Jacksonville Review – June 2024
JACKSONVILLE RESIDENT and founder of Grandmas2Go, Linda Otto, was awarded the Family Nurturing Center’s Champion of Children award for her significant contribution in positioning FNC to improve the lives of children and their families in the Rogue Valley. Grandmas2Go was started by Linda in 2016 with the mission of training women of “wisdom and experience” to become volunteer family coaches to support new families and help their children thrive.
Otto spent her life advocating for babies and families as an infant massage therapist and instructor, a court appointed special advocate (CASA), a post-partum doula, and a baby cuddler. These experiences taught her “that, to succeed, you have to advocate for the entire family—you have to wrap your arms around that family” and she went on to create Grandmas2Go to do just that. The Family Nurturing Center welcomed G2G under their umbrella in 2020 to further support their mission to strengthen families so that children develop fully and safely in their parents’ care. Thanks to Linda Otto’s insight & compassion, G2G has served hundreds of families in the Rogue Valley, welcoming over 50 volunteers. It is currently rebuilding its program post-pandemic shutdown. For information about volunteering or arranging for a grandma or grandpa, write to hello@Grandmas2Go.org.