Grand-Central

Grandparents—with their wisdom, insight, deep love and abiding faith—have always been essential. But the need for grandparents and all they have to offer has perhaps never been as great as it is today. We live in a complex and rapidly changing world with rampant technology addiction and increasing loneliness and declining mental health among our young people. Time and again, engaged and loving grandparents have proven to be life-giving and life-changing in countless young lives.

Youth Unlimited Toronto’s Compassion Series program is designing its next track, Grand-Central, to enliven multigenerational relationships and, more specifically, the dynamic impact grandparents (and grandfriends) have on young people and society at large.

Grand-Central will be centred on three foundational ideas: Resource. Inspire. Honour. It will endeavour to respond to these questions:
1. Resource: As a program within a dynamic and knowledgeable youth-serving agency, what tools can we offer grandparents that will provide them with helpful cultural insights into the challenges and realities our children and youth are facing?
2. Inspire: How can we best encourage grandparents in a world that all too often dismisses or “ages out” the immeasurable value of elder generations?
3. Honour: How can we esteem grandparents and value their loving intentions and life stories, guiding children and youth to do the same?

In addition to the word grandparent, you’ll see we use the term grandfriend to describe an older person who is a safe friend, often of grandparent age. The term grandfriend combines the words “grandparent” and “friend” to emphasise the close, familial-like bond that can develop between individuals of different generations. A grandfriend is someone who may not be biologically related but shares a deep, caring and supportive connection with another person, much like the relationship one might have with a grandparent. Thoughtful, intentional engagement with grandparents and grandfriends is key to the Grand-Central project. So we’re reaching out to invite feedback from those who have experience with being a grandparent or grandfriend.