Published May 06, 2020 13:22
The Len Hiller award is an employee nominated award in memory of Len Hiller, a dedicated volunteer and employee at our Aberdeen Club. Len passed away in December 2000 with cancer at the age of forty-one. This award is for a Club staff member that demonstrates hard work, enthusiasm and a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty to connect members with opportunities and supports.
Amanda joined the Boys and Girls Clubs in October 2017 as a Program Facilitator at our Sister MacNamara Club. Amanda has also worked at the Ryerson Club, filling in as the Club Manager on a short-term last fall. She returned to Sister Mac in early 2020.
As a Program Facilitator at Sister Mac, Amanda embodies the core values of the Boys and Girls Club. She works hard to ensure all participants who walk through the door feel welcome. She does a great job at making youth feel like they have a place to belong. Amanda thinks about the individual kids in any given program when designing activities making sure they have challenging opportunities and chances to build their skills. She takes ownership of her work and is great at creating a sense of comradery between staff.
Amanda has brought her love of sport and physical activity to the Club. She has coached both a girls and boys soccer team in the Winnipeg Youth Soccer League, as well as lead the Boys and Girls Club’s Girls Soccer Program for the last 3 years. She has also introduced a Girls Drop-In program to Sister Mac on Friday afternoons. Amanda saw the need for pre-teen and teen girls to come together and take part in sport and talk about healthy relationships as well as to help them transition from our elementary program to our teen program.
Amanda is also renowned for her love of tie dye. If you want to know the best products or techniques to use, Amanda is your go to. She even runs an annual tie dye fundraiser at the Grand Beach Community Club every summer.
Amanda is outgoing and very willing to connect youth to new opportunities. She is a great role model for our youth and enthusiastically participates along with them, whether this means dressing up for special event days, participating in a game of soccer or an art project or developing how to videos for our youth during this season of COVID-19. Amanda’s positive energy is contagious and draws in many youth that might otherwise sit on the sidelines.
Amanda is also very encouraging of her co-workers, always willing to help out where needed. She freely leads staff in “animal stretches” during long training days, helping to get bodies moving as well as smiles flowing as we all channel our inner giraffe.
Thanks, Amanda, for all you do to make positive change in the life of the youth. Your flexibility, creativity and positive attitude make you a great youth worker. You are an asset to our organization and have made a difference not only in the lives of our youth but of your colleagues. We are so pleased to have you as a part of our Boys and Girls Club family. Congratulations!