Santa Claus sits on the right reading a book to a large group of children seated on the floor in front of him
Santa Claus reads a book to the children at the annual Healthy Grandparents Christmas party. [Nina Siso/Augusta University]

In photos: Healthy Grandparents Program provides Christmas cheer to grandparents, grandchildren

Headshot of Nina SisoNina Siso1 min readJanuary 3, 2024

Since 1999, the College of Nursing has been running the Healthy Grandparents Program. The program provides physical, emotional and social support to grandparents and great-grandparents who are raising grandchildren under the age of 18 in parent-absent homes, providing them with a stable and supportive home environment without having to enter the formal foster care system.

The Healthy Grandparents Program provides a variety of support services to these grandparents, including the annual Christmas party.

This year’s event was filled with laughter, crafts, good food, presents and special guests, Santa and Mrs. Claus. There were 95 children who attended with their grandparents, and well over 300 gifts were given out. 

Thanks to numerous volunteers and the donations of community members, this event was a resounding success. The holidays are a particularly stressful time for the grandparents for a variety of reasons, but the gifts received eased some of that stress.

Santa and Mrs. Claus pose for a photo with a grandma, grandpa and granddaughter with a reindeer antler headband, all dressed in Christmas attire
Grandparents and their grandchildren enjoyed a Christmas party complete with Santa and Mrs. Claus and presents [Nina Siso/Augusta University]
Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with a grandma and her two grandchildren behind presents
Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with a grandma and grandpa and their three grandchildren surrounded by presents
Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with a grandma and her granddaughter
Santa and Mrs. Clause stand with a grandma and her granddaughter behind a couple of presents
Santa and Mrs. Claus pose with a woman holding a small child while a young girl stands in front of her
a boy with a Batman Santa hat and Bulldogs sweatshirt holds a present and smiles next to a woman in a red and black shirt as his grandma and Santa Claus look on
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