Help Foster Grandma, EdnaGraham,Preserve This Home
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Edna Graham. I am a 79-year-old foster grandmother. My husband and I have been foster parents for over 35 years and have raised over 60 children together. We only gave birth to two, yet were able to adopt nine children, creating a diverse home well known for its love and laughter.
I am still an active foster Grandparent with the Mentor Agency of Aiken, South Carolina. I embrace the most underserved children who hold special needs, certifying my home as a safe haven for them. Right now, I am Grandma to two remarkable brothers, 11 and 12 years old. My calling here in this life is simply to allow children to feel safe, nurture their gifts, and remind them they are innocent, wanted, and loved.
See, I was raised by my grandmother in Saluda, South Carolina after my mother married and left me behind. I grew up feeling unwanted. By the time I was 12, my mother had 7 more children who she also left behind with my grandmother. So being the oldest, it was my duty to take great care of them.
When I turned 20, I moved to New York City. There I married my husband and was blessed with 54 years of partnership. In New York, we owned and operated a neighborhood grocery store together and began building relationships with the surrounding families. During that time, the local hospital was seeking help to find homes for the babies left in their nursery. So I went.
When I came home I shared with my husband what I had seen. I told him about these babies as old as 3 years old with their faces peeking through the side like bars on a little gate. Not knowing exactly what to do, we contacted the hospital and they directed us to the agency, St. Vincent, that helped secure homes for children in need. We then took certification classes, submitted background reports, made space in our Brooklyn home, and with two new babies, our lives changed.
We became a growing family overnight. My husband had given everyone a nickname and loved making everybody laugh. He and I both were the firstborn within big families, so leading with love just came naturally. All our life, our home has been the place for love, fellowship, good food, prayer, and praise.
I must say how proud I am of the people my children have become. I have raised college graduates, stylists, bloggers, deans, teachers, counselors, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizers, creators, musicians, and ministers. To witness these types of transformations creates feelings words cannot express.
It was 1996 when we moved into our home in the quiet town of Johnston, SC. This home was originally built in 1955. My husband and I maintained this home with much effort. From clearing the property to investing in new pipes, windows, doors, and floors. We wanted to ensure the health and longevity of this home to ensure the health and longevity of anyone who entered it. However, the support given within these walls is now in need of supporting themselves.
In June 2018, my husband passed away, but I still carry this mission onward. I’ll be 80 years old on November 16th and the preservation of this property requires so much more than I can do alone now. The estimated cost for the renovations and restoration needed total $35,000. I went to my bank but a 20 year home equity line is longer than I can promise to be present for.
So I come here to my community for help. Asking my family, my friends, my neighbors, and strangers. I come to you because I’ve witnessed what we can do together and our capacity to love and to give beyond ourselves.
So thank you for your unity, donations, and love for a mission that serves generation after generation.
Love, Granny Graham
I am still an active foster Grandparent with the Mentor Agency of Aiken, South Carolina. I embrace the most underserved children who hold special needs, certifying my home as a safe haven for them. Right now, I am Grandma to two remarkable brothers, 11 and 12 years old. My calling here in this life is simply to allow children to feel safe, nurture their gifts, and remind them they are innocent, wanted, and loved.
See, I was raised by my grandmother in Saluda, South Carolina after my mother married and left me behind. I grew up feeling unwanted. By the time I was 12, my mother had 7 more children who she also left behind with my grandmother. So being the oldest, it was my duty to take great care of them.
When I turned 20, I moved to New York City. There I married my husband and was blessed with 54 years of partnership. In New York, we owned and operated a neighborhood grocery store together and began building relationships with the surrounding families. During that time, the local hospital was seeking help to find homes for the babies left in their nursery. So I went.
When I came home I shared with my husband what I had seen. I told him about these babies as old as 3 years old with their faces peeking through the side like bars on a little gate. Not knowing exactly what to do, we contacted the hospital and they directed us to the agency, St. Vincent, that helped secure homes for children in need. We then took certification classes, submitted background reports, made space in our Brooklyn home, and with two new babies, our lives changed.
We became a growing family overnight. My husband had given everyone a nickname and loved making everybody laugh. He and I both were the firstborn within big families, so leading with love just came naturally. All our life, our home has been the place for love, fellowship, good food, prayer, and praise.
I must say how proud I am of the people my children have become. I have raised college graduates, stylists, bloggers, deans, teachers, counselors, entrepreneurs, non-profit organizers, creators, musicians, and ministers. To witness these types of transformations creates feelings words cannot express.
It was 1996 when we moved into our home in the quiet town of Johnston, SC. This home was originally built in 1955. My husband and I maintained this home with much effort. From clearing the property to investing in new pipes, windows, doors, and floors. We wanted to ensure the health and longevity of this home to ensure the health and longevity of anyone who entered it. However, the support given within these walls is now in need of supporting themselves.
In June 2018, my husband passed away, but I still carry this mission onward. I’ll be 80 years old on November 16th and the preservation of this property requires so much more than I can do alone now. The estimated cost for the renovations and restoration needed total $35,000. I went to my bank but a 20 year home equity line is longer than I can promise to be present for.
So I come here to my community for help. Asking my family, my friends, my neighbors, and strangers. I come to you because I’ve witnessed what we can do together and our capacity to love and to give beyond ourselves.
So thank you for your unity, donations, and love for a mission that serves generation after generation.
Love, Granny Graham
Co-organizers (2)
Edna Graham
Organizer
Johnston, SC
Marquitta Graham
Co-organizer