As #girldad trends on social media, a handful of dads gathered outside Buchanan Elementary school Thursday to encourage students as they arrived to school.
The predominantly male group participated in Champions for Our Youth, which is a partnership between SDoL, the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster and Fathers Matter, a community organization working to change negative stereotypes of fathers.
“I just want to change the narrative. Males do care about education, we do want to be on the front lines, we do want to see our kids succeed,” says Josh Hunter, Southeast Clubhouse director with the Boys and Girls Club of Lancaster, who helped start the program last year. “I wanted to give fathers something extra to be involved in, to give them a space where they can help out the youth in our city.”
At each event, fathers welcome students to school in the morning with hot chocolate, positive words for their day and friendly greetings.
“I’m a father, and I have two girls, so we’ve posted our pictures on social media,” Hunter says of the hastag that went viral following the death of NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others.
“I’m just thinking about the young ladies we come across, especially the young ladies in the clubhouse and in the school district, we just hope that we can be that father image for some that don’t have it. Hopefully, this one small act of kindness restores that faith in them that men do care, that we’re here to support them through anything.”
Champions for Our Youth will visit four more SDoL schools this winter and spring on the last Thursday of each month. The remaining schedule is still being determined. Gathering times will vary based on when the school’s day starts.
“Even if there’s two or three of us, we’re going to be out here,” Hunter says. “We just hope that more men come out as they became aware of what we’ve got going on. “We want to pack the whole walkway and encourage everyone who comes through the door.”