Frequently asked questions
About our locations, our volunteer grandmas and getting involved.
Word-of-mouth! People recommend a grandma after they've stopped by, or hear about it on social media. Then they fill out this form and we schedule a time to chat.
After getting to know each other, we'll coordinate a time for the grandma to join the Grandma Stand™! The time commitment is usually about 2 hours and whenever it works best for the grandma's schedule.
All grandmas are volunteers!
What made Grandma Eileen (the original grandma) so beloved was she excelled in three things:
- 1The art of listening
- 2Being present
- 3Asking questions to understand who you are and how you really feel
She never lectured or tried to solve your problem.
This is the same approach used today. The grandmas are quick to disarm you as you sit down and share your thoughts with no judgment and a listening ear.
NYC: Check Instagram Stories! We have been to just about every part of NYC. Sometimes we're invited to parks, plazas, street fairs and events, and sometimes we pick random public street corners. Wherever we pop-up, we'll always share our location 1-2 days before.
However, we're always open to recommendations or invitations! For spring, summer and fall, we're generally outside, but for winter months, we love indoor locations.
Other cities: Every city has their own schedule. Contact us via this form and we'll connect you, or email hello@grandmastand.com.
Yes! Fill out this form and we'll chat. It's around $800* for all the materials to get started. We're a 501(c)(3) so we save on sales tax and anytime we get donations we try and help with the cost.
Also, we're here to help with the entire set-up process and put you in touch with other grandmas and individuals who've started their own Grandma Stand™.
*Cost for individual volunteers. Organizations looking to sponsor or start a stand, please contact: mike@grandmastand.com
Read the starter guide (PDF) →In general, we'll just take a pulse of how the community is feeling that particular day.
Sometimes we need to let things out (ex: "Who's someone you need to forgive?") or just rejoice (ex: "What's bringing you joy right now?").
For NYC, we'll even post discussion prompts in an Instagram Poll and let people decide.
But, whatever is decided, it's hand-written on sandwich boards for you to share with a grandma!
Prompts we've used
Who's someone you need to forgive?