FFC History 30th Anniversary

Page 2 of 32 Mission To build a noble legacy of fatherhood – assisting fathers in achieving self-sufficiency and in strengthening families to improve the life chances of children. Vision Each father we serve loves, supports, encourages, and actively participates in his family. Furthermore, each individual and family we serve has a stable and healthy home environment and a productive and fulfilling livelihood. Cover design: Original poster designed by Jack Parnell of Parnell Creative Communications; featuring Dr. Wallace (rear) followed by Khabir Shareef and his two sons

Page 3 of 32 PREFACE: CELEBRATING 30 YEARS

Page 4 of 32 INTRODUCTION At the conclusion of our annual board retreat, 2019, Christopher Walker, our board chair, asked me if I would write the history of Fathers and Families Center. I was content with simply verbally telling the story; but he challenged me to put it in writing. I accepted the challenge and found it to be a daunting task. It was emotionally taxing to recollect 30 years of planning, designing, implementing, growing, and readjusting. Nevertheless, I was able to remember the glorious work and people who helped plan a program that later evolved into a viable and sustainable community-based agency impacting the lives of countless men and their families. These facts are chronicled in the following pages. However, what is not captured are the serendipitous and sustainable events that happened to influence my involvement with the program. My journey to the Father Resource Program began when I sought to obtain part-time employment in the city of Indianapolis. I was nearing the end of my doctoral studies on African American males at Purdue University, and I desperately needed a job. I interviewed for two positions: State Youth Director, Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), and Medical Social Worker, Child Abuse Clinic, Wishard Hospital. I initially interviewed for a part-time position at the Institute but was later asked to consider a full-time position. Although, I decided to decline the offer and not do a second interview, nevertheless, I showed up for the interview. On my way out the door after the interview, I was introduced to Mr. Willis K. Bright, Jr., Youth Program Officer for the Lilly Endowment. That was the beginning of a longtime relationship that impacted my work at FFC. After turning down IYI’s job offer, I was interviewed and hired by Sarah Meadows, head of the Social Work Department, Wishard Hospital as a part-time Medical Social Worker. After a year, I resigned my position to focus more on completing my dissertation. I moved back to Purdue’s Lafayette’s campus. While at Purdue, Sarah called and asked if I would do consulting work to help with a fatherhood planning grant the Social Work Department had received from Willis Bright at the Endowment. Sarah Meadows later hired me as the Program Director for the Father Resource Program. The opportunity to write FFC’s history has been filled with sad and joyous memories. It is unfathomable to recount the number of men and their families that we have helped expand the life options for their children and their children’s children. And yet, at the same time, it is not easy to forget the faces of fathers we have lost to homicide, suicide, and health related issues. Relatedly, we were deeply impacted by the loss of several key staff persons and board members who helped make us “family.” The memories of the participants, staff, and board members are woven into our history. In closing, I would like to reflect on what has sustained my 28 years of service here at Fathers and Families Center. First, I attribute my long tenure to my deep abiding faith in restorative

Page 5 of 32 justice and divine wholeness. English poet Robert Browning puts it this way. He says, “On the earth, the broken are, In the heavens, the perfect round.” You may see a lot of broken arcs around us in our city. You may see a lot of lives with checkered past from blighted communities. You may see a lot of dead broke dads, even many involved in the criminal justice system. However, in every case, you are seeing but a broken arc of a perfect whole. This is what has guided my work – all men are valued and a resource to their families and communities. Secondly, I was truly blessed with a soul mate who came along side of me in doing this noble work. Karla supported me in many ways but most importantly in helping with planning our Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon and Annual Conversation Series. Her organizational skills, attention to details, and free creative spirit is productive and contagious. Lastly, although I successfully led the organization for 10 years without being a biological father; my effectiveness to lead was enhanced exponentially when Karla and I adopted our son Jackson. It was at this point in my career, I was clearly convinced that it is never too late to “build a noble legacy of fatherhood.” Although I was much older than many of our participants, yet I had a child similar to their child(ren) age. We had a lot to learn from each other. Summarily, an abiding faith in God, and the love and support of Karla, and Jackson “kept me keeping on.” I am deeply thankful for the comments from Bob Ripperger, editing from Anna Melodia and review from Dr. Palus and Rebecca Mills. Wallace McLaughlin, PhD Founding President/CEO December 2021

Page 6 of 32 THE FOUNDING & BUILDING OF FATHERS AND FAMILIES CENTER Initially known as the Father Resource Program THE BEGINNING… In 1989, Sarah Meadows, head of the Social Work Department at Wishard Memorial Hospital - the city’s general hospital - began exploring the development of a program addressing the needs and resources of young expectant and / or parenting fathers. According to Sarah, the program concept was “birthed” when she was called to visit a young woman who was grieving the loss of her newborn and had to make decisions about burial. As she went to the bedside of the young mother to discuss her plans, she observed that two well-dressed young men were standing in the shadows of the corner of the room. She asked the mother who they were, and she said that one of them was the father. Although she found them to be caring, concerned, and intelligent, they were left out of the consultation and decision making. From her perspective, young parenting males and their potential strengths/resources were potential assets to the young mothers, the children and society at large. Sarah believed that through Wishard’s Social Work Department, a model program could and should be developed to support, encourage, and increase father engagement. The social work staff at Wishard Hospital had also become increasingly alarmed with the status of young fathers and the evident instability of the American family. In 1990 there were 5,398 births to unwed mothers – and particularly African American teenage mother - in Marion County per Department of Public Health. At the same time, Marion County was also seeing devastating rates of infant mortality; again, predominantly in the African American community. Considerable funds were being spent and programs developed out of concern for the young mother and infant, but little attention had been given to the young fathers. The social work staff believed and had evidence that young fathers had more to contribute to their family than what was usually expected, requested or accepted. One of Marion County’s response to the rising teenage pregnancy rate, especially from the Prosecutor’s office, was to force men to pay child support. They were seen as “dead beat” dads. Their reasoning was that men were shirking from their responsibilities and needed to be held accountable or pay the consequences. This perspective did not take into consideration what issues America’s child support system was originally designed to address and what did the typical family look like. It was set up in 1975 under President Gerald Ford to ensure that after a

Page 7 of 32 divorce, the nation would try to replicate what the household (primarily white middle-class) looked like prior to the divorce with regards to the children’s well-being. However, it failed to keep up with the time, particularly the beginning rises in nonmarital childbearing within the African American community. Still, there was substantial consensus that the personal and public cost of adolescent pregnancy and infant mortality could and should be reduced. Another way Marion County responded was to apply for a federal grant from the Parents Fair Share program. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. However, Sarah, continued to lead this conversation at Wishard Hospital. She believed that this was a societal issue with undertones of racism that not only impacted young African American women, but the men as well who were often ignored or demonized in the conversations…and she acted! Through social work contacts, the experiences of the health care systems, research and information from other local counties, state agencies and governmental entities, Sarah found that support systems were lacking for young fathers with significant consequences related to father "absenteeism" - whether physical or emotional - and realized that we must begin to change this. This lack of attention cut across all socio-economic, educational, racial lines, but appeared to be especially critical for the African American male. As a result, many young fathers expressed feelings of hopelessness and despair with little or no self-esteem in a society which frequently validated their feeling of lack of worth. Yet, Sarah saw these young fathers as valuable resources to their families and communities. Thus, she named the program as The Father Resource Program. Several studies (Robinson, 1988; Furstenberg, 1976; Rivera, Sweeney, and Henderson, 1986) also found that early parenthood had severe consequences for young African American males. These fathers were more likely to drop out of school, be unemployed or remain in low status, low wage occupations when compared to their non-father peers. Only 39 percent of teenage fathers received high school certification by age 20. Research indicated that the majority of males ages 18-24 who had not completed high school were unable to find employment or support a family above the poverty level (Center for Population Options, 1990). Significantly, research indicated that these problems affected men in their early to midtwenties as well as adolescents (Rivera, Sweeney & Henderson, 1986). According to Roger Wilkins of George Mason University, " many young African-American males are treated as if they are invisible or unnecessary. They are marginalized, throwaway people, without access to lucrative labor markets." In his seminal research on unwed adolescent African American fathers, Hendrick noted that the lack of economic opportunities and social support faced by many low-income fathers resulted in feelings of hopelessness and despair, which in tum hindered their ability to be fully involved parents (1983, 1987).In general, a review of the literature indicated that African American males and their families were especially adversely affected by early parenthood because of social and institutional barriers. The profile of the Indianapolis/Marion County area also contained several of the high-risk factors for teen pregnancy and parenthood. In 1993, Marion County’s adolescent birth rate was an alarming 162 per thousand while in the Blackburn area, the teenage birthrate was 305 per 1000. According to demographic data compiled by Keener, P.A. Lombard, G., (1993) the Blackburn area was the most economically disadvantaged area in the greater Indianapolis area

