This article originally appeared in the July-August 2001 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.

Grassroots Snapshot:

Nevada County seniors join children's advocates in push for a common space

By Melia Franklin

In Western Nevada County, the snow-capped peaks of the Sierras are matched by the snow-capped heads of the burgeoning elder population. "We have the highest proportion of older folks of any county in the state," says County Supervisor and Prop. 10 Commissioner Bruce Conklin. Now, with the support of Conklin and other community leaders, elders are joining children's advocates and service providers in a new joint effort.

Two years ago, the Senior Center of Western Nevada County in Grass Valley got an eviction notice, effective 2006. At the same time, the Community Network for Children and Families in Western Nevada County, a collaborative of children's advocates and service providers, was trying to gather support for a community center for youth. "We said 'Why don't we just work together and make something intergenerational?'" relates Bill Locker, coordinator of the Community Network.

Bob Choate, a member of the senior center's board who's also active in youth efforts, took up the charge. "Seniors can mentor, tutor, guide, instruct, and otherwise enjoy younger people, and vice versa," he points out.

Human "bricks and mortar"

Choate is now chair of the Community Center Alliance, which aims to create a place where seniors, children, youth, and families can come together for recreation, meetings, child care, tutoring, and services. With a $3 million to $4 million price tag, building the center will be a challenge, says Choate, but the biggest challenge is "building the human bricks and mortar" -- getting the county's nonprofit groups "to sit down together and share the same language."

To recruit seniors to the cause, Locker says, the group has focused on bringing elders and children together for fun and educational events such as computer trainings -- with the kids teaching the seniors -- as well as dances, luaus, and an Easter celebration.

From there, the Alliance asks seniors to join in planning the intergenerational center -- so far 50 to 60 are participating, about half of the Alliance's core membership. Now, with the possibility of a temporary site at the Grass Valley Veteran's Hall in the fall, "turn-out is extraordinary," says Choate. "We're obviously talking about something important."

"Practically every county in the state ought to have an intergenerational center," says Choate. He recently testified before the Assembly Appropriations Committee, arguing that a bill to build senior centers should be expanded to include intergenerational projects. "Both sides could gain from it," he says. 

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