allowed to proselytise or witness in any way. But we can show God's love to [the children] through our responses to them and our love for them. So I guess we're like Christ to them, shining his light into their lives.
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