 "Grandma" Serves Up More Than Good Food to Homeless Youth
To most she's known simply as "Grandma," but Jeannette Bruce is one grandma who's serving up emotional support to homeless youth in addition to her good food. Bruce has acted as the WIND Youth Services Day Center cook for four years, but will retire on her 75th birthday Friday.
While cooking nutritious meals, Bruce simultaneously became some of the teens' most trusted confidants. "Whenever you need something she'll be there if you want to talk to her or you can talk to your case manager," said Erick Purdy, a homeless teen who came to the WIND center four months ago.
The WIND Youth Services is the only program specifically designed to help homeless youth get off Sacramento streets. It provides hot meals, a 16-bed crisis shelter, counseling services and full-time junior high and high school programs.
"Working in foster care, I knew that, after 18, young people aged out, but I really didn't know what happened to them after they aged out," Bruce said.
She wanted to help. Bruce came out of retirement to work part-time for WIND. "I never realized there were so many young people who didn't have homes to go to," she said.
Now, she said, her time has come to an end. She'll go full-time into retirement but not without leaving a lasting impression.
"She helps me just being here. She's like a grandma especially since we're homeless kids and we don't get to see grandmas all the time," said Angie Shabazz, a WIND youth who's been in the program for two years. "It feels good to have the wisdom of an older person around all the time."
Bruce says she, too, is all the wiser because of her time at WIND. She's witnessed strong teens overcome unimaginable struggle.
"I see lots of young people who have been here and moved on," said Bruce. "They all seem to remember who I am and come and talk and bring their children, so I'm going to miss being here. I really will."
To learn more about WIND and how you can help support the program, click on the above link. |
Nicole Chavez's Report on the WIND Grandmother's last day
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