Page 8 of 32 with a median income of $14,296, which was less than half the median income for the remainder of Marion County at $29,152. A further inspection of the numbers and the fact that Wishard operated a Community Health Clinic in Blackburn, strongly suggested that the selection of the Blackburn residential area as our initial targeted catchment area was appropriate when using the criteria of unemployment, minority representation, percentage of teens within the total child-bearing age cohort, community education level, and percentage of single parent households. Further, the African American infant mortality rate for Marion County was 20.7%. The rate for African Americans in the Blackburn area was 24.5% (both of which are abysmal). Moreover, when infant deaths are compared, inclusive of perinatal deaths, the overall rate for Blackburn is 21.4% against 10.5% county wide. In response, Sarah began discussing a program concept with Wishard administration who supported the proposal and committed in-kind services. The hospital was a good place to start, since it had a captive population. Fathers were already on the hospital premises, or they could be reached through the children’s mothers. She then wrote the first draft of a concept paper in January 1990 and submitted a proposal to Lilly for a feasibility study for $5,000 in April 1990. The grant was awarded in April 1991 and completed in October 1991. In the process of developing the Father Resource Program and in the feasibility study itself, nationally recognized psychiatrist Alvin Poussaint, M.D., and psychologist, Wade Nobles, Ph.D., were instrumental in assisting in the development of the program concept. Noted Washington Post syndicated public affairs columnist, William Raspberry also contributed comments to the program concept discussion. Approximately seventy persons including leaders in social work, corrections, business, churches, health care, and education were interviewed regarding the Father Resource Program concept. Eleven national young father programs were also identified for review and response to the Father Resource Program Conceptual Summary. Phone interviews were held with their directors to gain understanding and recommendations for developing a successful young father’s program. Potential program participants interviews were conducted by two African American males, Khabir Shareef – a former teen father, and Wallace McLaughlin – a doctoral student in family studies at Purdue University. Also, there was close and active involvement with the Teen Parent Self-sufficiency Project Team that Paula Parker Sawyers (Deputy Mayor) was leading as part of Marion County’s response; particularly in pursuing federal funds (i.e., Parents Fair Share Funding). From both national and local leaders, there was an overwhelming consensus that a culturally specific program addressing the critical needs of the African American community was needed. Sarah received some push back from a few African American leaders who thought the program should be grounded in the local African American community and should be led by an African American male. It is also important to note that Wishard did not have a strong reputation in the African American community which increased its distrust. In December 1991, as a follow up to the feasibility study, Wishard/Sarah submitted a planning grant request for $45,000 to Lilly Endowment. In March 1992 Lilly funded the grant proposal and a multi-disciplinary Planning Team was convened. Dr. Marvin McKinney, Kellogg Foundation Program Officer, served as Planning Team Chair. Other committee members included Linda Smith, D.S.W., IU School of Social Work, James Mannon, Ph.D., DePauw, Peggy

Page 9 of 32 Box, M.S.W., Social Work Dept., Rhonda Impink, Ph.D., IU School of Social Work, Delois Berry, M.S.W., Social Work Department, Kelley MacMillan, Ph.D., Freeman Hospital, Khabir Shareef, Consultant, Darrell Payne, JD., IU School of Social Work, Sarah Meadows, Social Work Department, Roy Vanderford, INET and Wallace McLaughlin, M.Div., Doctoral Candidate/Family Studies, Purdue U. The following objectives were outlined: 1. Identify and convene and expanded development/planning team 2. Coordinate efficiently and effectively with organizations currently providing services to avoid needless duplication of services. 3. Develop a strategic implementation plan 4. Identify recruitment strategies for adolescent fathers 5. Develop a funding strategy and proposal 6. Develop program policies and procedures 7. Design the staffing organization and job descriptions 8. Develop The Father Resource Program curriculum 9. Develop a marketing strategy for prospective fathers To augment the work of the committee, Sarah asked Khabir and Wallace to visit other sites across the country to ascertain what was happening at other program sites. After researching the academic and popular literature to find what was evolving in the fatherhood field, four sites were identified to visit. 1. The National Institute for Responsible Fatherhood\Charles Ballard, 2. Cleveland Works, 3. Philadelphia Children’s Network’s Responsive Fathers Program\Tom Henry, and 4. 4.The Teen Fathers Program at Medical College of Pennsylvania\Les Willis. These site visits proved to be critical in not only the development of the Father Resource Program but for creating significant networking opportunities, serving as the catalyst for getting our program on the national scene. Reportedly, their visit to Charles Ballard's (Executive Director) Institute for Responsible Fatherhood program was interesting but not helpful. Although his program was solid, it lacked realism. His program was highly influenced by his strong Seven Day Adventist beliefs. Although, he strongly suggested that his participants “stopped fornicating, using drugs and engaging in criminal activities,” Khabir and Wallace found this highly unrealistic. Nevertheless, he made significant inroads with funders such as the Ford Foundation and the Department of Labor. He also won praise and support from religious conservative mayors like Steven Goldsmith in Indianapolis. Dr. Ronald Mincy, Senior Program Officer at the Ford Foundation and Alexis M. Herman, Secretary of Labor for the Clinton Administration, both supported Mr. Ballard because of his national prominence and his willingness to establish sites across the country. The visit to The Cleveland Works/Beat the Streets Program, led by a young white-male attorney with a certain social consciousness, was also interesting and very helpful. Khabir and Wallace quickly observed several key points: 1) the program was steeply funded by the Ohio State Department of Child Services; 2) it was in a multi-purpose office building with accessible daycare services on site; and 3) it served predominantly African American young fathers.

Page 10 of 32 The visit to The Philadelphia Children's Network Responsive Fathers’ Program was most promising. The Network was under the leadership of Ralph Smith, Executive Vice-President, Annie E. Casey Foundation. The Network ran a fatherhood program under the leadership of Mr. Tom Henry and Greg Patton. They offered valuable advice to help design our program and most importantly recommended that key stakeholders - judges, media, and law enforcement officials - should be in our rolodex. The team also gleaned the need to have a “grandmother” figure who was a part of their front office staff. Since grandmothers in the African American community were often the matriarchs and backbone of the family, she would be a valuable resource that provided another voice to the men. Lastly, the Teen Fathers Program at Medical College of Pennsylvania did not prove to be that beneficial. They were in the process of phasing out and had primarily support groups and referrals. By August 1993, the final proposal for funding was completed and funding strategies for the future were being developed. Wishard/Father Resource Program submitted funding proposals to a broad range of potential funders. In the fall of 1993, funding was received from Lilly Endowment with support from Willis Bright, Program Officer, who affectionately referred to Sarah as the “pit-bull” ($150,000); The Indianapolis Foundation ($75,000); Wishard Memorial Foundation ($18,500); and St. Margaret’s Guild ($34,500 for furniture and artwork). Christ Church Cathedral later provided funding support via a partnership with the Father Resource Program and Imani Community Church, pastored by Dr. Wallace. In November 1993, Wallace McLaughlin (affectionately addressed as Dr. Wallace by participants and staff) was hired as the Program Director of the FRP and was awarded his doctorate degree in December. He later hired Khabir Shareef (Bro. Khabir) as Outreach Coordinator, Frank Snyder, MSW, PhD, (Dr. Frank) as Associate Director for Research and Evaluation and an Administrative Secretary, Denise Fowlks. Key partnerships were established with Lee Mitchell, Wishard Human Resources, John Owens, Marion County Prosecutor's Office of Child Support, and Roy Vanderford, Indianapolis Network for Employment and Training (INET) for employment services. However, immediately after the grant was awarded and staff hired, INET reneged on their promise to provide one full-time employment case worker on site. Consequently, Dr. Snyder, Bro. Khabir and Dr. Wallace regrouped and attended INET's threeweek employment training classes to develop our own curriculum. A lesson learned is to make sure you establish the terms of the MOU with the person responsible for implementing the agreement. Prior to the first class beginning in 1994, Dr. Wallace met with a group of fathers who had expressed interest in the upcoming class about their thoughts on creating an agency motto. Dr. Wallace suggested “continuing a noble legacy of fatherhood.” One of the fathers, Desmond Squires, challenged him. When asked why, he said that he did not want to continue what his father had passed down to him – crime, drugs – and it was not the kind of legacy he wanted to continue. Dr. Wallace suggested another motto and it was warmly received - “Building a noble legacy” which was eventually incorporated into the mission statement. Jack Parnell, owner, Parnell Creative Communications was later hired to design artwork for the agency branding and marketing materials.

