Statements
Mission
The Family Foundation Fund's (FFF) mission is to nurture fatherless boys into Christ-centered manhood and to inspire and equip men to be fathers that impact the destiny of the next generation.
Background
As a young college student, each summer Onnie Kirk would travel to Nashville, TN to work for the Southwestern Publishing Company as a student salesman. Each summer that he participated in the program, he applied the principles of hard work and faith. The summer experiences of selling books door-to-door enabled him to finance most of his college education, gain valuable training experience and insights regarding character building. After graduating from Texas Tech University and becoming a sales manager, he became aware that the students with whom he worked who had come from homes where there was a strong father figure, were more successful, had fewer emotional problems and had greater confidence. He left Southwestern for the ministry of Christ, realizing something had to be done to address the crisis of fatherhood in the black community. In 1992, the Family Foundation Fund was formed as a not-for-profit corporation. Established on the basis that people united in faith, believing in the principle of unity and in the application of biblical principles can transform the lives of young men who are experiencing hopelessness as a result of fatherlessness. The program began with current executive director, Onnie Kirk taking two boys to work with him every day. His goal was to instill in them the value of hard work and encourage them to be godly young men. By 1995, there were six young men going to work with him and two men had joined the organization to become surrogate fathers (mentors.) In 1996, FFF established its first office was at Grace Community Retreat Center, where during the summer months, the boys attend a two-week Son Camp. There are five components that provide the structure to launch our FFF sons into their life journey: Surrogate Fathers/ Fatherhood Workshops, Education, Son Camp, Internships and Son Farm. FFF candidates are admitted to the program just prior to their adolescent years. Once a candidate is accepted into the mentoring program, he enters a healthy environment that nurtures him toward Christ-centered manhood. We address the trauma associated with the areas of failing education, homelessness, behavioral disorders, addiction, teen suicide and early death, by offering long term solutions unique to each candidate. The foundation of our holistic approach is family-centric and fatherhood.
Impact
The Family Foundation Fund (FFF) mentoring program began in 1992, its objective then and now remains to transform lives "One boy at a time and nurture them into Christ-centered manhood." The Family Foundation Fund program is a multi-year program, where boys from homes where the father is absent enter the program between the ages of 10-12. Surrogate Fathers, mentors, and program partners invest 1095 hours annually in each FFF son's maturation process. This investment of fathering time yields dividends of transformed lives. Each young man is matched with a surrogate father and begins a life journey with this father-figure and his family. FFF sons are afforded the opportunity to attend a private Christian School. None of our program graduates became teenage fathers, none have been involved with the juvenile justice system, 49% continue their education after graduating high school, 28% began working full time, 22% join branches of the military enlisting in the Army, Navy, Coast Guards, and U.S. Air force. Because these young men were loved, disciplined, and fathered the devastation of fatherlessness did not trap them in its' web of hopelessness, despair and destruction. This year we celebrated our 4th season of the Fatherhood Workshops, 44 men between the ages of 19-65 completed the series; 40% of these men had been fatherless during their adolescent years; 32 % of the men who completed the training are qualified candidates for surrogate fathering. Through the Fatherhood Workshop Series, we are able to expand the FFF mentoring program to impact a greater number of young men. This growing season at SonShine Farms TN, our FFF Sons worked hard to produce some amazing produce while contending with erratic weather patterns. FFF sons were able to benefit their families and impact over 200 individuals from partnering with families with nutritional / non-GMO produce from SonShine farms TN. The farm was serviced by 90 volunteers who partnered with us to produce over sixty-two hundred pounds of produce.
Needs
1. Volunteers to assist us in our continued growth and expansion of our 7-acre organic farm
2. Increased volunteer base from corporations, companies, churches and individual for different FFF programs
3. Serve on committees for fundraising events.
4. Materials (books, manuals, facilities) for fatherhood training
5. Volunteers to help distribute produce
6. IT assistance
CEO Statement
The Governing Board members of the Family Foundation Fund are committed to their Christian Faith, diverse in their ethnic and socio/economic demographics. The FFF board consist of married couples who represent a broad spectrum (variety) of professional careers. Our Governing Board members are engaged, some are surrogate fathers, others have the opportunity to be involved in Son Camp, recreational outing, mentorships, all FFF Board Members support financially and are involved in fundraising.
Board Chair Statement
The Family Foundation Fund's mission is to address the absence of fathers in the home. This issue has quickly become one of the most pressing problems in our society and the core contributor to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES). Consider the following statistics: * Youth violence is common. Nearly 1 in 5 high school students report being bullied on school property in the last year, and about 1 in 7 were electronically bullied (texting, Instagram, Facebook, or other social media.) Youth violence kills and injures. Homicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for young people ages 10-24. Each day, about 14 young people are victims of homicide and about 1,300 are treated in emergency departments for nonfatal assault-related injuries. * Youth violence is costly. Youth homicides and nonfatal physical assault-related injuries result in more than $21 billion annually in combined medical and lost productivity costs alone. This does not include costs associated with the criminal justice system, psychological and social consequences for victims, perpetrators and their families, or costs incurred by communities. An epidemic that was once singularly concentrated in the African- American community has now become prevalent throughout society. Men simply do not know or understand a father's responsibilities. Enter The Family Foundation Fund ("FFF"), an organization that is seeking to "stand in the gap" for as many fatherless boys as possible, from all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. The FFF provides a safe, structured environment for young men between the ages of 10-18. We offer life-changing programs and services to young men across middle Tennessee. Lasting change takes collaboration, consistent execution and intrepid measures. At The Family Foundation Fund, we're engaging community partners, cultivating experiences and investing in thought leaders to restore fatherhood. Communities should be places of health and wellness, not anguish and strife. Together, we can create a generation of fathers that love deeply, fear and know God, and lead healthy and meaningful lives contributing to the human experience through the institution of healthy families.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Youth Development - Youth Development-Agricultural |
| Secondary Category: | Religion- Related - Christianity |
| Tertiary Category: | Human Services - Children's and Youth Services |
Areas Served
Middle Tennessee
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Williamson |
