Jim Johnson wakes up knowing he has the opportunity to make a difference in a life.

"Not to be clichéd, but sometimes I act as a voice for people without a voice," he says.

As social worker at North Haven Middle School for the past five years, Jim's primary function is to help.

"I love working here," he says. "I actually wouldn't want to be doing anything else."

Jim is an admitted North Haven "home boy." Born and raised in the town, he even attended middle school in the same building where he currently has become a sponsor.

"I like advocating for students and families. If I believe it's right and should happen, I'm very good at not taking 'No' for an answer," he says.

Jim wasn't always pointed toward social work, however.

"I was a carpenter for 20 years and put myself through school by swinging a hammer," he relates.

Jim interrupted his work to obtain a bachelor's degree from Southern Connecticut University and a master's from Fordham University, both in social work.

"I really wanted to be a role model for my own kids," he recalls.

His son Ezra, 25, is in college in Washington and pursuing possible social work himself. His daughter Melissa, 26, resides in Brooklyn with her husband and four children-Esther, 6; Dov Bar, 4; Shira, 2; and Ellie, 4 months.

"They're a blast," Jim says enthusiastically.

Jim landed his first full-time social work position at Area Cooperative Education Services (ACES) in North Haven for more than six years, then took a position in Wallingford, helping put together an alternative elementary school program.

The "home boy" then returned to North Haven Middle School in 2005.

On a recent wet spring morning in his scholastic-looking cinderblock office, Jim reviews some of his more satisfying experiences.

"When I can support a child into evolving into a good student or when I can contribute and be part of the problem-solving that makes the [student's] home life higher-functioning, that's very rewarding," he says.

"Doing social work is very different than carpentry," Jim says. "When you remodel a kitchen…you stand back and say, 'Wow, look at that!' Social work isn't that concrete."

Jim keeps some letters from former students that may just be his equivalent of the remodeled kitchen.

"'Thanks a lot for looking out for me, for listening to me, for encouraging me, for forcing me,'" Jim paraphrases from the letters.

Jim works with primarily with the 10- to 14-year-old age group and says it is "critical" to reach middle school-aged students who are considered "at risk.

"Common situations [include] a less than ideal divorce, deaths in kids families," Jim explains, "Single parenthood is no picnic, having lived it myself. I've been through my own 'woods.'"

Jim keeps a large, tri-panel board in his office. It reads, "North Haven Middle School Bike Club," a program with an exceptional local reputation that was conceived by Jim and rolled out in 2007. The club recruited students to repair and recycle old bikes and donate them to those in need. Some 30 photos of repair and presentation of the bikes, as well as several news articles and a state Educational Citizenship Award on the display, tell the story. Unfortunately, budget constraints have put it on hold as of 2010.

Like budget, certain truths are revealed to Jim through his experience.

"Parental involvement is critical to student success," he relates. "One of the common denominators for kids who struggle is that their parents are not involved.

"I'm not the answer to the problem, but I hope to be a contributor to the solution," Jim says.