Grandparents Day is Sunday, September 8
The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia. Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes. She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide. President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. Here are two organizations devoted to Grandparent and their bond with their grandchildren.
The National Grandparents Day Council is a non-profit corporation, established by descendants of Marian H. McQuade, Founder of National Grandparents Day. The purpose of the Council is to "enlarge and enhance the celebration of National Grandparents Day by cultivating intergenerational activities throughout the year. Our goals are to honor grandparents and to strengthen the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Additionally, we strive to draw compassionate attention to the eldest of society's elderly--those in nursing homes."
The second organization is the Grandparents Rights Organization (GRO). The GRO "is a national volunteer nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by founder and executive director, attorney Richard S. Victor. It has been qualified as tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3). Its purpose is to educate and support grandparents and grandchildren and to advocate their desire to continue a relationship that may be threatened with loss of contact or amputation, usually following: family acrimony; a child being born out of wedlock; the death of one of the child’s parents or the divorce of the grandchild’s parents." Unfortunately, I have several friends who have had to seek legal action in order to get visitation with their grandchildren.
Hurray for Grandparents everywhere!
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