The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families celebrates the hard work of men who want to improve their relationships with their families and strengthen their lives, which was evident last week at a graduation ceremony held by A Father’s Place, which is a program of the center. WPDE-TV covered the ceremony. The text of the article is below or watch the news story here.
December 1, 2017
The holidays are a time for family, and on Friday night A Father’s Place celebrated the hard work of several men who made the choice to become better fathers.
One by one, they took the walk after completing a course aimed at improving men's relationships with their families and strengthening their lives.
"I'm about to start a course for construction management. I start that next week, move on up, have my own business," said Jonathan McCracken a father of five.
Kadeem Landy said the program made him do a complete 180 as a man.
"It's a fulfilling factor to be a father, but it's a bonus to know my kids look up to me and that I'm more than just a dad, I'm a father,” said Landy. “They look up to me and I'm trying to instill core values to make them upstanding citizens."
A Father's Place helps men like Devin Russell rebuild relationships with their families.
"My son’s birthday is tomorrow so, at the same time, I have something to offer him now," said Russell.
Through peer meetings, they share experiences and grow together.
"We connect so well because we have so much in common. Like, if you're holding hands with me and we're about to go in a fire you going to know that I got your back going through this fire because we going through the same thing at the same time," said Jeremy Smith, one of the graduates.
The free program helps dads find jobs, manage finances, and build character, heading home Friday as fathers.
"Christmas two years ago was not what it is now,” said Landy. “I was not here; I wasn't a family guy. I wasn't family oriented. Two years later, I have a family, I'm here with my family, and I really appreciate every opportunity that I have to spend with my kids and my family,"
In total, 23 fathers graduated Friday night.
The graduates say they now plan on volunteering to help the next class of dads who want to become fathers.
The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.
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