While boys can be raised in a home by a single mother, and still be happy, healthy, and functional, fatherless children do miss out on moments that children in two-parent homes often get to experience. In a heartwarming tale, a man spends his weekends fishing with children so they won’t miss out on a fun time and precious memories.
Fatherless Children in the Neighborhood
It all started 15 years ago, with William Dunn from Lakeland, Florida. He noticed his 8-year-old neighbor storming in and out of his house across the street. This happened regularly and William questioned the boy about it. “I wondered what was going on in his life, so one day, I decided to ask him,” he said. “He told me that he didn’t have a father, and I realized there might be something I could do for him.”
Fatherhood is Invaluable
Dunn, who grew up fishing with his father, attributes his “peace” and “patience” to the time he spent with his father. “When you’re on the water, you can forget about your problems and just appreciate the moment,” he said.
William Dunn is the father of 3 and often spends precious time bonding with his children. As such, he has a solid foundation in fatherhood and reached out to the boy’s mom to ask permission to take the boy fishing. Shortly after, one fishing trip turned into another and another.
Taking Several Fatherless Children Fishing
Eventually, Dunn took the boy and other fatherless children on weekend fishing trips which has continued for the last 15 years. Dunn teaches fatherless children how to hold the fishing pole, bait the hook, and reel in the catch. Many of the fatherless children who’ve joined Dunn have been in foster care, moving from home to home. “They’d been through a lot and they’d seen a lot, and their lives were difficult,” Dunn explained. “But when they were fishing, all of that faded away.”
The World Needs More
The world needs more people like William Dunn, who will extend their knowledge and compassion to others, to educate, empower, and lift one another up. Fortunately, many kind souls do their part, including several other adults who’ve stepped up for fatherless children.
Rob Kenney
For example, in 2020 Rob Kenney, left by his father when he was fifteen, launched a YouTube Channel for fatherless children, or children who didn’t spend much time with their fathers. The channel is called “Dad, How Do I?” and covers a series of life lessons including how to tie a tie, and his most popular, how to fix a running toilet.
Kenney’s intentions are incredibly pure, and his idea is ingenious as his channel garnered over 2 million viewers within months of its launch date. “I will do my best to provide useful, practical content to many basic tasks that everyone should know how to do,” he wrote on the About page.
Fatherless Children are the Inspiration
“I never wanted to be wealthy. I never wanted to be necessarily successful,” Kenney explained. “My goal in life was to raise good adults—not good children but good adults — because I had a fractured childhood.” Although he’s one of the “purest” individuals according to comments on his channel, Kenney and Dunn aren’t the only men positively impacting the lives of fatherless children.
Raymond Nelson
Rather, in 2017, Raymond Nelson from Charleston, South Carolina went viral when he started a “Gentlemen’s Club” for his students. While working with “at-risk” youth and many fatherless children, he became inspired to teach his students important life lessons. After the program launched nearly 60 students would meet every Wednesday. The club name has been changed to “Boys with Purpose” but still stands by the same motto: “Look good, feel good, do good.”
Raymond Nelson Comments
“I was thinking maybe if I have the boys dress for success,” Nelson explained in an interview at the time. “When was the last time you saw someone fighting in a tuxedo?”
“I know a lot of them struggle because a lot of them don’t have men at home, so I just want them to grow up and think of the things that I teach them,” he added. “They like the reaction of walking up to classrooms and say, ‘Oh, you look so nice and handsome,’ they just love it.”
School Participation
Meanwhile, schools are also taking part in supporting fatherless children. In 2018, a Texas school asked 50 volunteers to show up for a breakfast with fathers, filling the places for fatherless children. In a heartwarming turn of events, 600 men showed up.
Meaningful Relationships Matter
Interestingly, some statistics don’t apply to the majority, as temperament, personality, and other support systems impact how a fatherless child will grow up and perceive the world. For instance, many studies point to the importance of stability in a child’s life, noting that it may be more important than whether a child grows up in a two-parent home. Additionally, children with close-knit neighbors, grandparents, uncles, or other adult male role models benefit from observing healthy and functioning relationships.
Undeniably, children have more advantages and opportunities when they grow up in a two-parent household. However, men like Dunn, Kenney, and Nelson, are making great strides to positively impact fatherless children.