FFC History.FINAL.2022

THE FOUNDING & BUILDING OF FATHERS AND
FAMILIES CENTER

Original poster designed by Jack Parnell of Parnell Creative Communications; featuring Dr. Wallace (rear) followed by Khabir
Shareef and his two sons

By: Dr. Wallace O. McLaughlin, PhD
December 2021

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.

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PREFACE

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
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

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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.

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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

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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 mid-
twenties 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

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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

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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.

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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 three-
week 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.

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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, The Circle; with Kabhir, Dr. Frank, and two
4) a partnership with the Office of Child Support; and 5) an participants
agreement with Wishard’s Human Resources for “guaranteed

employment of program graduates (an agreement had to be worked out with union leaders),

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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 First class graduation at Christ Church Cathedral
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 Presentation to Vice President Gore and Mrs. Gore; with Dr. Wallace
attended Vice-President and Mrs. Gore’s Family and Sarah Meadows
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

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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).

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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 Cleaning the graves

(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.

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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 14 of 31

• 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 Judith Kernel, Jeffrey Johnson, Dr. Wallace
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

Page 15 of 31

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

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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 17 of 31

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, Gordan 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 Ribbon cutting; with Dr. David Chandler, Judge Collins, Dr.
held and attended by many community leaders. Dr. Wallace and Eugene Anderson
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

Page 18 of 31

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 First Faces of Fatherhood Luncheon; with Chuck Corbin, Mayor

the importance of fatherhood Peterson, and Heart of the Father award recipient, Dewan Darden

(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.

Page 19 of 31

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 “It Takes Two!” class with Patsy Pitts

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

Page 20 of 31

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 Non- Trunk or Treat
Resident 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 Faith- Champion of Compassion Award
Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI), presented Fathers and Presentation; with Dr. Wallace and Scott
Families Center with “The Champion of Compassion Award” for Shortenhaus, Deputy Director of CFBCI
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 5th anniversary UWCI recognition; with Bob

2009; and Robert Mays was transferred from the Illinois site to Ripperger, Dr. Wallace, Christy Gillespie (UWCI)

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.

Page 21 of 31

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 Center opens eastside location
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 Symbolic burning of the lease with Dr. Wallace and Kip Tew

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

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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 2014 Symposium; Don Meyer With panelists
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

Page 23 of 31

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 mission-
creeping 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 24 of 31

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 25th anniversary celebration; with Dr. Hunter Heath
fortunate to have three major funding “surprises” occur. (past Board member, and guests

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. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation storytelling grant participants

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

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Thomas P. Miller and Associates to conduct a review and New sign with logo
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

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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?

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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.

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In Memory of…

BOARD
MEMBERS

Darryl W. Lewis John Smith
STAFF

Kabhir Shareef Diane “Mama D” Burhannon
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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

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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

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