From Rock Bottom to Role Model: One Father’s Journey Back
When Marcus lost his job during the pandemic, everything unraveled fast. Bills piled up, tensions rose at home, and eventually, he found himself sleeping in his car—separated from his kids and unsure of what came next. He was one of millions of fathers struggling in silence, unsure where to turn. But a simple Google search—"help for fathers in Virginia"—led him to a lifeline: CYEP's Fatherhood Program. The Power of Being Heard "I didn’t know what to expect," Marcus admitted. "But I walked into that first group session and, for the first time, I wasn’t being judged. I was being heard." The Fatherhood Program didn’t just offer job readiness and parenting classes. It offered brotherhood. The weekly peer groups became a safe space for Marcus and other men to talk honestly about co-...