About GEMs
Our Vision
Our mission
Our mission
Our vision is to build a powerful and lasting support network where guardians and their children are transformed by learning and leaning on the strengths of each other.
Our mission
Our mission
Our mission
Enables youth between the ages of 13-18 to grow their talents and expand their interest areas, and the mature adults to share their years of wisdom. Building upon new and fresh memories can assist in overcoming the abrupt change in their young lives and begin to build family closeness, strength, and support
Our Values
Our mission
Our Values
We value the wisdom and hindsight of both guardians and children entering our program and we are dedicated to increase accountability, positive behavior modeling and continuous improvement in the lives of our clients.
Welcome to the Team!
Liason Deanna Hardeman, Ms. Ohio Ms. America United States 2023
A native of Mansfield, Ohio, Deanna Hardeman was crowned Miss Ohio America’s United States since February 2023 and 2023 Miss Midwest Charm since March 2023. She is a 2008 graduate of Mansfield High School and later an alumna of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Deanna started her journey of pageantry in her 20s, relaying her favorite part of being a pageant queen is interacting with community members and listening to their stories.
The Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act
Grandparents Advisory Council Created by Brown's Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is applauding news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Community Living (ACL), held the first Grandparents Advisory Council meeting last week. Brown’s Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act was signed into law last year and created the council in light of the addiction crises, which has forced many grandparents and other family members to step in and raise children whose parents are unable to care for them. The council met last week to discuss the needs of grandparents raising children and develop strategies on how federal agencies can best serve them... Read more
U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (left) and Dr. Kleckley, Founder of GEMs University (right)
Check out the official groundbreaking report about the "Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (SGRG) Act Initial Report to Congress".
Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers
On April 18, 2023, President Biden signed an executive order (EO) that includes more than 50 directives to federal agencies to increase access to affordable, high-quality care, and provide support for care workers and family caregivers.
The EO directs actions to improve job quality for the professionals who provide the critical services that make community living possible for millions of people. It includes actions to improve support for the 53 million family caregivers who provide the overwhelming majority of long-term support to older adults and people with disabilities. It also directs actions to expand availability of home and community-based services, including those funded by Medicaid and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
This exciting EO creates new momentum for ACL’s work to strengthen the care infrastructure that helps people with disabilities and older adults live and fully participate in their communities, including our work leading the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers and to strengthen and expand the direct care workforce, our partnership with the Veterans Health Administration on the Veteran-Directed Care program, and more.
This White House fact sheet has more of the highlights.
Grandparents' Stories
Maya Angelou talks about grandparenting
'I was not going to see my grandbaby be a statistic': Grandparents stepping up amid the opioid cr...
'I was not going to see my grandbaby be a statistic': Grandparents stepping up amid the opioid cr...
"I love my grandmother."
The memories flow out of Maya Angelou's words like sweet molasses. It's a tale she's told before — in her groundbreaking work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings(Random House). But now, at 80, Angelou, originally from Stamps, Ark., is a grandmother twice over. Her son, Guy Johnson, is father to Colin Ashanti Murphy-Johnson, 32, and Elliott Jones, 22. She’s also a great grandmother — Colin has two children, Caylin Nicole Johnson, 11, and Brandon Bailey Johnson, 9. Angelou talked to Grandparents.com about her own grandmother’s legacy and how it shaped her thoughts about grandparenting.
'I was not going to see my grandbaby be a statistic': Grandparents stepping up amid the opioid cr...
'I was not going to see my grandbaby be a statistic': Grandparents stepping up amid the opioid cr...
'I was not going to see my grandbaby be a statistic': Grandparents stepping up amid the opioid cr...
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Thousands of people in Ohio have died from opioid overdoses in the last ten years.
According to the Centers for Disease Control in 2017, 4,293 people died as a result of overdoses involving prescription and synthetic opioids and heroin.
The massive number of deaths has left thousands of children without their parents.
Some are put into foster care, but in many cases grandparents are stepping up to take responsibility.
Mildra Kelly, 65, lives in Cleveland and is raising her 13-year-old grandson, Brian...
Member's Testimonies
Wendy Logan
My name is Wendy, and I'm a proud grandparent of a beautiful baby girl named Alaina. Due to the welfare of her being, I had to get custody to ensure her growth. I needed to find a bigger apartment for her. I was connected to GEMS by Mrs. Turner, who gave me Mrs. Kleckley's name. From day one of hearing her voice, I knew I wasn't alone. She proclaimed that she would be there until I obtained my key, and my God, she did, and then some. She persevered through various phone calls, visits, meetings, and prayers. Dr. Kleckley was God-sent to ensure our move would come to pass. We have shed tears and grieved together while battling through this process, but thankfully, we found out that all hard work was NOT in vain; thank you, Lord. I would also like to thank everyone who assisted in my experience of relocating to a bigger home. Alaina loves her room, and I'm excited I no longer have to share mine. GEMS has been wonderful to me, but Mrs. Kleckley's spirit has shined through our long days.
