Darrell Sapp, Post-Gazette Audrey Prosser hugs Diann Prentice, 10, before the start of Carol Roosin's class at the Watson Institute.

Audrey Prosser has been giving to others at least since World War II, when she volunteered at a canteen for servicemen, offering doughnuts, coffee and someone the soldiers could talk to.

"I had a soft spot for servicemen," said Mrs. Prosser, of Sewickley. "My brother was killed in North Africa during the war." As a member of the American Women's Volunteer Service, she also helped at The Salvation Army and Montefiore Hospital back then.

Fifty years later, Mrs. Prosser turned her giving nature to children with special needs. After her husband died, she struggled and eventually decided, "I have to do something."

		Video Audrey Prosser of Sewickley is a volunteer with The Foster Grandparents Program of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

She chose the Foster Grandparents Program of Southwestern Pennsylvania, which matches those age 60 or older with children who have special needs at schools, in Head Start programs, at day-care centers and at other facilities in six counties.

When some of her family members wondered why she wanted to take on such duties, she replied, "I'll give it a try, and if I can make a difference in a special child's life, it would be very rewarding for me."

It has been just that.

For 10 years, Mrs. Prosser, 82, has worked with preschoolers at The Watson Institute in Sewickley, discovering that the program gives something not only to the children but to her as well.

"It got me up in the morning. It keeps me active mentally as well as physically," she said. "It is comforting to know that, with helping hands, I may be a part of guiding children with special needs toward their fullest potential. That's my goal."

This month, the Foster Grandparent Program of Southwestern Pennsylvania honored Mrs. Prosser and three other participants for outstanding service. She received the Director's Award for Community Education. Robert Johnson, 69, of California, Pa., was given the Director's Award for School Education. Joan Mitchell, 69, of Beaver Falls, received the Director's Award for Head Start, and Fannie Monroe, 76, of the North Side, was given the Director's Award for Day Care.

Michael Parker, project director of the program, sponsored locally by Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Red Cross, agreed that it helps both the children and senior citizens.

"It's a good way to give back to the community, to stay active, keep your mind going and your physical strength up," he said. Seniors who are accepted into the program receive a tax-free stipend.

"It's an opportunity for the generation gap to be brought together. Seniors who have lived a full life, have worked, have raised families, have raised grandkids ... are bringing that knowledge and that experience [to] these younger kids and hoping that they can become productive and successful."

Mr. Parker's grandparents were very active in his life when he was growing up, and now he watches 230 seniors who act as grandparents for children. "Our volunteers provide those same kind of experiences for the kids that they're working with."

He enjoys watching the relationship build between a foster grandparent and a child.

"These volunteers treat these kids like their own. We've got volunteers who have been in the program 15 to 20 years and have literally watched the kids that they've met as infants, toddlers grow up to graduate high school," he said.

He hopes more seniors will volunteer.

"I would love to see the program continue to grow through all six counties and at some point maybe even take on some neighboring counties that don't have a similar type of service. There's kids everywhere that would benefit."

A more immediate need, he said, is for more grandfathers to join the program. Of the 230 participants, only five or six are men, he said. He gets many requests from teachers for men to serve as positive role models for young children, some of whom do not have anyone to fill that role.

Mr. Parker said the best way to attract volunteers is word of mouth from the foster grandparents themselves. He's heard seniors telling others about the benefits of working with the youngsters.

"They are not in it for winning awards," Mr. Parker said, "and to just see them get acknowledged in that way -- we see people cry, become speechless and overwhelmed with emotion. It's one of the highlights of my job. To a lot of our volunteers this is a big as Oscar night. It's just overall a good feeling."

Foster grandparents must be at least 60 years old and meet other requirements. For more information, here are phone numbers for each county office: Allegheny and Butler, 412-263-3163; Beaver, 724-709-6230; Washington, Greene or Fayette, 724-222-4750.