Giving Back is a non-profit agency with a structured method for senior citizen volunteers (age 50+) to form friendships and work as a team to help others, especially schoolchildren and frail elders. We foster intergenerational relationships through mentoring, enhancing the lives of both the giver and the receiver, helping children and frail elders develop cognitive and interpersonal skills, self-esteem and physical coordination while creating vibrant and vital opportunities for elder volunteers to 'give back' to benefit their neighborhoods and communities.

Giving Back has created a way for senior citizens (age 50+) to bond with each other, to stay active, committed, and engaged with society, a chance for them to feel useful by volunteering their services. The pairs (child and senior volunteer or frail elder and senior volunteer) practice Brain Gym^® and other integrative movements and games together. Brain Gym^® activities are specific, easy and enjoyable ways to improve brain function. All participants improve their focus, concentration, memory, balance and coordination, self-esteem, and well-being. In addition, the children improve school performance, and behavior. In this work we are discovering, playing, learning, growing, laughing and connecting, and we rejoice that we are facilitating major positive changes for the children and the elders.

Standardized test results consistently show children improve in self-esteem, interpersonal strength, reading skills, attention/cognition and overall social functioning. All problematic behaviors decrease, including symptoms of ADHD and hyperactivity. Standardized testing for the senior volunteers shows an improvement in personal and social self-esteem. Senior and frail-elder self-reports show improved physical condition (walking, balance, coordination, energy levels), improved social interaction (sharing with other), and improved mental ability and attitude (self-worth, self-care, auditory and reading comprehension, concentration and memory). It is common to hear from the senior volunteers, the children and the frail elders, expressions of joy over the heartfelt relationships that naturally arise in this work.