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Somehow we have to get older people back close to growing children if we are to restore a sense of community, a knowledge of the past, and a sense of the future.—Margaret Mead
Roy Wheatley, who has been reading with children at his local elementary school in Birmingham, Michigan, for more than 15 years, derives great rewards from his volunteer commitment. "I have a sense that I am contributing," he says. "I get to know not only the young people, but also their parents. These interactions help make us a community." In addition to his work as a reading volunteer, Wheatley, who has been named a First Citizen of Birmingham, has been actively involved in many other intergenerational efforts. He is currently among a group of seniors who are maintaining e-mail correspondence with 3rd graders who are writing biographies of the older adults. Wheatley adds, "When I'm on the street, the children know me well enough to say 'hello.' And that means something."
