Helping children now can allow them to live happier and
more productive lives as adults.
David Kline keeps a keen eye on traffic patterns and behaviors in Fairfax County, Virginia. As a transportation planner for the county, his focus is on solving the congestion problems of today, while anticipating future transportation needs.
Since 2007, David has volunteered his time to help families navigate the traffic jams that life sometimes delivers. As a supervised visitation monitor for the county’s Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, he works to keep families connected in the wake of domestic incidents that separate children from their parents.
“It provides an opportunity for the reunion of parents and children,” David said. “It brings them back together, to start rebuilding their relationship. Studies show children do better if they have contact with their separated parents as opposed to no contact at all.”
His role as visitation monitor varies according to the needs of each family. He sometimes serves in an educational capacity for young parents, or as a conversation starter and facilitator for children who are distant or unengaged in the initial meetings.
“The program gives children an opportunity to grow up in a healthy and normal way,” David said. “Helping children now can allow them to live happier, more productive lives as adults.”
For his countless volunteer hours and commitment to the program, Volunteer Fairfax and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored DAvid with the Fairfax County Volunteer Service Award, and surprised him at the ceremony with news that he was also named a Cabot Community Celebrity. Read the entire story here!
David grew up in Minnesota and went to the University of Minnesota where he earned a degree in civil engineering. He has two daughters, 30 year-old Tempa, and 28 year-old Kasha who both live in Virginia. Tempa has one child, David’s first grandchild, and has another baby on the way. She shares David's volunteer spirit, as a member of City Year AmeriCorps in Washington, D.C. and LIFT AmeriCorps in Richmond, VA. David's daughter Kasha, is the undergraduate student experience advisor in the George Washington University School of Business, and will join David on the cruise!
When not keeping traffic moving and helping families reconnect, David enjoys family time, birding in the saltwater marshes of the Delmarva Peninsula, hiking, and watching independent films.
