OGDEN — Grandparents With Open Arms — founded in 2021 by Ogdenite Melonie Trujillo — will soon celebrate its fourth anniversary.

The nonprofit organization provides support for grandparents who are skipping the empty-nest stage to answer the call to care for their children’s children due to a variety of circumstances.

It’s a mission that’s deeply personal for Trujillo who, along with her husband, has provided a home and primary care for two grandsons and two granddaughters.

Trujillo’s son, Paul P. Trujillo, struggled with addiction and, eventually, died in an automobile accident. Now, she’s honoring his memory and her relationship with his children by working to ease the burdens of those in similar situations.

“My son actually passed away in 2020, and so I put the nonprofit in memory of him,” Trujillo said. “I realized once I got custody, you know, I got the kids, there’s no programs out there for grandparents who are doing this.”

Trujillo says issues range from establishing legal custody/parental rights, maintaining relationships with other family members while also caring for grandchildren, parenting again as seniors and finding communities for support.

Grandparents With Open Arms holds quarterly meetup events for grandparents serving as guardians for grandchildren and their families.

This Saturday — on the eve of National Grandparents Day — the group will team up with Free Community Meal to host a dinner at Ogden’s George Washington High School from 5-7 p.m.

The group also engages with grandparents via a private Facebook group.

In addition to the emotional support offered for grandparents and grandchildren living in this unique situation, Trujillo says her organization is always working to expand its programming.

“We’re trying to figure out ways. We’re trying to start programs,” she said. “We want to do a day care program where we can watch each other’s kids. Also a respite program to get the grandparents to have a day of just some time to themselves because we’re being parents again.”

In the meantime, she wants grandparents who are raising their grandchildren to know that there are others out there experiencing the same ups and downs.

“You’re not alone,” Trujillo stressed. “There’s a lot of us doing it. And there’s a lot of us that want to get together and make a difference for each other.”

For more information on Grandparents With Open Arms, the organization’s events or to donate, go to https://www.grandparentswithopenarms.com or call 385-389-0850.

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