Upstate Fatherhood Coalition hosts elected leaders

Monday, November 18, 2019

Tags: South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families , Outreach

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The Upstate Fatherhood Coalition, which is a program of the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, recently hosted elected leaders at its Spartanburg and Greenville offices to provide an overview of the coalition and educate them about the impact it makes in providing services and support for fathers and families in South Carolina’s Upstate region. Participants also learned about how the coalition coordinates with the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families.

The highlight of each session was the personal testimony of program participants Evan White in Spartanburg and Anthony Hailstock in Greenville. The two men talked about how the coalition’s programs, and specifically coalition staff, helped them change their lives. They both discussed how they are overcoming anger issues, becoming more engaged in the lives of their children and acting on their commitment to “pay it forward.”

As part of the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families network, the Upstate Fatherhood Coalition provides free community-based services and support for fathers and families in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties. The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families was created to reduce child poverty through father engagement. Today, it is the hub of a statewide network of fatherhood programs providing education, resources and guidance for thousands of fathers and their families. A ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, the center is the longest running father-focused program in South Carolina.

Pictured in Greenville (L to R): Upstate Fatherhood Coalition (UFC) Board Chair William Jones, UFC Anderson Site Manager Cortney Burgess, Patricia Moore (Hailstock's mother), George Fletcher, Greenville City Council Member, Upstate Regional Director Angie Omer (Sen. Lindsay Graham's Office), Lillian Brock Flemming, Greenville City Council Member, UFC Program Participant Anthony Hailstock, UFC Executive Director Kelly Walker, SC Senator Ross Turner (District 8), UFC Board Member Rich Hefty, SC Representative Patrick B. Haddon (District 19), UFC Spartanburg Site Manager Martha Pearson, and UFC Board Member Dr. Joanne Saunders.