Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club Hosts Let’s Share the Warmth
Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club Hosts Let’s Share the Warmth
By Tia Carol Jones
Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club wants to make sure children and families have a warm coat for the winter months, so the organization will host Let’s Share the Warmth from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 6th, at Lindblom Park Field House, located at 6054 S. Damen.
Joseph Williams founded Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club in 2017 as a way for fathers to be more involved in their children’s lives through mentoring, literacy and community engagement. Williams’ wife, Jasmine Williams, started Mrs. Mom’s Mother’s Club, with the mission to empower mothers and women through professional development, health resources, community support and networking opportunities.
This is the sixth year for the event. Williams said he started the coat giveaway because he remembered seeing the young children who didn’t have on warm enough coats for the Chicago winter weather, or they didn’t have gloves or hats. He wanted to do something to give back to the community and ensure the children had warm coats and gloves for the winter. The first year the organization hosted the event it was at a vacant lot on Ashland with a couple of hundred coats. He said when he saw the children trying on the coats and how excited and happy they were to receive the coat; it made him smile and made him feel happy.
“They were glad to have the coats. When I saw the impact, it had the first year and how those babies were so blessed, it was heartwarming to me, I said, yeah, we’re going to have to keep this going,” he said.
Each year Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club has hosted the event, it has grown and the number of coats has increased. Williams said he gets the coats from donors. One of the main donors and sponsors is Cradles to Crayons, who he said has been a tremendous support. Because of Cradles to Crayons support, the coat giveaway will also be able to give away adult coats. Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club also buys coats to ensure they have enough coats.
“Knowing that I’m sending them off in Chicago weather warmer than they were, I couldn't ask for anything better than that,” Williams said.
Last year, when Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club hosted the event at the 7th District Chicago Police Station, the line went down blocks. Williams said it shows there is a great need. He said with the cutting of programs for food and housing assistance across the country and locally he said families are trying to work to make ends meet, and anything he can do as an individual and with his organization, he wants to do.
Williams said that Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club not only reads to the children, but it also provides school supplies for children when they go to school in the fall and provides warm coats, hats and gloves in the winter. He said that ever since announcing the Dec. 6th event at the beginning of November, people have been registering to receive coats.
Williams said the biggest piece of hosting events for Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club is partnering with other community organizations to show collaboration. He said it shows the local non-profit doing good in the community, but also, the other partners who recognize the importance of the mission of Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club.
Chef Michael Airhart, Founder of Taste for the Homeless, will be providing a hot meal for attendees, and Mrs. Mom’s Mother’s Club will be signing mothers up to receive resources. Alderman Stephanie Coleman, 16th Ward, and Alderman Bill Conway, 34th Ward, are also supporting the event, along with White Castle.
Williams said hosting the coat giveaway is important because it continues to ensure those in need can stay warm and protected during Chicago winters. He said for him it is always about bringing community, local nonprofits and business owners together for one common goal to serve the people. He said he also wants people to understand that sometimes people have a great need because they lack resources. He said continuing the coat giveaway makes a significant difference in the lives of vulnerable individuals.
Those interested in being a sponsor or being a resource vendor for the event, please email mdfcinfo@gmail.com. For more information about Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club, visit www.mrdadsfathersclub.com. People can also register for the event on the website.
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