It鈥檚 obvious that Halbert Sullivan, 69, founder and CEO of Fathers & Families Support Center, is proud of his nonprofit鈥檚 growth.
Just beyond the foyer, Sullivan points to the suite of classrooms where fathers learn to address relationship violence, improve their parenting skills, communicate better with their children鈥檚 mothers and much more.
The agency moved last year into its $4.5 million, refurbished headquarters at 1601 Olive St, in downtown St. Louis.
Behind a spiral staircase, affirming quotes are attached to the oval-shaped 鈥淲all of Wisdom.鈥� There, quotes like, 鈥淎 family that prays together stays together,鈥� complement Sullivan鈥檚 oratory about the agency鈥檚 evolution from the Father鈥檚 Support Center to its current incarnation.
鈥淔or the past four years, we鈥檝e been working with moms. We also started a youth program back in 2002,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淪ince we鈥檝e been working with the entire family, it made sense to change the name.鈥�
How has the coronavirus pandemic effected his clientele? Sullivan laced his fingers and spoke solemnly.
鈥淭he pandemic has had a huge, negative impact on Black fathers. Our demographic, for the most part, are employed in lower-economic jobs. They don鈥檛 have jobs where you can use technology and work from home. Most have to be there.鈥�
Because African Americans disproportionately comprise the number of 鈥渆ssential workers鈥� in frontline industries such as grocery stores, restaurants and warehouses, to 鈥渂e there鈥� means some fathers stay away from their children to avoid the risk of spreading the virus.
Then there鈥檚 the economic downturn that has robbed many of their incomes.
鈥淟osing jobs causes negatives for the father鈥檚 family because there鈥檚 one less piece of money coming into the home,鈥� Sullivan said. Many of his clients, he added, are the ones in need of rental or utility assistance.
Because of unemployment and court systems that have been altered by shelter-in-place orders, some fathers find themselves unable to comply with custodial arrangements, which brings more stress on families.
The center has had to adapt to help fathers meet the virtual requirements of family courts. The center also moved from face-to-face classes to offering the six-week curriculum virtually.
Fathers who don鈥檛 have a computer or smartphone are given tablets so they can attend classes and court sessions through applications like Zoom.
Still, Sullivan said his job, even in a pandemic, 鈥渋s a joy.鈥�
Since last March, the center has helped almost 200 fathers find jobs, he said. The same enthusiasm displayed when talking about his rehabbed headquarters is evident when he spoke of the renovated lives of the fathers he works with. It鈥檚 a transformation Sullivan has experienced first-hand.
鈥淚 got caught up in them streets,鈥� he said, detailing his years-long battles with crack cocaine. In 1993, he decided to combat his addiction by enrolling in a local drug rehabilitation center. He鈥檚 been drug free for some 27 years now, Sullivan said, proudly.
Another quote on the oval wall, 鈥淎n education can serve you well,鈥� underscores how Sullivan defeated his addiction with schooling.
After rehab, he enrolled in community college, then Fontbonne University, before going on to earn his master鈥檚 degree from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University.
Having been an absent dad himself, Sullivan said the Brown School helped him home in on the plight of missing Black fathers.
鈥淚 learned that children who grow up without fathers are all in the 70% range of those who will go to jail. These are just some of the negatives that result from not having a responsible male figure in the home.鈥�
Sullivan and three board members incorporated the Father鈥檚 Support Center in 1997. A year later, the organization began recruiting fathers for classes.
Since its inception, Sullivan said more than 17,000 fathers have used the center鈥檚 services. More than $1 million has been collected in child support and 42,000 children now have a more 鈥渞esponsible father鈥� in their lives, he added.
Sullivan introduced one of his recent graduates, Trevon Robinson, 25, a machinist with a local industrial processing equipment company and first-time father of a 6-month-old daughter.
It seems Robinson fit the description of a 鈥渞esponsible dad鈥� even before joining the center. He has a decent-paying job, his daughter and her mother鈥檚 toddler son live with him. At this point, Robinson is responsible for the children鈥檚 upbringing.
At first, Robinson thought he didn鈥檛 need the services offered by Sullivan鈥檚 agency. He decided to try it anyway and was influenced by the stories and struggles of men who were much older and in more desperate situations than him. Those stories helped him understand that his upbringing in Pine Lawn made him vulnerable to their outcomes.
鈥淚 related to them. I was raised around all of that; I鈥檝e seen all of that,鈥� Robinson said. 鈥淏ecause of these classes, I鈥檝e gotten confidence. I got the fear of being a bad father out of my mind.鈥�
Cleansing the mind of negative habits and making deliberate choices is the start to becoming a responsible father, Sullivan said.
鈥淎t the age of 43, I decided to stop doing drugs and enroll in college. Sure, there were bumps in the road. But if I can change, anybody can change,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 choices, man. It鈥檚 choices.鈥�
Sylvester Brown Jr. is a reporter for the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
