Today we’d like to introduce you to Demetrious Walker. The Fathers and Blessings team shares the story with us below.
Please kick things off for us, we’d love to know more about Fathers and Blessings.
We are a non-for-profit 501 c (3) located in Dolton, IL. It all started a little over three years ago when our dynamic and energetic CEO and his partner decided to provide rehabilitative services and transitional living to veterans, mentally disabled, and non-violent offenders. Both these of these men had lived “colorful” lives up until this point.
For a while, our future CEO had been plagued with the need to make a huge change in his life, a complete 360, if you will.
Having experienced working in other transitional living facilities in the past, our CEO was able to see that the present infrastructure of the available programs was not really conducive to addressing the whole person.
Always having a soft spot for people who struggled with mental illness, drug addiction and especially veterans. This young man sought to open a facility and implement a program that would speak to the WHOLE person and get them back to where they need to be: well, healthy, independent, and self-sufficient. He believed that in order to be effective a person’s mindset has to change or be shifted in a more positive area. He knew from experience how important mindset was in realizing anything a person wants to accomplish in life.
Now, to open up one of the properties you may have or open your home and then move yourself out is one thing. To open your home and live there with these men is quite another. They gave up their beds, their rooms and their space all to help these individuals. Let me note…this was a NICE house. Top notch furniture, marble countertops, renovated, and new appliances. Both men are handy with renovations so their house was no short of a magical male wonderland. They had a home, and they opened their doors to these men.
The precipice behind opening their doors was to provide these individuals with the same amenities that they had, to treat them with respect and implementing that they also respect their surroundings. This was step one: RESPECT. Respect yourself, your body, your mind, your surroundings, and the people you live with. That said, because it was their home and everyone lived there together it led to a different one or feel to the home.
Different from the possibly cold isolated situations these men were coming from, they were now welcomed into a HOME and all giving the same expectations and responsibilities as the home owners. This empowered and encouraged this group to actually feel like they belonged to a family and had someone investing in them and something to invest into.
The house on Luella Street located on the South Side of Chicago proved to be an effective tool in transforming these individuals. After about a year, the decision was made to move to Dolton, IL. Both men had grown up in Dolton before moving to other parts of the city and country. So, the decision to move to Dolton was personal. Plainly put…. they saw a need in Dolton and wanted to help fill it. They relocated The FAB House and it inhabitants to the Dolton area. There, they took a crew out every day and preformed landscaping and lawn service on vacant homes in the area just to make Dolton look more pleasing. They started out doing this for FREE. Yep, you heard right…. they starting cutting lawns of vacant homes; the elderly and disabled for absolutely NO MONEY. They literally JUST did it to give something back to the community. This eventually led to a contract with the Village of Dolton where they were assigned over 300 properties to upkeep.
From this they decided to do even more. Realizing that in their youth they did not always make the best decisions; their mantra became “we have done so much TO the community, now it is time to do something FOR the community”. Their next endeavor was to open up a resale shop in Dolton. Several years ago, there was a prominent thrift store chain located in Dolton. This place became a meeting spot for the community and brought in much needed revenue to the community. Once this store moved out of the area, there has been a void. FAB sought to fill this void by opening a Resale Shop. The main purpose of this store is to provide high end, quality merchandise for residents of the South Suburban area called The Fabulous Unique Resale Shop. The secondary purpose of this store is also to provide employment and job training to youth and residents in the area to provide (especially struggling youth) with resources and opportunities to better their environments. FAB has also implemented a youth program called Youth Empowerment Synergy Mentor Training Program where they offer FREE youth mentoring and sports programs to families in the communities that need it most. This has grown into a partnership with a community organization called the Leadership Development Institute where they place teenagers in business to gain experience. FAB cultivates and trains youth employees so that they may be fully prepared to successfully enter the work force. This has also extended into a strong partnership with the Thornton School District, specifically, Lincoln Middle School, providing male mentoring sessions to a group of 7th and 8th graders. This program, headed by Demetrious Walker, provided conflict resolution and community accountability to a large group of young men at Lincoln.
So…. In a short 2 ½ years Fathers and Blessings (FAB) NFP has grown from a seed planted in our CEO’s heart to: The FAB House, Community Beautification in a Village, The Fabulous Unique Resale Shop, the Youth Empowerment Synergy (Y.E.S.!) Program, FAB South Suburban Real Men Cook, Annual Fundraisers (including a drawing for a car), Youth Male Mentoring, Community Unity Meetings, FAB was also recognized as the 2016 Neighborhood Hero by the Neighborhood Housing Services. FAB was the first recipient of this award in the South Suburbs. All of this has been done with NO GOVERNMENT OR STATE FUNDING. This has all been accomplished by blood, sweat, tears, and BLESSINGS.
