About Adopt a Grandparent (Adopta un Abuelito), Inc.

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Story

In February 2000, Pamela Jay-Paralikis, an insurance/computer consultant based in Massachusetts, traveled to Peru to do volunteer work for seniors in Villa El Salvador, a shantytown outside the capital city of Lima. The opportunity was provided by Cross-Cultural Solutions, a US-based organization that connects volunteers with short-term assistance projects around the globe. In Villa El Salvador, Pamela discovered an optimistic program named Los Martincitos ("Little Martins") formed to improve the lives of 145 of the city's most desperate elderly poor, known as ancianos ("ancient ones") or abuelitos ("little grandparents"). After volunteering herself for all program activities for four weeks, Pamela found that she was profoundly moved by the participants in Los Martincitos and decided she wanted to take her commitment even further.

After returning to Villa El Salvador later that year, Pamela decided to become a part-time resident of Villa El Salvador so she could help the abuelitos on a much longer-term basis. Pooling her resources, she made the necessary treks to Peru and began to establish herself. By November 2003, she had built a home in Villa El Salvador, registered the charitable organization named Adopt a Grandparent (Adopta un Abuelito), Inc., a began working alongside with the official Peruvian charity of Los Martincitos.

Today, Pamela splits her time between Sebring, Florida, and Villa El Salvador. While in the USA, she publicizes the needs of elderly poor in third-world countries and actively raises funds for Adopt a Grandparent through presentations to groups, grant-writing, email, brochures, press releases and informal talks. In Peru, she involves herself in every type of program work at Los Martincitos: washing dishes, painting fingernails, visiting seniors who are ill, running an art class, making crafts for sale and even giving massages to program participants under the guidance of a physical therapist. Pamela has established herself as an indispensable member of the volunteer staff at Los Martincitos and a tireless fighter for the dignity of needy seniors around the world.

 

Who we are

The Adopt a Grandparent Board of Directors consists of seven members from the USA, Peru and England. The Board "meets" regularly using email and online chats. The primary duty of a Board member is simply to raise funds and act as an ambassador for Los Martincitos. Each member of the Board has spent time at Los Martincitos and is strong in the belief that the "Little Grandparents" should be able to live the remainder of their lives in dignity and joy.

The Board of Directors consists of:

Pamela Jay-Paralikis is the founder, executive director, clerk and treasurer of Adopt a Grandparent. Prior to retirement, Pamela worked as an automation consultant to insurance agencies for nearly 20 years. She has written articles for insurance and automation periodicals and has taught classes in these and other fields. She is married to Stanley Paralikis, a truck driver, who will be retiring and visiting Peru with her in 2006.

Pamela is a member of the Insurance Institute of America’s National Advisory Board for the Associate in Information Technology Designation [Emeritus], and is the Distinguished Graduate for 1999 in AIT. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts in Education and a Masters degree in Education in Psychology, as well as numerous insurance and automation designations.

Esi Dadzie was born and raised in London in 1974 to Ghanaian parents who had both moved there a decade earlier.

She met Los Martincitos in February 2003 as part of the second or third group of Cross-Cultural Solutions in 2003. She met them, as did the others during their introduction to Villa El Salvador. In March 2003 she became a volunteer until her last day in August of that year.

She worked there with Pamela plus other CCS participants who had been there longer who showed her the ropes. Shortly thereafter she joined the old timer crew working and showing others the ropes. “It was an unforgettable experience to be loved by people who knew nothing about you and just gave of themselves," she says, "So Adopt a Grandparent is just a little way of keeping the links and the promise to return to see old friends."

Elaine Angstman is a native of East Lansing, Michigan, but has lived in the small town of Mason, just south of East Lansing, for the last 30 years with her husband Jeff. They have two adult children, Ethan and Leah.

Elaine earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Michigan State University in art education. She retired from almost 30 years of teaching at Webberville Community Schools. Her main job there was teaching art but she also taught other disciplines, such as science, geography, American History, Michigan history, world cultures, health, study skills, etc.

Elaine is staying busy with many new and different activities in her retirement. She is a member of the Mason Art Guild and does lots of art work with an emphasis in colored pencil and pencil. She also teaches art lessons in her home. She does volunteer work with her church and at Los Martincitos. Elaine is a avid rock collector and is very involved in a local rock club. She and Jeff, who is also retired, spend a great deal of time working in their garden.

Barbara Krinke recently finished up a stint in Guatemala as a Peace Corps volunteer, working as a small business facilitator. Previously, she owned a marketing consulting business for 10 years, working with pharmaceutical and health care companies. She has also been employed by companies such as 3M (Corporate Marketing), Grey Advertising (V.P., Media Director), and Campbell Mithun advertising.

Barbara has done a great deal of volunteer work in Peru, as a guardian ad litem in the court system, with the American Refugee Committee, and with children in emergency and residential treatment shelters.

Rosemary Durkin has a background in insurance and financial services. She currently works for Children's Hospital in Kansas City as a business analyst. She became interested in Peru because she wanted to understand the developing world without being a tourist.

"I found the experience at Los Martincitos as life changing," Rosemary says. "The people at Villa El Salvador and Los Martincitos were wonderful and I ended up receiving more than I gave."

 

(More Board of Directors biographies are coming soon.)

 

The future

The long-term vision of Adopt a Grandparent is to expand on the accomplishments at Los Martincitos by aiding similar elderly programs in locations around the world. Many such programs exist, including locations in Costa Rica and Thailand, but the needs of Los Martincitos currently require the full attention of Adopt a Grandparent. Hopefully, we'll be able to someday take steps to help "little grandparents" worldwide!