CONCORD, NH — After months of planning, The Friends Program has announced that it will be expanding its support of the Foster Grandparent Program, effective April 1st, to include those regions that had been previously managed by Crotched Mountain Foundation since 1985.

"By adding Cheshire, Hillsborough, Sullivan and Coos counties to our current territory, we shall become the statewide sponsor of this worthwhile national program," explains Alane Hill, who manages Foster Grandparents for The Friends Program. "As a result, we will be welcoming 56 additional Foster Grandparents from 32 locations who have been making a difference in the lives of more than 550 children with special needs."

The timing of this decision coincides with the three-year federal grant cycle and the impending retirement of Crotched Mountain Foster Grandparent Program director Sherry Wheeler of Amherst, NH, who first joined Crotched Mountain in 1993. "Looking back, I've had many wonderful memories and enduring friendships," remarks Wheeler, who will be closing the Bedford Block office in Manchester at the end of the month. "My plan is to remain involved with the headquarters in Concord until the end of this year to ensure a smooth transition for our Foster Grandparents and the affiliated sites."

She has spent spare moments going through twenty-two years of documents, photographs, and memorabilia, including a number of hand-made quilts that tell the story of the relationship between Crotched Mountain and the Foster Grandparent Program. Wheeler was preceded in her role by Michael Ann Grady, Gina Gomes, and Joe Handy, who first initiated the relationship back in 1985. Active records will be transferred to The Friends Program. Inactive materials with enduring value will be archived at Crotched Mountain's headquarters in Greenfield, NH. Special items, such as the quilts, will be presented to longtime Foster Grandparents and to the Manchester Historic Association.

"Sherry has done a remarkable job over the past 15 years," states Crotched Mountain Vice President for Senior Services and Community Health, Peg Lins, RN. "She will indeed be missed by us all, especially the Foster Grandparents themselves." Shireen Tilley, State Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service agrees. "Among her many accomplishments, Sherry expanded the scope of operations into new specialty areas such as the "Latin American After-School Program" and the "Young Parent Baby Program." The Crotched Mountain Foster Grandparents will have a final gathering on March 21st at the Puritan Backroom in Manchester to reminisce.

Established in 1965, the Foster Grandparent Program is part of the Corporation for National and Community Service's Senior Corps, a network of national service programs that provide older Americans the opportunity to put their life experiences to work for local communities. By partnering with local sponsoring agencies across the country, this federal initiative recruits, trains and supports caring seniors to mentor children at risk in schools, childcare centers, hospitals, and related sites.

"The Friends Program is a non-profit, social service organization founded in 1975 that strengthens communities by building relationships that empower people, encourage community service, and restore faith in the human spirit," explains Executive Director Jerry Madden. "We are very pleased to have this opportunity and look forward to continuing the valuable work performed by the Crotched Mountain Foster Grandparents," Madden remarked.

To learn how to become a Foster Grandparent or an affiliated site, please call Alane Hill at 800-536-1193 or visit the Foster Grandparents section of The Friends Program website: www.friendsprogram.org/fgp.php.