Luncheon planned to honor woman devoted to taking care of Brevard's grandchildren
At 88, MaryAnn Sterling shows no signs of slowing down. Too many grandchildren need care.
Sterling founded Rockledge-based Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in 1995, five years after she took custody of her 6-year-old grandson. For the better part of the past three decades, she has devoted herself to helping other grandparents re-entering the world of parenting.
That devotion earned her a place among USA Today's Women of the Year for 2023. Sterling is Woman of the Year for Florida.
The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. It recognizes women nationally and in each state who are advocates for equity, inspire change, lift up others and give everyday women a place to see themselves.
That's exactly what Sterling does through Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. The organization offers support groups, legal help, parenting classes and tutoring. Through community donations, it also provides Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, toys and gifts and school supplies.
To honor Sterling and the national recognition she has brought to GRG, a lunch is planned for 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 12 at the Space Coast Convention Center, 301 Tucker Lane, Cocoa.
"Let's fill this luncheon hall to show MaryAnn what a difference her dedication to supporting grandparents in their role as parents again has meant to our county," the event page for the luncheon reads. "MaryAnn has dedicated the last 29 years to keep the 'Child First' and her work has not gone unnoticed. She is the recipient of USA Today's 2023 Woman of the Year as the Florida Honoree!
"If MaryAnn and GRG have touched your life or someone you know, please plan to be part of this celebration!"
Tickets are $40 or $300 for a table of eight. Get them at eventbrite.com (Search "MaryAnn Sterling") or email Lil Hobson at hobscotch59@gmail.com for information on how to pay by check.
MaryAnn Sterling: A Florida grandma found herself parenting her grandson. Now she helps others do the same.
During an interview in January, Sterling said her grandson, Matthew Armstrong, came to live with her in 1990 after his mother, Lynda Dawn Sterling, was killed in a car accident.
"I lost my daughter, and I got my 6-year-old grandson to raise," she said.
She didn't really have time to grieve. Suddenly, at 55, her life was filled with school work and ball games and bedtime routines.
At the ballpark, she met other grandparents in similar situations. In Brevard County, 1 in 47 children are being raised by their grandparents, Sterling said.
She started GRG with six people; the organization now includes more than 1,600 members.
"I can remember when I first started, I would go to a support group meeting, and nobody would be there but me," she said. "I just didn't give up."
Matthew is now a successful attorney in Orlando. Meanwhile, Sterling continues to prove that getting older doesn't have to mean giving up the things you love.
"You know what I have on my refrigerator door?" she said in January. "'You're never too old to have dreams and to know that they can come true.' And I want to be sure, that no matter how old I get, I still have something to offer. I hope I do. And I'm going to keep on trying."
Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at sleonard@floridatoday.com. Find her on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Luncheon to honor Brevard woman who founded grandparents' organization