Page 11 of 32 Initially, there were a few challenges in getting the program successfully started. First, it was hard to get community support and traction especially from the churches. Dr. Wallace reached out to over 100 hundred churches via mail as a recruiting tool for participants and received only one response. In many ways, clergy can be very territorial; if you do not know them personally, they often will not respond. In hindsight, it would have probably helped if he would have reached out to those church leaders personally. However, with lessons learned, he did personally follow up with businesses that he contacted for employment opportunities. Secondly, many individuals promised to sit on the advisory board, however they later backed out; most likely because the program was new, and they probably were looking for more established organizations to put on their resumes and/or less demanding since they would be lending their skills to start a new organization. Finally, the program may have been designed to specifically address the needs of the African American community, but it was not readily seen or received as a program for and of – the African American community. It also did not help that Dr. Wallace was not from Indianapolis. He was an unknown factor, without a network of community leaders to help push FRP into the public spotlight. He was not a native of Indianapolis and it was difficult to get their “buy-in” without anyone to assist with credible introductions. Fortunately, Sarah was able to make some key introductions. Additionally, it should be noted that the Indianapolis Recorder, The Recorder on Air Show (https://youtu.be/ImdKQYfMtEQ) i , and the Child Support Office played a key role in helping to get the word out in the community. These promotional efforts were augmented with Bro. Khabir canvassing the Blackburn neighborhood, Lafayette Square Mall, community centers and surrounding areas searching for young fathers. The first class began in January 1994. This inaugural class start was recognized by Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC); during which Sarah was given Recognition of Hospital Staff for Innovative Program award for her role in developing the “Father Resource Program.” The class was structured in such a way that at the beginning and end of each seven-hour day, the men gathered in a Circle of Tehuti (later changed to a Circle of Brotherhood), standing tall with right hand over left and right foot forward, symbolizing that they were starting the day on the right footing and in order. The ritual leader also read the meditation for the day. The staff, representing the “Elders” of the community stood in the back of the leaders of the class symbolizing community support. Key elements of the Job Readiness/Fatherhood Development (JRFD) workshop were: 1) a 7-week, 5 days a week, (8:00am -3:30pm) workshop in a classroom setting (including a $125 stipend, lunch ticket for the cafeteria) 2) a focus on four service categories – manhood/life skills, parenting, education and employment, 3) a community service project and time for recreational activities was required, 4) a partnership with the Office of Child Support; and 5) an agreement with Wishard’s Human Resources for “guaranteed employment of program graduates (an agreement had to be worked out with union leaders), The Circle; with Kabhir, Dr. Frank, and two participants

Page 12 of 32 and 6) an inclusion of Afro-centric history (readings from Malcom X, Booker T. Washington, and Na’im Akbar) was embedded in the curriculum. The workshops were co-facilitated by Dr. Wallace, Dr. Frank and Bro. Khabir. Dr. Frank’s understanding of group dynamics and experience in research and evaluations greatly enhanced the program’s ability to help form alternative “gang groups.” The program began to offer these men a new fraternity of brotherhood – “fatherhood.” Bro. Khabir was hired because of his past experiences as a teen father and time served in the corrections system. He was grounded in his Islamic faith, tested and culturally competent and could relate to and challenge the men, whereas Drs. Wallace and Frank did not have those set of experiences. More importantly, as an African griot, he also brought into the class a strong emphasis on storytelling, cultural history, and identity. In April 1994, the first class graduated with a Recognition Ceremony held at Christ Church Cathedral in June 1994(https://youtu.be/faBts5ceWRI ) ii. This started a long-standing tradition of hosting our Recognition Ceremonies and providing dinner and childcare for the fathers and families in attendance at Christ Church Cathedral. Board members and community leaders (Elders) were invited to the ceremony. African clothing was worn; drumming convened class graduates and rituals embedded such as jumping the broom. The Elders would quiz the graduates and after successfully answering the question, the men were invited to “jump the broom” into responsible fatherhood. After the initial Recognition Ceremony was held at Christ Church, the Fall 1994 class ceremony, and many afterwards were held at the Prince Hall Masonic Hall. To further build on the African American rites of passage, Willis Bright, Jr., Lilly Endowment program officer, provided funding to send Dr. Wallace and Joseph Caldwell, program anger management consultant, to California to meet with Dr. Wade Nobles, to learn about African American rites of passage. “The Hawk” Manhood Development Rites of passage program, steeped in cultural pride and history, provided the foundation for incorporating a ritual into our program. In June 1994, Dr. Wallace and Sarah attended Vice-President and Mrs. Gore’s Family Re-Union Conference in Nashville on “The Role of Men in Children’s Life.” From this event, which included the first national gathering of practitioners working directly with fathers at the grassroots level, the foundation of a more First class graduation at Christ Church Cathedral Presentation to Vice President Gore and Mrs. Gore; with Dr. Wallace and Sarah Meadows

Page 13 of 32 structured and recognizable area of human and social services work was developed. At the conference, Dr. Wallace presented Vice-President Gore with a framed picture of our logo: “Building a Noble Legacy of Fatherhood.” Also, during the conference, Sarah and Dr. Wallace were invited to attend a meeting hosted by Dr. Ron Mincy, Senior Program Officer, Ford Foundation and approximately 30 other practitioners, and researchers. Later they were invited to the University of Pennsylvania with others to plan an agenda for organizing the National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families (NPNFF); of which both were elected to serve as Charter Members on the Board of Directors. This opportunity gave FRP national exposure. Locally, in the early months of the program, the young men were referred to one of Indianapolis Public Schools’ (IPS) sites in their neighborhoods for GED services. However, it quickly became obvious that the men were not going to those sites. As a result, Sarah asked Dr. Wallace to reach out to IPS to have FRP designated as a formal IPS site at Wishard Hospital. Our request was granted. In September 1994, an IPS teacher, Flo Harding (“Ms. Flo”), was assigned at our site two days a week from 5:00pm – 7:00pm The GED classes met after the participants had already spent a full day in the regular fatherhood classes, therefore it was very difficult getting the men to consistently come back and work on their GED as well as any support group meetings. Another problem was the teaching methodology. The GED teacher used the traditional method of classroom instruction, and no one could test until you had passed all the practice tests. There was very little individual tutoring with the participants. To confound this problem, IPS closed the GED program due to poor attendance in June 1996. During the first three months of this period, all three of our graduating participants received their GED diplomas; with zero in the remaining months. During this time, there was some chaos happening in Wishard’s Department of Social Work. It was subsumed under another department and Sarah was removed as the head of the department and assigned a role as a Hispanic Outreach Coordinator with little responsibility. Concurrently, Sarah filed a lawsuit against Wishard which further increased her isolation. As Dr. Wallace struggled with what to do about the GED program, he realized that Sarah had a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University’s Teachers College. Sarah told Dr. Wallace that although she had the degree, she was not good with the traditional classroom instruction approach but was better with the one-on-one tutoring approach. Dr. Wallace then approached Helene Cross, one of Wishard’s Associate Directors, asking if they would loan Sarah to the program to lead the GED program. She agreed and Sarah moved to the FRP fulltime at no-cost to the center. (As an aside, Sarah proved to be both an excellent classroom instructor and tutor for the participants).

