Shanetta Weatherspoon (EdD ’13)

Shanetta Weatherspoon (EdD '13) and Monica Pereda ('19), staff members at Pepperdine's Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), have been working with Nazli Bulbuloglu and Miyue Chen, two psychology graduate assistants at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, to conduct weekly wellness check-ins for all FGP volunteers and to provide programmatic support during the pandemic. These check-ins have made a major socio-emotional impact on the grandparents who are now facing extreme isolation and loneliness, since older adults are at higher risk for COVID-19 fatalities.

Pepperdine's FGP has partnered with a local organization, True Essence of Love, created by author Charlotte White, and her initiative of "Putting Love to Work" during this time of great need. Charlotte White and her team have donated more than 140 bags of essential supplies. In recent weeks, Putting Love to Work and Pepperdine's FGP joined together to coordinate no-contact pick-ups and deliveries to each of our Foster Grandparent volunteers.

In May,  Pepperdine's FGP staff began the second round of essential supply deliveries to the volunteers, providing items such as water, nonperishable foods (i.e., canned goods, peanut butter, rice, beans, and the like), and disinfectant/cleaning supplies (i.e., Clorox wipes, tissue paper, and paper towels).

To help with no-contact deliveries, contact Monica Pereda

To donate supplies, contact Shanetta.Weatherspoon 

To donate funds, visit the Pepperdine FGP website and designate "ER Fund" in the notes section