BEST Kids’ oldest youth participated in the MLK Day of Service at Dunbar High School for the January Peer Group event. Organized by City Year, this project brought in nearly 1,000 volunteers and focused on a campus-wide beautification project of Dunbar, America’s first public high school built for African American youth. The BEST Kids youth enjoyed the opportunity to learn and do service together while reflecting on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy.

Read more about the event at:

http://wamu.org/news/12/01/16/education_secretary_joins_service_project_at_dunbar_high

BEST Kids hosted three fun and diverse January Peer Group events:

The lower peer group had a session devoted to “Making Good Choices” and they discussed decision-making, conflict resolution and played the game “Would you rather?”

The middle peer group went ice skating and all of the youth and mentors in attendance tried skating, even though many had to overcome some initial anxieties about stepping out on the ice.

The upper peer group participated in City Year’s MLK Day of Service and reflected on MLK’s legacy.

BEST Kids’ permanent staff members attended the National Mentoring Summit on January 24-25. The theme for the 2012 mentoring summit was Invest in the Future: Mentor a Child.  This summit offered fresh approaches to quality mentoring and served to inform BEST Kids’ efforts to continually  improve the support offered to mentors and their positive impact on the lives of DC’s foster care youth.

See more about the conference at:

http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources/training_and_events/national_mentoring_summit

BEST Kids held its Inaugural BEST Kids Fundraising Banquet on November 3, 2011 with nearly 140 people in attendance. The event provided attendees the opportunity to hear about the incredible mentoring relationships that are being developed through BEST Kids mentoring program.  BEST Kids Founder and Board President Todd Leibbrand said, “I loved the energy in the room at BEST Kids’ Inaugural Banquet.  It seemed like deep connections were being made, similar to the connections our mentors are developing with their mentees.”  The evening commenced with a reception, followed shortly by dinner and speeches from BEST Kids Founder and President Todd Leibbrand, Vice President Ed Allen, Executive Director John Palinski, and Mentors Sonali Patel, Molly Wagoner, and Michelle Brown. Several mentors also served as table captains and shared stories about their experiences with mentoring and BEST Kids Peer Group events.

Attendees included long-time supporters as well as new faces to BEST Kids. “I thought the banquet afforded us a great opportunity to expose people to the mission and vision of BEST Kids on a scale we have not yet managed to achieve.  And they seemed to respond.  This is such an awesome organization, I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I guess you never know until you see it,” said Board Vice President and Banquet Speaker Rev. Ed Allen.  Several of the tables were generously sponsored by individuals and organizations, while other tables introduced new people and groups to each other.  “There was awesome energy in the room before, during and after the program,” Allen continued.

This banquet marks BEST Kids’ first large-scale fundraising event and set a high precedent for future events with friends of the organization.  Said Allen, “I really believe the banquet was a real first step toward creating a support base that can carry BEST Kids to the next level.”  Mentors and other longer-term supporters also recognized the growth the banquet signaled for the organization.  “BEST Kids’ first fundraiser showed me just how much the organization has grown since I first started mentoring with them in 2006. It was truly a supportive and warm event where I felt free and encouraged to share the rewards and challenges I have with my current mentee,” said BEST Kids Mentor and Banquet Speaker Sonali Patel.  BEST Kids Staff and Board Members felt that the banquet was so successful that they are already in talks regarding the next large-scale event.

BEST Kids Fundraising Banquet

Date: November 3, 2011
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm

Place: Arlington Hilton                                                                                                                                                  950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, USA, 22203                                                                      Meeting Room: Gallery I and II                                                                                                                      Near Ballston Metro Stop (Orange Line)                                                                                                      Discounted parking is available next door to the hotel.                                                              

Deadline to RSVP: October 26, 2011

Cost: Purchase a seat for $70 or sponsor a table for $500 (9 seats/meals).

To pay by check: Please make checks out to BEST Kids, Inc. Checks can be sent to:

BEST Kids, Inc. c/o Sheila Bodner                                                                                                               901 N. Monroe Street #807                                                                                                                         Arlington, VA  22201

703-248-0336

To pay by credit card: To pay using your credit card, please click on the ‘Donate Now’ tab in the yellow box to the right.  Include the requested number of tickets or tables in the memo line.

