IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Peggy Blanchard ’66 makes a commitment to help children heal and grow

“It’s now or never,” Peggy Blanchard ’66 thought to herself when she rediscovered an AARP magazine article about New Life Village, an intergenerational community in Tampa, Florida, that provides below-market housing to adoptive families of children, many of whom have survived abuse, trauma, and neglect. They invite seniors to live in the community to serve as surrogate grandparents to support both the parents and children of the adoptive families. Blanchard’s passion to give back and be part of something bigger led her to pack up her house of 22 years in California and move across the country to tackle life’s next adventure.

Seniors living in the Village community complete 18 hours of volunteer service a month, which includes everything from coaching sports to teaching the children to swim and cook. Blanchard treasures her time at the on-site Learning Center, where she tutors two boys, ages 8 and 10.

A sense of gratitude and pride overwhelms Blanchard as she watches her students—who arrived timid and skeptical—develop into self-assured, respectful young adults.

Reflecting on the work that she is doing, Blanchard fondly recalls her time at Regis, where service to the community was always a strong value and at the core of the mission, as it is today. She is grateful to still have that value as a driving force in her life, and looks forward to witnessing the lasting impact on the families she serves.

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