VALDOSTA — To many Valdosta youngsters, Clifford Henry is simply “Grandpa.”

“I’ll be going down to the store and the kids will run up. ‘Grandpa. Grandpa.’ And their parents will wonder, what’s up with this?” Henry laughs in his deep, raspy voice.

Clifford Henry has become known as Grandpa to these children through his role as a volunteer with the Volunteer Connections’ Foster Grandparents Program at Southside Recreation Center for three hours each weekday morning and for a few hours five days a week at the Toombs Street Boys & Girls Club.

Recently, Henry was named Foster Grandparent of the Year during a ceremony at Southside Recreation Center.

As a foster grandparent, Henry plays games with children, talks with them about life, has to occasionally step between young boys itching to fight, and tutors them.

Working with youngsters as a foster grandparent has been like a dream come true for Henry.

He grew up in Valdosta. A career in the Army took him away from South Georgia. Following his stint in the Army, Henry and his wife, Margaret, settled into a life in Atlanta, where he worked for the Marriott hotel chain. They raised a family, and Henry has six grandchildren of his own.

Several years ago, when Mrs. Henry passed away, he returned to Valdosta, retired, and looked for something to do.

Through the years, often, during his time in the Army and working for the hotel, Clifford Henry had dreamed of being a teacher.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” he says. “It was something, you know, that I had in the back of my mind. It was always something that I felt that I could do.”

In 2002, he learned of the Foster Grandparents Program and signed on. At first, he worked with youngsters at Dewar Elementary School. Then came the work with Southside Recreation Center’s ODESSY program and the Boys & Girls Club.

At Southside, Henry spends mornings tutoring the youngsters in a variety of academic subjects. He’s also there to remind them that someone is there for them.

In a series of testimonials, some of the youngsters praised Henry during his Foster Grandparent of the Year ceremony.

“He played pool with me, and I think he is a great pool player,” a 15-year-old noted. “The advice he gave really helped me.”

“Thanks, Mr. Clifford, for letting me teach you how to play Candy Land, Sorry and Connect 4. I had a good time with you,” noted a 12-year-old.