Responsible Fatherhood Initiative
June was Responsible Fatherhood Month, and we were fortunate enough to receive grant funding from the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood to celebrate by hosting two Fatherhood initiative events for dads and their children to attend.
On the evening of Wednesday, June 21st, at Saybrook Park in Ashtabula, we lead games and activities for Fathers to engage and participate with their kids. Families played several outdoor sports and yard games, including wiffleball, football, and basketball. Attendees also listened to a brief presentation on our 24:7 Dad Curriculum. The 24:7 Dad is an evidence-based fatherhood program that improves the knowledge, behavior, and skills of dads of all races, religions, and demographics. The program is built on the basis that fathers can be nurturers, and nurturing is a learned skill for men. We believe there is an invaluable role that Fathers play in the mental and emotional well-being of their children and are excited to be able to teach these skills to our fathers.
The following week we ventured out to Ransom Sage Farm in Chardon to go raspberry picking and learn about what it takes to run a farm. Fathers could join with children of all ages to find, pick, and eat many raspberries! Each family even went home with their own pint of berries. The children in attendance asked many questions about growing and producing fresh produce. It may be safe to say we have some young farmers coming out of this one!
Both events were well attended by families and also featured some Father Friendly vendors, including: Help Me Grow, Ashtabula Public Library, What If Network, and the YMCA
Below are a series of images from the events.
