BC Grandparents Raising Grandchildren/Kinship Care Awareness Recipe Book
PURPOSE:
To create an awareness of Grandparents raising Grandchildren and Kinship Care in BC. The emotional and financial issues are immense. We are encouraging all Grandparents raising Grandchildren and Kinship Caregivers in BC to submit a recipe to show support and be counted.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The recipe book will be family oriented. Choose a family tradition recipe, or a family favorite. You may submit up to five recipes.
You can send the recipe copy and accompanying photo(s)via mail or email:
- Via mail:
BC Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Awareness Quilt
c/o 3678 Brentwood Drive, Prince George, BC., V2K 3C1
ATTENTION: Donna Eckert - Via email: prgeogrg@gmail.com
BC Grandparents Raising Grandchildren/Kinship Care Awareness Quilt
Donna Eckert is a PGGRG Volunteer Facilitator and an Avid Quilter. She has created a BC Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Awareness Quilt that is a self titled Facebook page.
PURPOSE:
To create an awareness of Grandparents raising Grandchildren and Kinship Care in BC. The emotional and financial issues are immense. We are encouraging all Grandparents raising Grandchildren to submit a quilt square to show support and be counted.
Grandparents who are interested in the project can like and follow the page. The quilt squares can be painted with fabric paint, embroidered, or they could be appliqued. Any photos of what is meaningful can be sent through the text to (250) 617-2622 or through email at prgeogrg@gmail.com.
INSTRUCTIONS:
The quilt block square should be 8.5 inches by 8.5 inches or 10 by 10 inches. Fabric should preferably be cotton and not a knit fabric. Do not add embellishments within I/2 inch of the edges.
A square can represent a family or a square can be done for each child that is being raised by a grandparent.
The photos will be printed on fabric and added to the quilt. For those making a Square, please mail to:
BC Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Awareness Quilt
c/o 3678 Brentwood Drive, Prince George, BC., V2K 3C1
ATTENTION: Donna Eckert
Things like how many squares have received and photos of the squares are included. Only the area where the quilt square originated, will be recorded. No names are included unless the grandparent chooses to add it to their square. The hope is to have a minimum of 200 quilt squares submitted by all parts of the province. The PGGRG so enthusiastic about this project and would welcome a quilt square from every grandparent led family in the province!
PLEASE NOTE:
Quilt squares can only be contributed until approximately August 1st, 2024 . The hope is to have provincial Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Awareness Quilt assembled in the for the Grandparent Day celebration September 10th, 2024.
Proposed Timeline
On Grandparents Day Sept 8th, 2019, there were 36 squares made into the start of the quilt. A photo was posted to the Facebook page. Another picture was posted in March of 2020, with 72 squares. In September 2020, due to Covid-19, there was no gathering for Grandparents Day. As of May 2022, there are 90 squares sewn together. There are also several single squares to be added to the quilt.
We have various agencies who have contributed to the quilt. Parent Support Services, Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives, and the Foundry, are the major contributors at this time.
It is hoped that the media will help generate some attention and awareness as well as the potential possibility of some newspapers and television coverage hopefully to further promote Grandparents Raising Grandchildren to be recognised.
For more information or questions please contact:
Phone: Donna 250-617-2622
Email: prgeogrg@gmail.com
Some background on these projects:
Prince George Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (PGGRG) is a peer support group in June of 2016. The group started with 5 members and has since seen one of our members pass away.
The idea for an Awareness quilt came about in one of our regular meetings at the PGGRG in the spring of 2018. Generally, projects like this originate in the area of Vancouver; and it was exciting to think that something like this would come out of the “Northern Region”. The idea of creating a province wide quilt to raise awareness, recognition and to celebrate the amazing work of all grandparents and kinship care givers who are raising their grandchildren.
A part of the idea of the quilt was and is ‘Standing up and being acknowledged’. PGGRG matters, the contributions they make to their families, their communities and to our province matters! No one raises their children and then plans to raise their grandchildren or even great grandchildren. Often grandparents come forward or step in at a time of family crisis to keep the remnants of their families together. Retirement plans are put on hold, or grandparents are forced to return to work. No one truly knows the sacrifices grandparents make, except those who are doing just that, raising their grandchildren.