Page 14 of 32 Later, FRP was given even more national exposure by being one of five recipients of the first Responsible Fatherhood grants passed by congress, Fall 1995. In addition to a well-written grant proposal, it is believed that the FRP proposal garnered distinct attention because of three interrelated facts: 1) it was headed by an African American male with a PhD in Family Studies from Purdue University; 2) Frank Snyder was second in command with a PhD in Social Work from The Ohio State University responsible for research and evaluation; and 3) it was a hospital-based program - with institutional backing - located in the public general hospital serving the city's most vulnerable citizens. This grant was instrumental in helping hire our first Workforce Manager, Carol Barber. As the field was beginning to emerge, we were the only hospital-based program at the time, creating a unique program model. It even garnered the interest of then Mayor Goldsmith as critical to addressing systemic issues related to responsible fatherhood in Indianapolis (https://youtu.be/0zKb5PN0r2Q) iii . However, internally, we were not fully integrated and accepted into the hospital systems because we were not clinical in nature which later led to independence with a strong affiliation. There was also a myriad of other challenges during the formative years of program development. The most damaging of which was the toxic relationship with the leadership of our fiduciary agent, the Wishard Memorial Foundation (WMF) that was a direct result of racism towards Dr. Wallace and the target population. Dr. Williams, Medical CEO, had initially recommended that the program move into the community and this unhealthy relationship served as a catalyst in our moving forward. However, despite these difficulties the program received strong support and encouragement from some of Wishard’s dedicated African American staff such as Dr. Haywood Brown, Associate Medical Director, Dr. Raymond Pierce, Director of Orthopedic Surgery, and Dr. Louise Goggans, Director of Diet Clinic. In addition, FRP was proud when Sarah received the Eleanor Clark Award for Innovative Programs in Patient Care and FRP was awarded the Archon Award from Sigma Theta Tau International in Fall of 1996. In 1996, a fundamental part of our class was community service. Bro. Khabir coordinated the “Spirit of Freedom: Saluting African American Civil War Soldiers” service at Crown Hill Cemetery (https://youtu.be/vE0bhK1tmls) iv. The event involved Bro. Khabir, Mr. Andrew Bowman and Mr. Charles Poindexter portraying the 54th Colored Regiment and the class participants cleaned the graves of African American soldiers serving in the Civil War (https://youtu.be/x8aVnkpl_TA) v . During one ceremony, a CBS employee was in attendance and wanted to learn more about our rites of passage. They visited several times and filmed the class graduation; and interviewed Dr. Wallace and a few participants. Originally it was going to air on the CBS Morning Show (Randall Robinson host) around Father’s Day, 1997 (https://youtu.be/JtsLMKUVawM) vi. It ended up being cancelled because it was the day that Princess Diana died. It was then rescheduled for August 1997, but President Clinton gave a national address on “Race Relations,” and it was preempted. Afterwards, it was permanently shelved. This was a missed opportunity for national exposure. Cleaning the graves

Page 15 of 32 Notwithstanding, FRP was able to gain exposure at the state level when Tom Sugar, Governor Evan Bayh’s Director of Planning and Communications asked Dr. Wallace to help plan the Governor’s Conference on Fathers and Families: The ABCs of Responsible Fatherhood, October 29, 1997. Although it was a tremendous success with over 600 participants from across the state; nevertheless, Governor Bayh did not use this opportunity to advance the issue of fatherhood into the public discourse in a sustained way through legislative action and designated funding. As a result, it has been difficult to keep the issue of fatherhood in the mindset of Indiana policymakers. Other states like Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Georgia funded statewide initiatives. Many of these are still operational; particularly in Ohio, which set up a Commission on Fatherhood. It holds regional meetings, a statewide conference every two years, and provides over 1 million dollars in grants each cycle. During this time, Dr. Wallace and Sarah continued to make an imprint on the national scene by staying involved with the National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families. Dr. Wallace was closely connected with Joe Jones, The Center for Urban Fathers; Maurice Moore, Program Officer, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Dr. Ron Mincy, Senior Program Officer, Ford Foundation; Dr. Marvin McKinney, Mott Foundation; and Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, President/CEO, National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL). Dr. Wallace also developed strong lasting relationships with Joyce A. Thomas (Region 5) and Carlis Williams (Region 4), Regional Administrators, Department of Health and Human Services. From 1995 to 1998, Dr. Wallace was actively sought after as a leading expert in the fatherhood field. He made presentations at regional and national conferences including: • the Regional Neighborhood Funders Group Conference, Wieboldt Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, 1995, • Mid-West Regional Conference, Child Welfare League of America, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1995, • Gender and Urban Poverty Conference, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1996, • Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP), Atlanta, Georgia, 1996, • National Center on Fathers and Families, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1996, • Working Conference on Teen Parents, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas City, Missouri, 1996, • National Child Support Enforcement Association 45th Annual Conference, Louisville, Kentucky, 1996, • Governor’s Conference on Renewing Families and Restoring Fatherhood, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1997, • Department of Afro-American & African Studies, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Campus, 1997, • Children’s Defense Funds’ Annual Conference, Washington, D.C., 1997, • National Practitioners Network for Fathers and Families, Southern Regional Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, 1997,

Page 16 of 32 • 33rd Annual Meeting and Conference, Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care, Seattle, Washington, 1998, and • Family Resource Coalition of American National Conference, Chicago, Illinois, 1998. It is worth noting that Dr. Wallace’s presentation at the “Working Conference on Teen Parents” in Kansas City, Missouri resulted in an invitation to come to St. Louis from the St. Louis Junior League to consult with their working group on starting a fatherhood program. This meeting later gave birth to the founding of the Father’s Support Center headed by Halbert Sullivan. MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY……. After five years of successful program development and implementation, FRP was in a transitional phase. The new programmatic thrust was to ensure that FRP become financially independent, expand its support services to include mothers, and secure a facility in the community. To achieve these objectives, an Advisory Board was formed to help support the transition from a program of Wishard Health Services to an independent and free-standing community-based organization. In December 1998, the Advisory Board met and agreed to form a new agency to oversee the Father Resource Program. Also, Dr. Wallace hired Preston Garrison, Executive Director of NPNFF to provide consultation on best practices for establishing an independent not-profit agency affiliated with Wishard Health Services. Fortunately, Mr. Garrison also introduced him to John Smith, who later served as a consultant, board member and volunteer. In January 1999, Dr. Jeffrey Johnson, President of National Partnership for Community Leadership (NPCL) was invited to speak at the Advisory Board’s monthly meeting. He gave an overview of the Partners for Fragile Families Demonstration Project (a three-year Title IV-D Waiver allocation as part of the Ford Foundation Initiative). The event was covered by Cheryl Adams from Channel 59 News. This grant award was a result of the responsive leadership of John Owens, Chief Deputy Prosecutor, Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Child Support Division and the collaborative work between Dr. Wallace and Judith Kernel, Assistant Chief Deputy Prosecutor. This eventually led to improving our relationship with Child Support, tearing down walls between us and moving it from a transactional partnership to a relational one. FFP was selected as one of ten sites in the largest national demonstration project (https://youtu.be/u8Akku9IydE) vii. It was clear that FRP’s inclusion was part of the Ford Foundation and NPCL’s strategy to help with its messaging around being the LARGEST demonstration project in the country. However, FRP did not receive the $1M funding directly from Ford as a match for federal draw down. Instead, they asked that funds be requested from Lilly Endowment and that the private foundation dollars go directly to the State to draw down Judith Kernel, Jeffrey Johnson, Dr. Wallace