Email questions to:

tickets@bestkids.org

Or call: 703-248-0336

Directions to Hilton Hotel

950 N. Stafford Street, Arlington, VA, 703-528-6000

Subway/Metro

Take the Orange Line to the Ballston-MU stop. At the top of the escalator walk straight into the Ballston Metro Center complex (20 feet). The hotel lobby is on the left.

From the North

Take I-95 south to I-495. Take I-495 west towards Northern Virginia proceed onto I-66 east until exit 71 (Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road). Go straight on Fairfax to Stafford Street (fourth light), and turn right. The hotel is on the immediate right.

From the South

I-95 North to I-395 North. Continue north on I-395 until exit 7 (Glebe Road/Rte 120). Proceed on North Glebe Road for about 3.3 miles to Fairfax Drive, make a right. Proceed to the second stoplight and turn right on Stafford Street. The hotel is on the right.

From the West

I-66 east toward Washington, DC. Take exit 71 (Glebe Road/Fairfax Drive) Proceed straight onto Fairfax Drive. Turn right on Stafford Street, after the fourth stoplight. Hotel is on the right.

From the East

Take I-66 West until exit 71 (Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road). At the top of the exit ramp, turn left onto Glebe Road. At the third stoplight, turn left onto Fairfax Drive. Proceed on Fairfax Drive two stoplights to Stafford Street and turn right. The hotel will is on the right. (note: I-66 West is HOV-2 only from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm)

The Upper Peer Group honored the 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance with a service event on  September 10, 2011. Thanks to a generous grant form Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, BEST Kids will be teaming up with Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP), whose staff ran theproject. At this event, the Upper Peer Group had the opportunity to serve and share dinner with homeless guests.

At the event, the members of the upper peer group all pitched in to prepare a hearty and nutritious meal that they then shared with homeless and hungry guests.  After dinner preparation, the YSOP leader explained that eating with the guests was an important aspect of the program and that the group would all serve their guests and then join them for the meal.

Despite some initial hesitation, the youth all warmed up to the guests quickly, engaging in conversations and joking around with them. There was a really positive atmosphere during the dinner and everyone learned something important from their interactions. There wasgame-playing, singing, political discussions, and even some dancing.

In the reflection session after clean-up, the group identified some commonly held stereotypes of homeless people. Then the group discussed how the guests that evening had challenged all of these stereotypes. The group reported that many of the guests were intelligent, friendly, and knowledgeable about current events.  One of the BEST Kids youth reported that she thought she had a tough life but didn’t realize just how tough the challenges are that some people face.

On Saturday, September 17, BEST Kids hosted its 5th annual picnic. Despite overcast skies, there was a turnout of 123 picnic attendees!! With mentors, mentees, families, caregivers, board members and staff present, it was an awesome showcase of the many people who make the BEST Kids program vibrant.

During the picnic, the group started off with a game of kickball, and then the kids, guests in tow, divided into the lower, middle and upper peer groups to do some ice breakers. After this, the new staff members introduced themselves and then everyone enjoyed a classic picnic meal of pulled pork sandwiches, salad, corn muffins, baked beans and lemonade. After lunch, everyone took advantage of the many opportunities to play at the park- swinging, monkeybars, tennis, building sandcastles, hula hooping and sidewalk chalking were just some of the highlights. It’s pretty safe to say that fun was had by all!

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Michele brings vital experience to our board.  Her know-how has helped put new budgetary and accounting procedures in place, and the organization and its finances are much stronger for it.

Michele points out, “When asking donors for contributions and mentors to volunteer their time, it’s important for an organization to have strong internal controls and demonstrate responsible spending.  Even in a economy where charitable dollars are shrinking, an organization like BEST Kids can really shine by showing its current and prospective donors that each dollar is spent prudently.”

“My consulting background,” says Michele, “provided experience in a variety of industries, which helps me to identify strategies to employ and risks to mitigate.  It also helps me to focus on the initiatives best aligned with our mission, and what can be successfully undertaken within the limited resources available to the organization.”

