Brenda Grace is no stranger to fighting for justice.
As a young woman in New Bedford, she had to fight to make her way in the world.
Later, when her daughter struggled with addiction, she stepped up again—this time to protect her grandchildren and keep them together as a family.
Those battles eventually shaped her next one: advocating for all grandparents raising grandchildren.
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Inc. (GRG), the grassroots organization she founded in New Bedford 18 years ago, grew directly out of Grace’s personal experiences and her determination to change the legal, financial, and social barriers facing families like hers.
Since its founding, GRG has evolved into a small but nimble support system—part advocacy group, part support group, part community builder. The organization has helped families understand complicated custody issues, hosted cookouts and holiday parties, provided scholarships and school supplies, and worked to push state policies in a more supportive direction.
What began in Grace’s home became something bigger—but the roots remained personal.
At first, Grace took in her two granddaughters. Later, when her daughter had two more children, Grace cared for them on weekends, working with their fathers and the court system to make arrangements that kept the children in contact with both parents. Keeping the siblings together was non-negotiable.
Back then, Grace considered but declined to become a licensed foster parent, despite the additional brought. The role didn’t feel right, she said.
“I’m doing it as the grandparent, as the family member,” Grace said. “It makes more sense for me to be doing it in that role than some created role that you just made-up.”
Choosing to go it alone had its own challenges. The lack of support for grandparents outside the official system was striking—and unacceptable. But Grace was ready for the challenge.
“You just do what you’ve got to do and that’s it,” she said. “Thank God that man upstairs gave me good health.”
Only a few years after starting GRG, Grace was joined by Renay Ribeiro, who had taken in her two granddaughters and faced many of the same roadblocks. Like Grace, Ribeiro was shocked to learn she didn’t qualify for basic supports, even with new dependents and limited income.
“I said, ‘why can’t you make the simple step up and whatever you would give to my daughter, sign it over to me, once I have them in custody,’” Ribeiro recalled. “I’ve got the paperwork to show you. I’ve got the custody.”
“That would have been a whole lot simpler,” she added.
Working together came naturally for the two women. “I was open to helping her out because I had a heart for what she was talking about and wanting to do,” Ribeiro said from Grace’s kitchen table as the two reminisced.
Many of the grandparents who came to GRG shared similar stories—particularly the pain of navigating addiction in their families. Grace and Ribeiro understood those emotions well.
“Some of the grandmothers in our group were so embarrassed they would cry,” Grace recalled. “I’d say, ‘You know something, you’re not alone. Your daughter, your son, is no different from ours. We all hurt. We all go through the same thing.’”
That deep understanding became a cornerstone of GRG’s success. In 2009, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren invited Grace to join its advisory group. Over the years, the group’s reach expanded to include families from Taunton, Fall River, Worcester, and other communities.
Local leaders took notice, too. Grace credits Rep. Tony Cabral as one of the organization’s strongest champions.
Recently, Cabral praised GRG for creating “a space and a support network for families in New Bedford.”
“As grandparents do not have an automatic legal relationship with their grandchildren, many struggle to access support services,” he said. “The work Brenda Grace and Renay Ribeiro have done for nearly 20 years in New Bedford has improved the quality of life for so many children and their caregivers.”
Grace and Ribeiro’s shared commitment powered the organization through nearly two decades. Then the pandemic hit. In-person meetings paused, and the group never regained its earlier momentum.
Now, as GRG prepares to close its doors under Grace’s leadership, both women are looking toward the future.
At 80, Grace says she’s easing out of fight mode and embracing a slower pace.
“I’ve learned, in the years, to mellow down,” she said about her perspective now.
“And I’ve learned to get upset and excited because I was,” Ribeiro responded with a laugh.
Ribeiro, who’s seen herself as Grace’s right—and left—hand, is ready to step back too.
“She tried to get me to take it over,” Ribeiro said. “And I said, ‘Look, I told you when you’re done, I’m done. I’m your right hand and left hand and I’m leaving right along with you.’”
Even so, both women hope the work continues. They are working with Coastline, a longtime program funder, to identify a local organization that could carry the mission forward.
“I hope somebody picks it up because it is a good program and I went 100% with this,” Grace said.
The need is still there. The blueprint already exists. And thanks to Grace and Ribeiro, so does the proof that even small, community-led efforts can change lives.
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