Nancy Gregory - Seniors4Kids Profile

Nancy Gregory describes herself as a type-A personality. After talking with her for some time, though, you would conclude that’s she’s far more than simply driven: she’s upbeat, caring, and at a good place in her life.

“I’m a homegrown Nebraskan who has lived in enough places to know that the Midwest is where I belong,” Gregory explains. “I went to graduate school in Boston and really liked that experience, then lived for a while in West Virginia, not far from Washington, DC. But I must admit that I really came to appreciate living in the Midwest. Life seems less complicated and moves at a little slower pace. And, it’s a great place to raise kids.”

Having a great place to raise kids has taken on new meaning for Gregory ever since the birth of her first grandchild, Michael, six months ago. And it will take on even more importance when her second grandchild arrives next June.

The 50-something retiree now spends her days caring for her grandson and three toddlers – and Gregory loves what she’s doing. “I have two passions in life: children and elder care. When I was a career woman, I was a health-care administrator with Veterans Affairs, working primarily with older adults,” she notes. “Now that I’m retired I get to indulge my other passion, working with children.”

But that’s only the beginning of Gregory’s encore career. Right after she retired in 2012, she took courses to get certified as a health care administrator for elders. Once she takes her certification exam, Gregory intends to blend her two passions by finding ways to connect older and younger generations through her work and volunteerism.

“I would love to see more connection and involvement between generations. My kids grew up away from their grandparents; it wasn’t until they were teenagers that my sons became close to their grandparents. They missed out on a lot of years of sharing time with their elders, particularly when they were very young and most impressionable. I know I learned my most important life lessons from my grandpa.

“It’s critical that older adults be around to be a soft landing for kids, to spoil them and be there for them. We now know that reading and talking to kids from a very young age is critical for early brain development and functioning. Most young parents are so busy worrying about putting food on the table, they don’t have all the time they would like to nurture their children’s development, especially in those important first five years of life.  Grandparents and other older adults have the time, the life experience and the passion to spend nurturing them.”

That’s where volunteering comes in – as does Gregory’s type-A personality.

“I joined the Nebraska Early Childhood Grandparent Network because I passionately believe that older adults’ life experience is critical to their ability to effectively advocate on behalf of children and youth. They can reflect on what they’ve learned over the years and put that experience to good use. Furthermore, older adults tend to have the time to devote to being strong advocates for children of all ages, whether they’re newborns or older adolescents.

“I also think the recent government shutdown was an eye-opener because it showed us how involved the government is in so many aspects of our lives, yet that it has limited resources. We need to look instead to our retiree population to get involved and build a strong legacy for future generations. As I contemplate my future role as a health care administrator for elders, I want to explore ways I can meld my passion for older adults with my passion for kids. I plan to spend more time volunteering and encouraging others to get involved. I also plan to spend a lot of time determining how I can help intersect the generations to bring older and younger together and share life experiences.

“I’m not exactly sure how I will bring all this about, but I do know that I intend to spend the rest of my life thinking about it – and trying to make a difference.”

First Lady Sally Ganem - Seniors4Kids Profile

PHOTO: Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal

Like many Nebraskans you’re likely to meet, Sally Ganem is fiercely devoted to her state. In fact, she calls living in Nebraska, “…an opportunity to live the good life – and make the good life great.”

And as the state’s First Lady, she’s doing all she can to make the good life great for all of Nebraska’s citizens, especially the children.

Children have always been a priority for Ganem, a mother of one son and a former elementary school principal. From her many years in education, she understands the value of high-quality early learning and care.

"In my experience as an elementary school principal, it was so easy to see the difference between those children who had been part of quality early childhood programs or parenting, and those who had not. The ones who did have those experiences came to school prepared and hungry to learn.  They had a much broader vocabulary, were better able to share with classmates, and were more excited to explore new ideas.  The learning gap between those children is larger in kindergarten, and the gap only gets larger over time, expanding throughout their educational experience."

"Educational achievement is clearly tied to later success in life. Both my husband and I understand that business development and quality early childhood learning and care experiences are one and the same. In a competitive global economy, we need workers who have been encouraged to learn, explore and achieve from their earliest days of life.  These are the children who will grow up flexible, adaptable, curious, and able to think through challenges.  These are the kinds of citizens and workers who make Nebraska great."

“I believe that parents and grandparents are the most significant teachers of young children and the most significant persons in their lives – and I hope this legacy continues,” Ganem says. “I wish every child could have a caring, loving environment in which to grow. But that’s not always the case, and we need to make sure that all of Nebraska’s youngest children have the opportunities to learn, grow and realize their full potential, especially those who face the greatest challenges in their earliest years.”

Ganem believes one way to address the needs of children and youth is through volunteerism. “Children and youth are the future of this country. We need to invest in them by giving of our time and talents,” she notes. Calling volunteerism the backbone of efforts to improve children’s lives, Ganem proudly points to the fact that Nebraskans provide more than one billion dollars annually in volunteer service.

Omaha World Herald

“When I was principal of Howard Elementary School in Fremont, I saw the tremendous positive effect our older volunteers had on students,” Ganem explains. “I can’t imagine what my school would have been like without those volunteers; they made a world of difference to the children and to our school.  They were a special and completely unique source of warmth, support and encouragement for our children, and a valued resource for our parents and staff.”

