Bloomfield College Student Receives Numerous Accolades at Cops 4 Kids Ceremony

An award ceremony for Essex County Cops 4 Kids was held on December 19 at Barringer High School in Newark. According to its website, Essex County Cops 4 Kids is a nonprofit that provides activities and one-on-one, hands-on mentorship for young people ages 10 to 20 who have an interest in learning more about careers in Law Enforcement. 

One of the award recipients was Michael Giordano, a rising sophomore at Bloomfield College. Giordano, who is currently studying computer programming at the College, received one award (Explorer A.I.D of the Year) and two certificates (Stop The Bleed training and CPR training) during the ceremony, and served as leader of the honor guard.

“Essex County Cops 4 Kids is a second home to me; a place where I know if I have a problem I can talk to my advisors or fellow members about what’s going on,” said Giordano, who noted that the Organization’s Executive Director, Essex County Sheriff Armando Aviles, filled the father-figure void in his life. “It was the first place where nobody judged me for being different because the program is highly diverse and inclusive.”

Giordano became a part of the program when he was 15, after his mother learned about Essex County Cops 4 Kids. He aspires to work in cyber security one day. The Organization has over 140 members. If you are interested in learning more about the program, Giordano encourages you to visit the official website.

“I feel indebted to help out anyway I can,” said Giordano. “I know it’s some teens' dreams to just go hang out with friends and party, but all I plan on doing is helping out our future generation."