Congratulations to Bernard Piper for being a Connect with Kids Champion!

Connect with Kids Champions are those people in our community who, in the dailyness of their lives, make it a priority to connect, spend time and build relationships with children and teens. Champions come from all walks of life – a champion could be a neighbor, a friend, a business, a parent or a professional working with young people. What sets a Connect with Kids Champion apart is their intentional and deliberate attentiveness to the needs of young people.

Mr. Bernard Piper – better known as Mr. Bernie was nominated by Elizabeth Auten, AHC Resident Services Manager at Gates of Ballston, for his volunteer work here at the Gates after-school program. He has been volunteering for two years. But he isn’t getting this award because he volunteers, he’s getting this award for how he volunteers. He began as a tutor coming once a week, but then he noticed there was another need he could help with. Some of the kids were struggling with math. Mr. Bernie decided to come another day each week to help with math. He created fun games that helped improve the young people’s math skills and perhaps even more importantly he helped them really enjoy math. Elizabeth wrote that Mr. Bernie has created a culture that makes math fun for our kids, and he clearly wants each one of the students to succeed. For his volunteership in our community, we are eternally grateful!

So on behalf of the Gates After-School Prgram and the whole community, the Partnership is pleased to present Bernie Piper with this Connect with Kids Champion award.

Presented by the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. The Partnership is working with the Arlington community to create a community where all young people’s needs are met and their voices heard. As part of that effort, we want to recognize those ordinary people who make an extraordinary effort to connect with kids. We call these wonderful people Connect with Kids Champions.