The Men Cried

About twenty years ago Melanie and I had the privilege of meeting and attending church with Bob and Carol Robinson. In time Bob invited me to volunteer with him as he filled the role of an instructor for New Day Services.

The mission of New Day Services is to re-unite dads with their children. These men lost custody of their young children due to things like homelessness, drug or alcohol abuse, incarceration, etc. Most are attending these classes under court order. And during the first class (of ten) it’s blatantly obvious many have no interest in being here.

During the graduation ceremony at the end of the classes I witnessed men, strong men, hard men; sobbing. They were tears of joy, relief, and pride about what they now know. What they now know is how important they are to their children and that no one, not a mom, not a grandparent, NO ONE can replace them as “dad” in their children’s lives. You see, most of these men either had no relationship with their own fathers or had a negative relationship. They had no model for what fatherhood is supposed to look like. After about 30 hours of instruction from New Day Services, they now know and a very high percentage successfully maintain custody of their children years later.

Remember Bob? He no longer teaches full time. He is the current CEO of the organization, and he has invited me to serve on their board.

I’m telling the story because Bob and his team can use our help. While CPS (child protective services) and others pay a fee for these classes, it’s not quite enough to cover their expenses.

The timing now is perfect because New Day Services is partnering with North Texas Giving Day. Every dollar we contribute will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $35K.

Please consider joining Melanie and I with a contribution. And remember no amount is too large. (Yes I smiled when I wrote that)

Respectfully,

Lonnie