“Boys to Men, Men to Husbands, Husbands to Fathers.”
The cost of our mission is great; its impact is priceless! Father’s House Kids is a thriving non-profit organization sustained by 100% volunteers, who are fully committed to developing, mentoring, teaching, nurturing, and caring for underserved boys and young men, ages 6-21, in our community. Upon transitioning from Father’s House Kids, the young men may enter Youth Restoration Inc., a subsidiary program for young men to further their development as they reach adulthood. The organizations are virtually seamless. FHK has offered our boys programming and development every single weekend of the year, for the past 7 years. Because so many of our children are fatherless, Father’s House Kids offers them what a father usually provides in the household: provision, protection, discipline, and encouragement. Everything we offer is free of charge to the boys we serve in the Greater New Orleans area, including St. Bernard, Orleans, St. Charles, Jefferson Parishes, and the 9th Ward. FHK provides safe transportation every weekend through the diligence of our volunteer drivers. Most of our boys live in an environment where uncertainty dominates their lives. Family members and friends have been lost to violence. The cycle of poverty can be broken through giving these boys a healthy example of manhood – where hard work, discipline, and respect for others provides an opportunity to not only survive, but to thrive.
Mission Statement
Our Mission: “Boys to Men, Men to Husbands, Husbands to Fathers.”
Our vision is to dramatically improve the probable lifetime lineage and legacy of each person that we serve. We teach the boys that who they are today does not define them. Their mistakes and shortcomings do not define them. Our focus is to look forward to what lies ahead for them. We see a future that is full of potential for our boys and young men. We want to effectively provide them with the prerequisites they need to lead healthy, successful lives and to become citizens who take care of their families and are assets to the community. We focus heavily on Historic and Cultural Restoration in both skill set and mindset as we impart the importance of their restorative contribution to the Greater New Orleans community. The cost of our mission is great; its impact is priceless!
“The Heart of the Matter”
The vast majority of boys in Father’s House Kids do not have a father present in the home. One of the most difficult challenges for a young man to overcome is the epidemic of fatherlessness. So many of the children in our inner-city community have experienced unbelievable hardship at a tender age. From witnessing murders, to the grief of losing parents and siblings to violence, these youth have felt the pangs of fatherlessness. There is a tangible void when there is no father in the home. A father protects. A father provides. A father encourages.
How can a little boy know what it is to be a man if he has no one to look up to?
How can a young man be a husband first and then a father if he has no father to mentor him?
The response to this situation is that of the Father’s Heart…thus Father’s House Kids was birthed to provide a place for those who need protection, provision, and encouragement. Once the boys receive fathering, they begin to see the possibilities of their future as successful men, husbands, and fathers. They desire to cover their future wives and children and be responsible young men. This is a place of transformation, from the inside-out, where we delight in the metamorphosis of “Boys to Men, Men to Husbands, Husbands to Fathers.”
Because our boys grow and progress so much, we are now beginning to see the interest and participation of some of the boys’ fathers blossom as they witness the transformation of their sons. We are excited to welcome fathers to participate in the development of their boys through our impactful program. The Father’s Heart is the foundation that sustains FHK and the overflow from Father’s Heart results in what we are now so privileged to see.
“He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers…” – Malachi 4:6
We are Impacting Lives
Our Programs are impressive as is our ratio of contributions to administrative cost. We are Top Tier with administrative expenses being less then 1% as per our 2017 certified audit. That means that 99% of contributions go directly to Programs. Achieving our mission requires much more than academic skills. Character, Integrity, Courage, Respect, Honor, Perseverance, Dependability, Collaboration, Communication, Confidence, Personal Responsibility and Love all play a role in our holistic approach to developing future fathers.
Dedicated Volunteers
The Father’s House Kids logo portrays the loving heart that surrounds the house, the structure of safety and help that is always here for our boys. The time and effort that the Directors of FHK take to ensure success is intentional. We have over 20 full-time adult volunteers and four students who are leaders. It is a place abounding in the love and energy we put into building the young boys to become successful men, responsible husbands, loving fathers, and community-minded leaders.
Our Facilities
Father’s House Kids meets every Saturday and every Sunday at our Training Center at 1451 N. Dorgenois Street, New Orleans, LA. Usage of the facility is divided up by age and skill level. The 3,500 square foot building includes a full kitchen, spacious classroom with Smartboard, along with the various other Labs described in our Programs section. Each class day breakfast, healthful snacks and lunch are served.
