Christine Piatek was a GrandPal at Littlebrook School before the pandemic and eagerly rejoined when the program returned in full swing. Before retiring, she worked as a public sector lawyer specializing in environmental law. Now, she dedicates her time to supporting the community, tutoring ESL with Literacy NJ-Mercer County, and volunteering with various programs. For Christine, reading with young students is a true joy — their enthusiasm for books makes every session special.

On Wednesday, I was in the hallway near our classroom in the Johnson Park school waiting for the rest of the GrandPals. An older boy was walking up the hallway and saw my name tag with “Grandpals” on it and said “Are you a Grandpal?” I said “I am.” And, he smiled, said “Wow,” and went into his classroom. It seems we’re famous!