Grandpas United Summit Reaffirms Importance of Health, Mentoring
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First comes health. Then comes community.
Grandpas United teamed up with the Youth Bureau and White Plains Hospital to host the inaugural Grandpas United Summit last week at Calvary Baptist Church in White Plains. Some 75 participants, most of whom were at least 65 years old and from Westchester County, engaged in talks about their own health and the organization’s programs.
A point of emphasis was how well-being should be priority number one for those north of age 65. Mind. Nutrition. Exercise. Physical therapy. Those were amongst the focuses of the seminars.
“They actually got the 75 people up and doing some parts of the exercises,” said Jim Isenberg, 79, of White Plains. “So, people got some real experience.”
“It’s about being open to talking about health,” added Isenberg, a co-founder of Grandpas United. “All of us, as we get older, face challenges, and I think the summit was really positive. Many terrific presenters were open to sharing more about health and aging.”
With the help of top local officials, the five-hour summit also reaffirmed the importance of the work driving Grandpas United. The organization was founded in 2018 to offer seniors the opportunity to mentor people younger than them – sometimes those living without the regular presence of a father figure.
That mission has become a focus of life for many of the elderly role models and indirectly contributes to their health.
“It’s not like it used to be. You get to be 65 and then your life stops,” said Frank Williams, executive director of the Youth Bureau. “What people are saying is: ‘No your life goes on.’ It will be whatever you make it. To have a healthy, productive life, you have to recognize that you have meaning and purpose.”
“We have to be the change we want to see. It means we have to be engaged. It has to be intentional with our children, especially with our boys. We have to show up when their fathers or male figures are not present.”
In other words, they’re not grumps. They’re gramps who care about others “intergenerationally.”
“I never thought about it that way, but I guess people have that caricature sometimes,” said Isenburg. “They’re not grumps. They really want to make a point and be involved in their community.”
An intergenerational mentoring panel dove into key programs, driving home the great work seniors already are doing with students and even new dads. But it also spurred conversation about how to continue growing as a community-minded organization.
“We want to take it to the next level. We wanted to sit down and come up with a blueprint, strategy, in terms of where we go from here,” said Williams.
The summit also allowed the White Plains area grandpas to get acquainted with those participating in the different Grandpas United chapters in Peekskill, New Rochelle, Port Chester and Ossining. Some were formally recognized with awards during the events.
“I met so many different grandpas from around this county,” said Ervan Caesar, 77, of Rye Brook.
And it’s about continuing to spread the word about the positive impact.
“It’s going to catch on throughout this country,” added Caesar, a White Plains native.
“People see me if I’m wearing my Grandpas United hat or my shirt, and they’ve come up to me to say I’ve heard of your organization and tell me how you guys do great work.”
The summit is what organizers expect to be the first of many, annually, going forward that continue to showcase the support there is for the work of Grandpas United.
“It is really demonstrating to grandpas at this first summit that the community really acknowledges grandpas, supports them and is looking to continue to support the growth of the programs,” Isenburg said.
Andy Milone has been a freelance reporter covering local government for various New Jersey and New York news outlets since May 2024. The Chatham, New Jersey native and Gettysburg College graduate previously worked as a full-time reporter for The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier in Iowa, Pine Barrens Tribune in New Jersey and The Shippensburg News-Chronicle in Pennsylvania. He began working as a professional journalist in 2018. You can reach him at 201-406-7222 (call/text) or by emailing andymilone@protonmail.com.