Finally, Michele notes, “The most important element that attracted me to BEST Kids, besides the opportunity to help many DC foster children achieve personal and academic goals, was our dynamic executive director, John Palinski.  He is highly motivated, capable, resourceful, and efficient.  I look forward to working with John and my fellow board members to help BEST Kids reach out to more children.”

Lyle Wilson has been a BEST Kids mentor for almost four years and he’s been a supporter for even longer than that.  Over this time, Lyle has mentored two different youth and become a regular fixture at our monthly peer group meetings.  Lyle brings a remarkable life experience and insight to his mentoring.  “There is nothing theoretical about what I’m saying, because I’ve been there and I’ve seen it,” he says.

Having attended more than 20 different schools before completing his high school diploma, and growing up in circumstances similar to those of BEST Kids youth, Lyle can truly say that he understands and empathizes with some of the needs of his mentee. success story given similar circumstances provides a helpful reminder to our mentees.  As a mentor, Lyle believes his role is to provide the stability that his mentee’s life would otherwise lack.  Even in his toughest times, Lyle’s mentee, Peter*, can rely on him to be supportive and empathetic.

Unfortunately, several crises have challenged the life path Peter is attempting to follow in order to reach his goal of becoming a lawyer.  Throughout this, Lyle has supported Peter by keeping in frequent contact and taking him out as often as possible, thereby allowing Peter to experience new things and decompress from his challenging home life.

Despite the obstacles, Lyle and Peter’s relationship has become quite strong.  One particularly touching moment occurred when they were making plans to go out to dinner and study.  After some back-and-forth about meeting location and directions, Lyle realized that Peter was looking out for Lyle’s safety while in Peter’s neighborhood.  Peter’s thoughtfulness made Lyle and the BEST Kids staff smile a great deal.

BEST Kids understands that most mentors will enter the program with much less experience than Lyle; however we continue to feel fortunate for his commitment to his mentee, the program and the community of fellow mentors.

*Names of youth are changed to protect their identities.

BEST Kids is pleased to announce the appointment of John Palinski as Executive Director. In this position, John will run the day-to-day operations of BEST Kids, including managing mentor recruitment, support and training, supervising mentor-mentee matching and reporting and leading BEST Kids’ outreach and fundraising efforts.

John has spent the majority of his career in the youth development field, beginning with his AmeriCorps service in 2002, where he served at the National Runaway Switchboard, working through the Public Allies Chicago program. After his term of service, John was hired as the DC Program Director of Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP), a community-based organization committed to introducing youth to volunteer service through work with hungry and homeless people. At YSOP, John helped build a sustainable Washington program for this New York-based nonprofit. John left YSOP to pursue his Master’s degree in 2006, when he was chosen as the John Ben Snow Fellow in Nonprofit Management at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. As a Snow Fellow, John was responsible for coordinating four grant programs at the Central New York Community Foundation alongside his studies.

Upon graduation, John joined Common Ground Consulting LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in managing change for domestic and international NGOs. In this capacity, John traveled extensively, engaging clients in organizational assessments and board and staff trainings. This hectic travel schedule prepared him well for his next calling, as a Field Organizer for Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign. John’s work on the campaign began in Iowa and took him to South Carolina, Minnesota, Washington, D.C., Indiana, and Pennsylvania.  In February of 2009, John joined BEST Kids’ staff as Interim Executive Director.

According to BEST Kids’ Board President, Todd Leibbrand, “John has brought to BEST Kids a unique blend of capacity, know-how and willingness to roll up his sleeves, which makes him exactly the right person to lead BEST Kids now.” In fact, Leibbrand continues, “he has already increased our cohort of mentor candidates, energized our fundraising efforts, and enhanced BEST Kids’ relationships with the city agencies that oversee the welfare of children in foster care.”

For his part, John says that he is “excited to come to work each day, and humbled by the stories he hears about our mentors.” He explains: “Talking with mentor coordinators, mentors, mentees, and their caregivers, I am continually amazed by the positive role our mentors play in the lives of these children. The commitment of our mentors inspires me to help support them in any way I can. I look forward to doing that, and to recruiting quality new mentors so that we can provide that support to greater numbers of needy kids.”

John’s Master’s Degree is in Public Administration with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management. He also holds a B.A. in Economics from Grinnell College.

(March 2010)