Page 17 of 32 the matching dollars. Although Lilly refused to participate in this arrangement due to their policies, they did increase FRP’s funding to draw down dollars from the State without giving the money to the State. Ford’s rationale was that if the money was given to the State, the State would be more likely to sustain funding once the project ended. This, however, did not happen. With the funding we did receive, the agency’s operational infrastructure and programming was enhanced by initially hiring Robert (Bob) Ripperger as Director of Program Services, who provided meticulous grant detail and oversight. In February 1999, a Developmental Board was formed with Dr. Wallace as the Chair to serve a one-year term. Articles of Incorporation for the new agency were filed and approved by the Secretary of State on February 24, 1999. Rodney Retzner, board member and an attorney with Kreig De Vault, also filed the application for IRS code #501 (c) (3) on May 5, 1999. Tax exempt status for the Fathers and Families Resource/Research Center, Inc. was approved July 20, 1999, with the help of Senator Bayh’s office. U.S. Senator Evan Bayh later visited Wishard, where he met with participants in the Father Resource Program; talking about the success factors of programs that help absent fathers become active in the lives of their children (https://youtu.be/jHabdPopxYk) viii. He used this opportunity to talk about the legislation “The Responsible Fatherhood Act of 1999 that he drafted which spotlighted the importance of families and marriage for child development. The Developmental Board was transitioned to a Board of Directors with Judge Barbara Collins as the first Chair in November 1999. Many of the Developmental Board members carried over to the new Board. The Board included: Terri Armstrong, Rev. Dr. Eugene Bell, State Senator Billi Breaux, Dr. David Chandler, Judge Barbara Collins, program graduate Don J. Cooley, Carlis Williams, Mike Edison, Wallace McLaughlin, Robert Powell, Rodney Retzner, Roscoe Spencer, and Yvette Spicer. Diane Burhannon was then hired as Class Coordinator and modelled from the site visit with Philadelphia Children's Network Responsive Fathers’ Program. Diane was “the glue” in the classroom and for the participants; taking attendance, distributing meal tickets, and giving soft words of encouragement. Nicknamed “Mama D” by the participants, her presence was a calming and hopeful influence in the classroom; while also serving as a liaison to the participants’ extended families. One of her standard lines to the men was, “Somebody gotta call you daddy!” Her presence was well felt until her retirement after fifteen years of service In 2000, Dr. Wallace informed the board that Sarah Meadow’s salary had been assumed by FRP – Wishard previously paid it. Sarah had a new job title - Manager of Education and Community Partnership. June 2000, Dr. Wallace met with Betty Dinius, COO, and Yvette Spicer, Community Relations Director, Wishard, and FRP board member and Bonnie Simmons, Legal Officer, Wishard, to discuss governance proposal and transfer of funds, program responsibility etc. Dr. Wallace and Bob began drafting a Service Agreement with Wishard and sought legal counsel. In December 2000, David Hampton was hired as the program’s first Fatherhood Manager. In March 2001, Bob began pursuing United Way Certification and Judge Barbara Collins signed the Terms of Affiliation – waiting for WHS. April 2001, FRP completed United Way

Page 18 of 32 Certification. In 2001, we also received the first Welfare to Work grant award from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The team was growing with eight staff members and clearly growing beyond the limited and isolated space provided by Wishard (located on the 5th floor above the mental health unit). Bob and Dr. Wallace looked throughout the city for an appropriate building site with the belief that we would get help from the city. Aside from getting support from William Shrewsberry, then Deputy Mayor for Community for a Community Block Grant, we did not get any help in securing an already existing physical building. Although previously Mayor Steven Goldsmith used the program - especially our efforts with Child Support - for photo opportunities, his administration provided little to no help in acquiring space. We did locate one building – the old I-Quest site near E 46th and Keystone Avenue - which was 20,000 square feet. To purchase the building, Dr. Wallace and Bob submitted a request to the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust for a $250,000 grant. After much thought, they both felt that it was too large and too much of a stretch for our program and services. There would be enough funding to renovate the downstairs but not enough to finish the upstairs for rental space. On the day the board was to vote on the building purchase, Dr. Wallace was out of town for a national conference training. Before he left, he strongly recommended the board not to pursue this venture. He felt that he and Bob would be in “over their heads;” becoming landlords instead of program administrators. Unfortunately, the Board voted to purchase the building with anticipated funding from the Pulliam Trust. Fortunately, the Pulliam Trust denied our request for funding; stating that this was an overreach for a newly formed agency. Back to the drawing board, Bob had seen a building on Illinois Street, but the realtor would not respond to his inquiries. After our failure to continue to pursue the I-Quest building, Dr. Wallace decided to ask FRP’s realtor to call the Illinois street building realtor. He was able to contact Herb Feldmann, the realtor and immediately scheduled a site visit. Dr. Wallace and Bob toured the building on September 11, 2001. Despite the news of the 9/11 tragedy, they left the building knowing that this was the ideal facility, providing the needed space, visibility, and accessibility on a major bus route. On September 27, 2001, the board approved the purchase of the building from Butler University. This approval was based on several considerations which were deemed to mitigate the environmental concerns. The building was purchased with the $250,000 Community Block Grant that was received from the city with the help of Deputy Mayor Bill Shrewsberry. The Center closed on the purchase of the new facility, Butler University’s former WIBC radio station, on November 13, 2001. In December 2001, we received $150k grant from the Indianapolis Foundation towards the renovation of the building. Also, in March 2002, the Center received a $200K grant from Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) with the help of State Rep. Greg Porter, FFRRC board member. The grant was awarded to pay the Center $200K over ten years, in payments of $20K annually, to be applied only for mortgage payments on the building. Also, in March, United Way placed a moratorium on certifications and the Center hired A2SO4 as its architectural firm. Later, Chuck Corbin, board chair and Dr. Wallace met with the Indianapolis Foundation (Harry McFarland) to discuss the potential of obtaining funds to conduct a feasibility study for the Center’s campaign. At the board’s July meeting, authorization was given to hire a construction manager. A $350K

Page 19 of 32 construction loan was obtained from National City Bank. After A2SO4 completed their drawings, a Bidders Conference was held. Six contractors attended and five submitted proposals. The bidder selected, Frank Slaven, Meridian Construction Management, proved to be a disaster. He deceived the Center with his billings and did not pay key subcontractors. As a result, FRP was threatened to be sued by multiple sub-contractors. A lien was put on the property costing FRP approximately $35,000. Although the company finished the job, the Center still owed even more money since Frank Slaven failed to pay the sub-contractors. In May 2002, Charlie Harris Jr. was the first program graduate hired as registration clerk. He quickly advanced in his career at FFC to become an Employment Specialist. Charlie was also one of the keynote speakers at the 2018 luncheon. Currently, Charlie is EmployIndy’s Director of Opportunity Youth as well as serves on our Board of Directors. In October 2002, Gordon Flick was hired as our first Grant Accountant. In November 2002, our website was developed with the assistance of Ben Huddleston – pro-bono. In December 2002, the Center received $50K from the Lilly Endowment for relocation costs and Bob was promoted to Director of Operations and Resource Development. As with any renovation, FRP faced challenges however the building was finally opened in June 2003 (https://youtu.be/9PsKedDYxSM) ix. At this time, we also received United Way of Central Indiana certification. This was the beginning of establishing a greater presence in the community. Bob left in September 2003. On November 14, 2003, a grand opening was held and attended by many community leaders. Dr. Wallace, Judge Barbara Collins, Dr. David Chandler (Board Chair), and Eugene Anderson (Deputy Mayor for Neighborhoods) cut the ribbon. Along with the Center’s grand opening, the agency hosted the NPNFF’s annual board meeting (https://youtu.be/xe1_a-qP1Kw) x . At the meeting, former participant Richard Edwards received the “Father of the Year Courage in Action Award.” Also, Dr. Wallace was recognized with the “NPNFF Service Award” for his years of service on the NPNFF board of directors. In May 2003 the board mourned the death of its board chair, Darryl W. Lewis. The Center established the Darryl W. Lewis Memorial Education Fund in his honor to help young fathers further their education. In January 2004, the Center received funding to conduct a Feasibility Study for a capital campaign. Laudick & Brown was selected. LaNita Nixon, Workforce Development Manager, was hired in March 2004 and Bob was re-hired in April 2004. In August 2004, Michael Laudick presented an Executive Summary of the findings from their Feasibility Study. In summary, the conclusion drawn by the report was that a capital campaign was NOT feasible at this time, but that a fundraising campaign should be commenced both to increase funds coming into the Center as well as build a donor contribution base and ease reliance on community and private Ribbon cutting; with Dr. David Chandler, Judge Collins, Dr. Wallace and Eugene Anderson