“As a state and as a country, we will be in trouble if we don’t help our young people. Children need to have a voice in our communities. Grandparents and other older adults can give them that voice by advocating on their behalf. It’s reassuring for children to see older adults standing up for them.

“For older adults who want to join in the effort, I recommend they visit www.serve.nebraska.gov and www.seniors4kids.org, and get involved. It will make a world of difference to our children and to those who volunteer.”

Meet Mary Harding - Seniors4Kids Profile

Mary Harding is not one to cower from doing what’s right. She once risked being ostracized when she voted against her colleagues with the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) Board of Directors to reject the resolution on TransCanada’s Keystone Pipeline project.

Although NPPD still approved the resolution, Harding became a hero for Bold Nebraska, an advocacy group that continues to fight the pipeline project.

She’s just as determined, when it comes to her grandkids and other young Nebraskans, to leave them a better world. “I hope that they can enjoy the same kind of life that I did growing up,” she said. “We felt safe on the streets…. Schools were well-funded” and better-off then.

Today, nearly 40 percent of Nebraska’s children ages 0-5 aren’t doing as good as Harding’s generation did at their age, according to a data by First Five Nebraska, an advocacy group building public momentum in support of high quality early childhood experiences for young Nebraskans. That preschool group is considered at risk of later failing in school and life because they don’t have access to high-quality early experiences and relationships.

“The more we know about the development of human beings, the more we realize those early experiences are absolutely critical to laying down the pathways that make an individual a good member of our community and society,” Harding said.

Her early experiences helped her appreciate the environment she fights to protect. “I love the change of the seasons,” said Harding, whose preservationist background includes executive director positions at both the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters and the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund.

Harding’s currently helping to push her state’s wind-energy potential, with NPPD’s goal of generating 10 percent of its power from wind. “I love the fresh air and the clean water that we take for granted here,” she said.

Harding’s early experiences also derive from her Nebraskan roots that run seven generations deep.  She feels that same sense of community in her current hometown, Lincoln, where she and her husband, Richard Erickson, operate a residential rental property business.

With a population of over 302,000, the Lincoln Metropolitan area – which also encompasses Lancaster and Seward counties – is personable enough for Harding’s granddaughters – Eleanor, 5, and Elizabeth,2 – to enjoy the easygoing pace and hospitality their grandmother enjoyed from childhood to now. 

Harding hopes to see more grandparents advocating for children and youth. In her Aug. 23 letter that the Omaha World-Herald published, she called on Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman to do more with Parental Involvement in Education Month.

“As a grandparent and Nebraskan who cares about our state’s future, I urge the governor to expand that call to grandparents and extended families,” Harding wrote in her piece, “involve grandparents in school family” – noting that educators and childcare providers are already interacting with the one in 10 grandparents who regularly provide care for at least one grandchild.

Since older adults have the benefit of experience,  “we must stand up, speak out and get involved at the very beginning in advocating for children,” according to Harding. “We got to take a role in helping shape the policies that we undertake to provide for a strong environment to raise children.”  

Meet Nick Partsch - Seniors4Kids Profile

Looking back on his time as the Daily Nebraskan's advertising manager, Nick Partsch's responsibilities went beyond discussing budgets and contracts with department heads or staff. It went beyond developing marketing plans and directing the paper's advertising and promotional campaigns.

In the 14 years he worked at the University of Nebraska’s student newspaper, the Lincoln, Nebraska-resident also recruited and trained young people on being successful in the advertising field. That's when he discovered something.

"Working with students enforced my belief that there's something amiss with society," said Partsch, who retired in 2012.

Of his observations at the Daily Nebraskan, he continued, "More students are coming to college lacking many life skills necessary to be the kind of person to advance rapidly in their chosen field."

So he took it upon himself then to provide those young folks the life skills necessary to succeed. Today, that same passion drives him as a grandparent who not only looks out for his 11 grandchildren but also advocates for future generations of Nebraskans.

Just looking at the stats, that future seems grim. Nearly 40 percent of Nebraska’s children, age 0-5, are considered at risk of failing in school and life, according to a study by First Five Nebraska, an early learning advocacy group.

That's what makes living in Nebraska, as Partsch puts it, "more of a challenge than a resort area."

But knowing that high quality early childhood experiences and environments decrease crime and improve community safety, Partsch is ready for his generation to step up and hold elected officials' feet to the fire when it comes to early childhood education.

But that's easier said than done. "One of the biggest problems of people my age is that we think this doesn't affect us anymore," Partsch said.

The questions he often hears are: Why should I vote for school bond issues since I don't have kids in school? Why should I support early childhood learning when all my grandkids in this area aren't in school?

But Partsch sees the connection. He knows a child’s earliest environments and experiences will help shape who they are as adults. He believes that providing quality early childhood experiences leads to quality adult citizenship.  It stands to reason that quality adult citizenship leads to a brighter future for Nebraska’s way of life.  That’s why, despite most of his grandchildren living outside of Nebraska, he stayed invested in the young people at the Daily Nebraskan.

His suggestion for bridging the gap between young and old includes more communication between them to understand  how interdependent they are. "We have a lot of wisdom to share," Partsch said. Of the future, he added, “Those kids are going to take care of us some day, one way or another."