Champions of Change

Champions of Change Blog

  • Out of Every Experience, You Can Gain a Lesson

    Posted by Jerry Tello on June 13, 2012 at 12:26 PM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of his work in this field Jerry Tello is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    I always feel humbled when I am acknowledged for the work that I do and the accomplishments that have taken place. The lessons that carry me and serve as the foundation of my work come from a long history of people that had a dream based on a strong love for their children and principle of giving and serving others. My ancestors including my grandparents and parents were my foundational teachers. Bringing those lessons from Mexico, through Texas and finally raising us in south central Los Angeles brought many opportunities and challenges that I lived through and from which I learned.

    The love of family, hard work, strong values, traditions and spirituality were the roots that were planted in me. At the same time seeing my family deal with the issues of racism, discrimination, and poverty in a community struggling with drugs and violence and the trying to raise a family in two cultures, our traditional culture and that of society, brought much pain and confusion. The impact of these challenges and the death of my father when I was 13 forced me to reach deep for solutions. But my mom would always say in Spanish “No Hay Mal Que Por Bien No Venga” which in essence means out of every experience you can gain a lesson. It is these lessons and others along the way that have truly become my inspiration and basis for this work. Although my professional work started 35 years ago, what I didn’t realize is that my family and community experiences were all a part of the preparation process.

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  • Responsible Fatherhood Strengthens Families and Communities

    Posted by Joseph T. Jones on June 13, 2012 at 12:17 PM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of his work in this field Joseph T. Jones is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    I care profoundly about my role as a father, which didn't begin with me being a responsible dad. When my first son was born, I was consumed by selfish addiction. Along this stage of my personal journey, which included periods of incarceration, I met many young dads with similar stories to mine.  We all wanted to be good dads, but just didn't know how.

    In 1986, I committed to establishing a relationship with my son. I had no idea how or where to begin. Given that my father was largely absent from my life, I had no role model to emulate. Afraid and unsure of myself, I fought through my emotional discomfort to reconnect with my son. Today, we are adult men who share a father/son bond; talking and texting frequently, traveling together, and following our beloved Baltimore Orioles, who are finally winning!

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  • Showing up for Kids

    Posted by John Sowers on June 13, 2012 at 11:53 AM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of his work in this field John Sowers is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    A couple years ago, I was honored to hear President Obama speak on fatherhood at a White House town hall meeting. I was moved as he shared his heart – reminding us of the grim realities of fatherlessness.

    He said:

    “Children without fathers are more likely to drop out of school and wind up in prison. More likely to have substance abuse problems, run away from home and become teenage parents themselves. I say this as someone who grew up without a father in my own life.”

    As the President shared his experience of fatherlessness, I thought of my own story. My dad moved to Texas when I was two and became an infrequent visitor. Once a year or so, he drove up from Texas to Little Rock. I wanted him to stay longer than two days. Every time he left, my heart would break. I would die again.

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  • Shaping the Kind of Fathers Children Need

    Posted by Roland C. Warren on June 13, 2012 at 11:53 AM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of his work in this field Roland C. Warren is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    My own life and the “life” of the organization I lead have taken similar paths. Let’s start with me. When I was about 7 years old, my parents split up. For a long time, I was frustrated and confused about my feelings for my dad, who became distant and ultimately disconnected from my daily life. I am nearly 50 years old now, and I still carry a wound - a hole in my soul in the shape of my dad. But, there were lots of wounded souls out there who were yearning for their father’s love and attention.                  

    I finally realized that my personal crisis of growing up without my dad was actually a national crisis. And I was deeply inspired to do something about it. Then, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) came into my life. From the moment I heard about the organization in the late 1990s, I knew I wanted to be involved, and by 2001, I was serving as the new president. I felt incredibly blessed that I had been given the opportunity to take my desire to change the world, born of my own personal struggle, and turn it into real action.

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  • Helping Children Become Part of Something Greater

    Posted by Carey Casey on June 13, 2012 at 11:42 AM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of his work in this field Carey Casey is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    I am honored to be recognized as a White House Champion of Change. But trust me, whatever honor I receive is not because I'm so great or wonderful. It's really because of God, my dad, and my family. Those are the factors that have made me who I am. As I often say, I’m literally living out my dream as CEO at the National Center for Fathering because of the people I work with and what I get to do.

    I mentioned that my father was a huge influence in my life. He cared for me, but also for the broader culture. He was there in Washington, D.C. on August 28, 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared, "I have a dream." I remember my dad's excitement when he returned home.  When I later studied the speech for myself, I said to my dad, "I wish I could have been a grown-up back when all that was happening with civil rights." But my dad said, "No, Son, you're going to be part of something even greater."

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  • The Power and Importance of a Father

    Posted by Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner on June 13, 2012 at 11:32 AM EDT

    The White House Office of Public Engagement and Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships honors 10 individuals who are doing tremendous work in the fields of fatherhood and low-income men and boys. Because of her work in this field Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner is being recognized as a Champion of Change.

    I grew up with a wonderful, God-fearing mother, who was role-model, first teacher, and arch of safety for me and my seven siblings. From her, I learned that I was valued, loved, and could be anything I wanted to be even though we were very poor. My incredible mother became everything important to my world except the one thing she could never be, the father I never had.

    The lack of a father left me and my sibling without the sense of protection from mean streets; an understanding and appreciation for authority; and the kind of priceless security that a good, caring father brings to children.

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