Page 20 of 32 foundations. A part of the plan was to explore the possibility of hosting a fundraising event(s) that included a luncheon. The planning committee identified 3 purposes for the luncheon: 1) celebrate fatherhood in the community (esp. in Marion County); 2) highlight the plight and challenge of young, African American fathers; 3) raise money to support operations of the center. As a result, under the leadership of Chuck Corbin, board chair and John Smith, luncheon chairperson, the Inaugural Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon was held on June 17, 2005, at the NCAA Hall of Champions. Mayor Bart Peterson brought greetings on behalf of the city of Indianapolis. Two important traditions have continued as part of the luncheon. The first was the establishment of the Heart of the Father Award; appropriately named after Dr. Ken Canfield’s seminal book on the importance of fatherhood (https://youtu.be/_m5sZqwn45A) xi. The Heart of the Father Award recognizes fathers from Marion County who are actively engaged with their children and their community. The second tradition – and perhaps most importantly – is featuring a past participant as the keynote speaker. Their stories of transformation and redemption are highly anticipated by the audience; often prompting them to bring tissues for their tears. In March 2006, the Center submitted a request of $88k in matching funds to the Pulliam Trust for the United Way-approved capital improvements (elevator, windows, etc.). Funding was approved in June. The board approved the use of the new, shorter name of “Father and Families Center” dba “Fathers and Families Resource/Research Center, Inc., and kept the same logo. The Center provided services to Head Start and Early Head Start’s fathers through a special partnership with Family Development Services. The Indiana Department of Child Services contracted with the Center to provide training to child welfare workers throughout the State during 2007. We provided twelve training sessions at six different sites throughout the state. The Center also received first time funding from the federal department of Labor and a grant from the Eastern Star Church for its’ “Christmas in July” offering. On the national scene, all the networking and exposure helped to thrust Dr. Wallace into the center of the discussion regarding policy, funding, research, and practice. As a result, Dr. Wallace was able to help influence the funding legislation around healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grants. In October 2006, the Center received a 5-year federal grant from the Department of Health and Human Services for the Healthy Marriage Initiative: “It Takes Two.” At that time, we also established a partnership with Christian Theological Seminary’s Counseling Center (with Dr. Flora Bryant) to conduct mental health workshops and assessments for participants. This later evolved in utilizing their counseling interns onsite to serve and support participants. First Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon; with Chuck Corbin, Mayor Peterson, and Heart of the Father award recipient, Dewan Darden

Page 21 of 32 Dr. Wallace learned first-hand that grants were not only awarded based on good relationships but more importantly on well-written proposals. At the Center, FRP was fortunate to have both – Dr. Wallace’ outward, forward leadership and Bob’s meticulous and detailed grant writing and reporting that garnered millions of dollars for the agency over the years. Furthermore, Dr. Wallace forged ahead and built lasting professional and personal relationships at the national level. He honed his skills as an agency executive and leader in the crucible of national trade association meetings and conferences, including committee work, site visits, and personal conversations with experienced leaders in the fatherhood field. Dr. Wallace was later selected for the Inaugural Class of the Hoosier Fellows which surrounded him with key, local thought leaders. In March 2007, the Center launched its inaugural “It Take Two!” class, enrolling more than 100 couples. Five new staff members were initially added (Sarah Bloomquist, Patsy Pitts, Carlos Diaz and Nathan McGuire) under the leadership of Terrence Harper, Family Services Manager. Bob Ripperger served as the grant’s project director. In March 2007, thirty area employers attended the Center’s Inaugural Employer Appreciation Reception. LaNita Nixon, the agency’s Workforce Development Manager, organized the event to acknowledge and applaud employers for their support in hiring our participants. During this time, the agency made much-needed improvements to the facility thanks to the generous financial support of the Nina Pulliam Trust and the United Way of Central Indiana. In addition to a new outdoor sign, the Center added an elevator to the second floor, new windows, and newly converted office space. However, there are times when serendipity comes into play. In fall of 2007, Dr. Wallace read an article in the Indianapolis Star about the Estridge family withdrawing their interest in one of the casinos to set up a family foundation with a primary focus on Hamilton County. Curious if they would be interested in funding a program in Marion County, he called the Estridge office. The next thing he knew was that he was meeting with Paul Estridge in his office; which was followed by a site visit to FFC. While visiting the center, Estridge asked Dr. Wallace a life changing question: “what do you need to work on the organization rather in the organization?” In 2008, we received a grant for $195,000 which allowed us to hire a Family Service manager (James Melton) so that Dr. Wallace could focus more on growth than classroom management. James not only brought strong managerial skills and compassionate leadership in delivering a holistic program to participants to participants and their families, but he was also able to develop an extensive network of community “It Takes Two!” class with Patsy Pitts

Page 22 of 32 partnerships to serve them as well. He was also instrumental in expanding family-friendly activities that included Family Nights, an annual Basketball Tournament; and most recently a Halloween Trunk or Treat. Shortly after James came on board, Paul Estridge was asked to serve on the Board of Directors to which he agreed. In 2008, we also launched the Center’s NonResident Fathers Program. This program worked with fathers whose children were involved in the child welfare system under a contract with the Indiana Department of Child Services via the American Humane Association. The program was called “Bringing Back the Dad” and Bob provided program oversight. In June 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Center for FaithBased and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), presented Fathers and Families Center with “The Champion of Compassion Award” for outstanding work to improve the employability of young fathers in the Indianapolis community. We also submitted a proposal requesting $400k from the City’s Crime Prevention grant opportunity to open a second site on the eastside. We received a $100k grant from the city for the eastside. This was far below our expectations. Dr. Wallace signed the lease for the Center’s second location at the Raintree Plaza on the SW corner of 38th Street and Mitthoeffer Road. Clay Robbins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lilly Endowment, expressed concerns about us establishing another site location without permanent funding. He did not want the Endowment to be responsible for the site’s sustainability. Nevertheless, we moved forward because we knew there was clearly a need for our presence on the Eastside. In 2008, the Center celebrated its 5th anniversary as a UWCI agency. Rodric Reid was hired as the site manager in May 2009; and Robert Mays was transferred from the Illinois site to the Eastside site to provide case management services. In November 2009, the Center opened the eastside location. There were numerous challenges with construction at the site as well as disagreement with the landlord. It was determined that the original contractor was unlikely to finish the job even though he had received significant payment. The Board authorized Dr. Wallace to move quickly to resolve the difference with the landlord and voted to secure another contractor who could finish the work by mid-October. 5th anniversary UWCI recognition; with Bob Ripperger, Dr. Wallace, Christy Gillespie (UWCI) Champion of Compassion Award Presentation; with Dr. Wallace and Scott Shortenhaus, Deputy Director of CFBCI Trunk or Treat

Page 23 of 32 Also in 2009, staff recruited twelve former and current participants to serve on a newly established Leadership and Activities Council with funding from the Cummins Foundation. This was possible because of the support from board member, Christopher Walker. The grant was for cultural enhancement and social etiquette training. Additionally, the Center received a three-year Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (HPRP) grant for $240,000. Specialist Mike Dix was assigned to coordinate the project. The Center eventually partnered with IPIC to expand its’ service to ex-offenders under a federally funded beneficiary choice grant (Apollo 13). In April 2010, we received another Crime Prevention grant for $94k for the eastside work. In May, senior management staff traveled to Baltimore, Maryland to visit Joe Jones’ Center for Urban Fathers to discuss best practices and lessons learned. This trip was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. While there, we also visited Andre Carson’s Office in D.C., to discuss agency progress and funding opportunities. Christopher Walker, board member and member of the Strategic Planning Committee also attended. In 2010 FFC worked closely with the Indiana and Marion County Departments of Child Services (DCS), expanding services to fathers whose children had been removed from the home and were in the child welfare system. Unfortunately, the follow-up file review of our HPRP contract on June 24th was not successful and resulted in the loss of the contract. Under the leadership of Kip Tew (Chair of the Board), one of the highlights of the June 2011 Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon was the transfer of the deed to the agency’s 2835 North Illinois Street location from PNC Bank to Fathers and Families Center. The payment of the mortgage was expedited due to support from Health and Hospital Corporation and discretionary federal funds through Senator Bayh. In October 2011, we received our second Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education grant award for S1.78m. This was a sizeable increase from our earlier Healthy Marriage grant and due in part to the Bob Ripperger’s leadership and impeccable grant writing and reporting; and Terrene Harper’s management to meet and exceed outcomes. Again, we applied for both grants: Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage grants. Interestingly, we were awarded the Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education grant despite being a national leader in the responsible fatherhood field. Throughout the month of October, Rodric and Bob also worked with James Garrett, Indiana Commission on the Social Status of African American Males, FSSA to explore other funding options. The Commission, through FSSA awarded FFC a $40,000 grant for the use of Symbolic burning of the lease with Dr. Wallace and Kip Tew Center opens eastside location

