InvolvedDad is expanding its capacity to serve Flint fathers and families with the grand opening of its new facility on May 2. The new location at 1172 Robert T. Longway Blvd. will provide space for programs and services that empower men to be engaged fathers.
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley will also present InvolvedDad with a Flint ReCAST mini grant for SHIELD, an award-winning curriculum for ending violence against women, during the grand opening event. Flint Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) grants are designed to support evidence-based violence prevention and community youth engagement programs, as well as trauma-informed behavioral health services.
“I am proud to support InvolvedDad in its efforts to strengthen Flint fathers and families,” Mayor Neeley said. “The City of Flint is committed to improving quality of life for Flint residents through investments in neighborhoods, community centers, and infrastructure, as well as by supporting Flint residents and organizations as they identify resources and solutions that will help Flint families thrive. Flint is a great place to live, work, and raise a family because of forward-thinking organizations like InvolvedDad.”
InvolvedDad empowers men to be engaged fathers by providing training, coaching, and peer support in a safe environment with other men.
“At InvolvedDad, we’re committed to transforming the lives of fathers and their families by fostering strong, active engagements,” InvolvedDad Executive Director Shon Hart said. “Our programs not only bring fathers closer to their children but also equip them with tools to overcome personal challenges and be the role models their children deserve. Every story of a father reconnecting with their child not only strengthens a family but rebuilds our community.”
InvolvedDad’s resources for dads include the peer-to-peer support group Man2Man University and the Impact Program for non-household fathers with child support cases.
“If I had to choose two words for Involved Dad, I would choose ‘safe place’,” said program participant Roderick Graham, adding that being able to connect with other men facing the same challenges allowed him and others to work through those issues together and without judgment. “I honestly strongly suggest that any man with problems with their child’s mother or family issues, or trying to learn how to be a father, or just needing a place to vent and get things off your chest, should enroll in the program. It will open you up to new things you never knew and it will definitely help you become a better man, more than you ever knew you could be.”
InvolvedDad’s programs utilize a combination of research-based techniques and approaches informed by mentors that have struggled with the crisis of fatherlessness firsthand. Mentors encourage men to face the issues and wounds that prevent them from being fathers, address those issues head on, and then empower men with tools and techniques to manage fatherhood. Fathers and men expecting to become fathers can learn more about the resources available at InvolvedDad.org.
Flint ReCAST is a program of the City of Flint, made possible through a grant awarded to the City by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration. The Flint ReCAST mini-grant program is a yearly opportunity for community-based organizations to implement programs designed to promote resilience in the Flint community by assisting at-risk youth and families.
Flint ReCAST aims to assist at-risk youth and families by supporting the recovery and rebuilding of Flint’s vibrant community. City of Flint Chief Resilience Officer Shelly Sparks-Green serves as the Program Director and Greater Flint Health Coalition serves as the program implementation partner.
