In honor of National Grandparents Month in September, we want to highlight the important roles three busy JFS grandmothers play in the lives of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One is a second-generation mom, another is focusing on offering her grandkids opportunities to engage in the community, and the third gives her daughter support by playing with her grandsons. What they all share is a deep love for spending time with their grandchildren!

JFS Care Aide Suzanne Suttler, pictured below with her great-granddaughter, is an example of how grandparents fill many roles in their families.

She is a second-generation mom to her 20-year-old grandson who has lived with her since he was born. Her oldest grandson, Nate, has a 3-year-old daughter, who was pictured with Suzanne this summer at a family wedding in Florida. Nate is in the Marine Corps and is often away for training. So, Nana Suzanne steps in to support his wife and great-granddaughter however she can.

Suzanne retired after 18 years at VCU Hospital. She now is a JFS Care Aide working in the homes of older adults who need help. She says that her work as a Care Aide helps her as a grandmother when she sees how her clients and their families react to situations. She says, “sometimes a lightbulb goes off in my head later, reminding me of a situation with one of my kids or grandkids, or how members of my family felt in certain experiences.”

Melissa Clay is an Administrative Assistant and Finance Specialist for JFS Home Care and Care Management. 

Melissa is a very active community volunteer and has volunteered with the VA State Police and the American Legion. She LOVES spending time with her three grandchildren and designed her JFS schedule so she can spend Monday afternoons with them. She uses their special Monday time to take them to sports practices/games, specialty lessons, to get involved in the community “or just hang with them.” (See photo at the top of the article)

Melissa, NaNa to the grandkids, co-leads the American Legion #215 Junior Auxiliary and all three of her grandchildren are members. Recently, led by her oldest grandson, Caleb, the Auxiliary raised money to help the VA State Police buy personalized protective equipment for police dogs including “K-9 Jethro.” She hopes that her grandchildren will absorb the lessons of experiences like these and the conversations they are sharing.   

Gloria Morocho is also a JFS Care Aide, working full-time with older adults in their homes.

She says. “I love my grandkids. They are wonderful! I don’t get to see them as often as I’d like because my schedule is so busy.” They call her “Abu,” short for Abuelita, which is grandmother in Spanish. The children want her to play games with them, and she enjoys playing. Her 20-month-old grandson pushes her down onto the sofa and makes her read him a book.

Balancing her time is a challenge but she has an answer; when she’s too tired to go to the children, she asks her daughter to bring them to her house. She says playing with the grandkids is all fun, because as a grandparent, you don’t have to be the parent. She says, “Being an Abuelita is such a blessing, I only had one daughter, but now I have two grandsons and a stepson!”

One thing that all our grandmothers, Nanas, NaNas, and Abuelitas have in common is that when we asked them what their children and grandchildren could do for them for Grandparents Month, they all said the same thing: HUGS!