Page 24 of 32 Social Security Block Grant funds in the areas of education, employment, and transportation. Their stewardship of this grant opened the door for significantly greater funding from FSSA later. Although, the Healthy Marriage grant was written to integrate the healthy marriage curriculum within our regular fatherhood classes for the men and hold separate classes for women and couples; yet in December 2011, the ACF (Administration for Families and Children) insisted that all classes had to be coed. After legal counsel and much deliberation, the Healthy Marriage Program was moved to the Eastside location in 2012. Consequently, the fatherhood team was relocated back to the Illinois Street office. Rodric initially was reassigned duties as the Manager for the Apollo 13 Re-entry Program and eventually the Fund Development Manager at the Illinois Street site. Although the Eastside location seemed to work fine with Fatherhood classes – expanding client caseload and a few more Hispanics, it made sense to move the Healthy Marriage program to the Eastside since the city’s Crime Prevention dollars for the eastside responsible fatherhood program began to dwindle. In June 2013, the Center welcomed Anna Melodia as the new Director of Operations and Grants Management; following Bob Ripperger as COO who retired in December 2012. As part of the Center’s 20th anniversary celebration, FFC held its First Annual Conversation Series Symposium for “Fathers of Children with Special Needs: A Call, A Conversation, A Celebration” on November 16, 2013, at the Ivy Tech Corporate College and Culinary Center. In December 2013, FFC celebrated its 20th Anniversary at Ivy Tech Corporate College. Awards were presented to Sarah Meadows, Willis Bright, Jr. (retired Lilly Youth Program Officer), Bro. Khabir, and Dr. Wallace. Sarah Meadows retired in March 2014 after helping well over 500 participants receive their GED; and Diane “Mama D” Burhannon retired September 2014. The Healthy Marriage grant funding was a game change as it supported both offices. both sites, particularly capital improvements, and technological enhancements for the Illinois Street office. Programmatically, the Center experienced tremendous success including number of participants/families served and partnerships. Two key cornerstone programs were the College Prep Program in partnership with Ivy Tech and led by Career Specialist Monique Ivey; and the Transitional Subsidized Employment (TSE) program, led by Rodric Reid. The Center established partnerships with Domestic Violence Network, Healthy Families, contractual presenters to reach the Hispanic community, Dress for Success, Ivy Tech, Fervent Prayer Church, and others. However, there were numerous challenges including but not limited to integration, logistics, branding, and reporting. It was difficult integrating the Healthy Marriage 2014 Symposium; Don Meyer With panelists

Page 25 of 32 staff with the workforce and education staff who had their own managers. Although the managers were located at the Illinois site, they wanted to retain managerial authority over their staff. In other words, it became very territorial and not fully integrated. Other challenges were funding differences and communications. The Eastside had more programming dollars to spend and out of site out of mind left the perception either that Senior Management did not care, or we can do what we want to do. The HM team also wanted their own branding – and they succeeded. It caused a marketing problem. “It Takes Two” – what does that mean?? Although separating the programs was necessary but to the community it was unclear. Fatherhood program at the Illinois Street site and a coed relationship program at the Eastside office. For some, particularly, Clay Robbins, this led to the thought of missioncreeping which was one of Clay’s biggest fears and concerns. In fact, he believed that our greatest asset was and is fatherhood; and it was that unique niche that compelled them to fund and support us. However, Kip Tew, board chair, reminded Clay that, “It was a bitter-sweet pill. It helped undergird the main operations and infrastructure, while supporting the program on the eastside.” Also, there were issues with logistics (checks and stipends); as well as staff going back and forth between sites. Further, there was a challenge with reporting – especially for federal government – since it was separate. This challenged our performance evaluation process and stated organization goals versus grant requirements. How can you grade me low when we met the numbers from this federal grant? Who owns the grants? (Dr. Wallace supervised all the managers whereas Bob had the responsibility of grant deliverables). Terrence managed the program deliverables and was managed by Dr. Wallace. Despite the challenges, it was a very successful co-ed, intergenerational program serving single males and females, couples, and parents. Our presence was missed. After 9 years of consecutive funding, FFC, did not receive another Healthy Marriage Relationship and Education grant in October 2015. The past funding supported the Eastside location at 100% and approximate 40% of salaries and occupancy cost for the Illinois Street location. As a result, 2 Family Support positions and 1 Employment Specialist position were eliminated. The Family Support Manager was moved to the Illinois Street location to head up a newly created Mental Health and Wellness Program, while Dr. Wallace served as Interim Site Manager until the office closed May 2017. We had high hopes for the Mental Health and Wellness program to address the suicide rate and other health disparities among African American young men. Yet, it never was able to gain traction among participants. We were able to provide some triage counseling as well as couples counseling, but we were not a counseling center or family-based community center that would create the traffic and demand for counseling and other wellness programs and services. After the Healthy Marriage grant ended, we were not able to garner support from the philanthropic community to remain at that location. We specifically approached Marianne Glick since she heavily invested in the eastside as well as the Pulliam Trust. Both declined, feeling that the “hole” was too big to fill – even though we were not asking them to fill the gap created by the loss of the grant. There was also concern that our funding portfolio was not diversified enough and was heavily reliant on grants. This was and remains true; illustrating the difficulty

Page 26 of 32 in growing the individual donor base. Additionally, we could not go back to Lilly due to Clay’s concern about being able to sustain a second site as part of mission creeping. In fact, when we were trying to garner support, we realized that we had not established the partnerships nor invested ourselves - in the community which was noticed by funders. We never stopped to ask the question: who will our partners be: and what does partnership mean? The first question that we always asked was: “Where can we get referrals from?” In many ways, this creates a one-way and not a reciprocal partnership. I think that this -and the influx of federal funding – we did not need to lean on partnership which often led to the perception that “we did not play well with others;” and why many still viewed us as one of “best kept secrets” in the city. This was short-sighted on our part. Notwithstanding, our presence still made a significant difference on the eastside. 2018 through 2020 ended up being years of both “highs and lows.” In 2018, we celebrated our 25th anniversary at the NCAA which was the location of our first annual Faces of Fatherhood luncheon (https://youtu.be/PoNM8OiZ2TY) xii. We were very fortunate to have three major funding “surprises” occur. Due to the work that Bob and Rodric did with the original $40,000 grant through the Commission on African American Males (FSSA), Dr. Wallace received a phone call from FSSA to schedule a meeting regarding a potential contact. At the meeting, we were offered a “draw down” contract for up to $7,000,000 to serve TANF clients which was far exceeded our capacity. However, we were able to be very aggressive and draw down approximately $700,000 per year. After 2 ½ years, the remainder of the contract had to be pulled back to address a significant financial deficit within FSSA; specifically, DCS. The second surprise was that we received a national competitive grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop a program around the art of storytelling to address systemic issues facing boys and young men of color. The third funding surprise was with Lilly. Although Lilly did not want to assist with sustaining the second site, they gave Dr. Wallace a $50,000 grant to conduct a feasibility study regarding our relevancy in the community. Three consultants were hired (Willis Bright, Cindy Collier, Bryan Richards) and the findings were consistent: the community still believed that the mission, programs, and services were not only relevant but needed. Still, Lilly was not satisfied with the report and gave us another $100,000 to conduct an organizational audit. We engaged 25th anniversary celebration; with Dr. Hunter Heath (past Board member, and guests Robert Wood Johnson Foundation storytelling grant participants

Page 27 of 32 Thomas P. Miller and Associates to conduct a review and revision of the mission, vision, and values; review of job descriptions; and provide key staffing recommendations and needs. One of the most important recommendations was for hiring a Director of Programs and Evaluation to free up Dr. Wallace and Anna from becoming overwhelmed by programming needs. This resulted in the hiring of Joseph Palus PhD in January 2019. With the remaining dollars, we engaged Well Done Marketing to: 1) design a new logo; 2) redesign the webpage; and 3) develop a brand manifesto and key messages. Then in December 2019, LaNita Nixon, Workforce Development Manager retired after 15 years of service. After we successfully completed the internal audit, Lilly then wanted to know what the succession plan was for the President/CEO since Dr. Wallace was nearing retirement. Concurrent with the development of this succession plan and timeline, we developed a succession plan for the Board. This was also one of UWCI’s concerns; particularly regarding the lack of enforcement of term limits. The Board embraced the plan; cycling off old members and actively recruited new, and strongly engaged directors. Dr. Wallace also asked that Bob Ripperger serve on the Board to provide institutional knowledge and history in preparation for the President/CEO transition. Lilly had also inquired about the status of the Service agreement with Eskenazi regarding our affiliation. With the appointment of Julie Conrad, Eskenazi’s Legal Counsel, Dr. Wallace was able to get the agreement reviewed and updated. Dr. Wallace had hoped that by responding to Lilly’s requests, we would be under consideration for an endowment. Although that has not occurred (yet), the grant from Lilly increased from $500,000 per year to $800,000 year to assist with President/CEO transition and was to be for one year only. Fortunately, the Lilly Endowment has sustained this funding level due to the advocacy of Clarence Crain, Program Officer; who also continued to advocate for an endowment. A low point, however, was that we did not receive the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grant in 2020. This was a very strong proposal and was graded high by HHS and worthy of funding, but reportedly there was not enough funding available. During this time, there were funder and societal shifts that occurred that forced us to stretch and redefine who we serve and how we serve. For example, UWCI moved away from the funding allocation and transitioned to a competitive grant-based approached that focused on “basic needs” and “two gen” program and services; whereas EmployIndy increased its emphasis on serving “opportunity youth.” In many ways, it felt that the importance of fatherhood was being squeezed out of the curriculum to address their demands. Both funders had and continue to have very onerous and often competing data demands. We also started to realize that programmatically we were competing with staffing agencies. Participants could easily go to a staffing agency and find a job without having to participate in the three-week Strong Fathers program. Although our placements often result in higher wages than those through staffing agencies, expediency and ease took precedent - particularly with younger New sign with logo

Page 28 of 32 participants. As a result, staff have continued to explore creative ways to recruit and retain participants. This has resulted in a serving a much broader age cohort of fathers, ranging from 16-70 years of age. Then came COVID-19…and we again – as many other agencies – had to be resilient and adapt to a COVID world. As we closed the building in March of 2020, staff quickly adapted programs and services to be delivered through virtual formats; developing different ways to reach out to participants and their families as they struggled not just with the pandemic but with the wave of social injustice that was occurring. Fortunately, we were able to “lean in” to both of these crises. We were still able to receive funding to serve fathers and their families during this challenging time. This included funds from CIREF, UWCI’s COVID Emergency Response Fund. We were also able to secure two rounds of PPP funds totaling close to $450,000. We also continued ongoing grants through Pulliam Trust, EmployIndy, and UWCI to provide services and supports. We converted our annual Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon to a successful Father’s Day campaign. Yet, more changes and shifts were occurring; particularly with staff resignations due to retirements, better opportunities, or family challenges. This included Terrence Harper, Patsy Pitts (Family Services Specialist), James Melton (Family Services Manager), and Robert Mays (Family Services Specialist). Additionally, in spring 2022 we are anticipating the hiring of a new President/CEO. This represents a significant loss of institutional memory as well as deep “family” relationships that have developed over the years. Another challenge is adjusting to a post-COVID world. How do we “re-open” and reconnect – not just with alumni but new participants? Our skill and success in assisting participants with employment has been overshadowed by the demand for workers in all sectors. There is also the fear factor and distrust– particularly in communities of color – around the COVD-19 vaccine. This has resulted in many participants refusing the vaccine which also creates anxiety and stress among staff. So again, the question had to be asked: “how do we remain relevant and resilient?” Part of our due diligence has been focused on evaluating staffing needs. Due to decreasing demand for onsite counseling and the need to increase our visibility in the community, we have transitioned the Manager for Mental Health and Wellness to a Director of Partnerships and Outreach. Additionally, many funders have an increased focus on serving “two gen.” Although we have historically been serving fathers and their families since inception, family programming has been inconsistent. As a result, we transitioned one of the Family Services Specialist positions (that Patsy Pitts vacated) to a Women and Family Engagement Coordinator to develop programs and services that would complement the Strong Fathers program. Now, one of the challenges is finding the “right people” with the cultural competency and compassion to fill these positions in a flooded market. So many more questions remain: What lessons have we learned from COVID-19? How do we adapt to a hybrid virtual and in-person program delivery world? How do we rebuild and redefine our Fathers and Families Center “family?” How do we protect the mission, vision, and institutional history, while facing forward?

Page 29 of 32 LESSONS LEARNED…. 1. The President/CEO must maintain national engagement in fatherhood field and continue through administrations as well as in local infrastructure/connections and partnerships. 2. The Leadership Team must forge win-win partnerships and evaluate them periodically to ensure that remain missions aligned. 3. FFC’s communication strategies must be: 1) clear in that we are first and foremost a fatherhood organization; 2) relevant and timely; and 3) reachable to target audiences. 4. President/CEO must: 1) exude passion for “fatherhood;” 2) be willing to tell his fatherhood story; and 3) serve as a champion for FFC’s mission and the fathers it serves. 5. The Leadership Team must always critically review and vet funding opportunities to insure mission alignment and organizational capacity. 6. Although it is difficult to find ways to “lean in to” controversial social issues due to what can be perceived as a politicized climate, FFC has a responsibility to help educate the broader community around issues facing the fathers and families we serve. 7. Although FFC has created a space or presence in the fatherhood field—and nationally recognized- we have been unable to gain momentum as a local, recognized “thought leader” and expert on responsible fatherhood. Instead, the media will seek us out in reaction to negative social indicators; whereas the media and community at-large will rarely seek us out for proactive, positive inquiries, information, and education. 8. FFC must ensure a focus on the participants’ children and their future. 9. The Board must play a critical role in ensuring the President/CEO’s success in fundraising, including diversification of FFC’s funding portfolio. 10. The Board must maintain an active succession plan; insuring accountability, term limits as well as recruiting new members who bring time, talent, and treasure. 11. It is difficult to discern the best strategy for growth and scalability. Does FFC grow by breadth through the addition of a site(s) or increasing the depth of programming which may require a different site? Which is the most sustainable? FFC cannot be over-reliant and over-reaching based on local, state and/or federal funds. 12. The President/CEO must ensure that staff are hired that: 1) have a passion for this work; 2) can be judgment free; 3) be willing to develop authentic relationships with participants and their families; and 4) be culturally competent.

Page 30 of 32 In Memory of… BOARD MEMBERS Darryl W. Lewis John Smith STAFF Kabhir Shareef Diane “Mama D” Burhannon

Page 31 of 32 APPENDIX I: BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CHAIRS 1999: Wallace O. McLaughlin, PhD – Developmental Board Chair 2000-2001: Judge Barbara Collins 2002 – 2003 (May): Daryl Lewis 2003 – 2004: David Chandler, PhD 2005-2006: Chuck Corbin 2007: Ron Gibson 2008-2019: Kipper Tew 2020- Current: Christopher Walker

Page 32 of 32 APPENDIX II: VIDEO REFERENCES The following videos are available on the Fathers and Families Center youtube page: Fathers Families: i Recorder 1994 ii Class 1 recognition iii Channel6.Class 5 with Mayor Goldsmith iv Recorder. Spirit of Freedom v Cleaning Graves. Aug.1996 vi CBS.Best of Us vii Jeffrey Johnson. PFF Award announcement viii Ch.13.Evan Bayh Visit ix Amos Brown 2003 x Ribbon cutting xi First Heart of the Father Award recipient xii FFC 25th Anniversary