Fathers and Blessings (FAB) NFP and its head, CEO Demetrious Walker, have no intention of slowing down any time soon. With a concrete partnership with South Suburban College Engineering and Architecture department, FAB intends to build/rehab a property for a community center in the area.
There is much to be said about the power of watering a seed. Demetrious took the seed planted in him and allowed it to grow. This time has not been easy (remember, no funding) but despite that he pushes on. All of the storms and rain has actually watered the seed in him and accelerated the growth. We can only imagine what FAB can do if ever fully funded.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The problem with taking on this endeavor was, of course, funding. Where was he going to house anyone to get this program started? Since he decided he was going to do this program “straight up” with no shortcuts. His normal (or previous) mode of operandi would not be used in gaining funds which was a huge hurdle. Our CEO is NOT someone who likes to wait, he is also NOT one to be discouraged by a road block. That said, he and his partner (with a little convincing) decided to open up their own home to 8 men in need of a program like theirs…one that empowers them to reach their best potential as men and does not stigmatize them for their struggles.
I repeat…they decided to OPEN THEIR OWN HOME!!! (right, I couldn’t have done that. No way would I have opened my home to 8 strangers WITH issues. No way!?…. but they did, which speaks to how truly amazing this story is.)
In the past 3 years the major challenges have been funding and support. Even though the sole purpose of this organization is to literally help anyone we come in contact with. FAB takes on helping the most difficult cases, the people who have tried other programs and facilities to no avail. Also, the programs that we provide the youth and underemployed are free for the community. Every single idea our CEO has or implemented has been for the entire be we still struggle with not being supported, funded or backed by political entities of the very community we seek to serve. The reception from the communities has been phenomenal which is what keeps us going and pushed the CEO to continue to push and put every single dime he can even get his hands on back into this organization. The services we provide are not ones that can just be sidelined. They are a must to this community!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Fathers And Blessings– what should we know?
Fathers and Blessings (FAB) NFP is a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization that focuses on providing empowering resources that are designed to uplift the communities that we serve. We have adopted a two-fold approach to how to best meet the needs of our community. We endeavor to provide people with a “hand up” and not just a “hand out”.
First and foremost, we provide upscale transitional/permanent housing to accommodate individuals and families who are experiencing hardships which jeopardize their ability to obtain and maintain suitable sustainable housing. The FAB House currently serves as a safe haven and home for veterans and non-violent offenders seeking to overcome various challenges that have held them captive from rising above unsettling and often times painful circumstances in their lives.
Secondly, we focus on providing empowering resources that are designed to uplift the entire community.
Presently, we provide community beautification, lawn care, vacant lot and abandoned/foreclosed property maintenance, and landscaping services to the Village of Dolton. Even though we are a recently established non-profit organization, we are operating at an accelerated rate. Organizations throughout the region have contacted us expressing interest in partnering due to being referred to us by individuals and organizations that have witnessed the impact that we have on the communities that we serve. With continued partnerships, we would be able to reach our goal of serving as a catalyst for change in these communities.
FAB currently receives no state or federal funds. While such funding support would be a tremendous help to our mission, we implement entrepreneurial strategies and volunteers support that sustains our programs that will ultimately lead to self-sufficiency.
Vision
To ultimately eliminate factors and circumstances that contribute to homelessness, in addition to enhancing the overall quality of life within underserved communities
Mission
FAB is a non-profit grassroots organization that focuses on community building and revitalization. We provide transitional housing, neighborhood beautification, employment readiness and community enrichment services designed to uplift disenfranchised communities.
Programs and Facilities:
The FAB House is a secure 1400 square foot safe haven located in Chicago’s South Suburbs (Dolton) with 24-hour staff that focuses on teaching and restoring independent living skills to the homeless, veterans and non-violent ex-offenders transitioning to independent living through our specialized and intensive Developmental Skills Program (DST℠). The FAB House is a place of peace and stability where residents are treated like family. They are given the freedom, support, encouragement and discipline to help identify personal triggers and overcome various challenges that have held them captive from rising above unsettling and often times painful circumstances.
Youth Empowerment Synergy Mentoring Training Program
Working with local school districts and other youth development organizations in order to successfully implement our Youth Employment Skills Mentorship Training Learn & Earn Program. This program is strategically designed to provide program participants between the ages of 7-21 with general soft skills and applicable landscaping and agricultural skills that they would be able to apply both in the workplace and in everyday life. Skills gained from this program will essentially prepare youth to be productive learners and earners in the workplace. This program also provides the knowledge to perform well on the job while attending additional education and skill training programs.
Our pilot program kicked off in February of 2017 with a youth basketball league infusing calisthenics, endurance, athleticism, sportsmanship, team work, and accountability inside of a sports program. Along with training, discipline and self-esteem building FAB provided transportation for games and practices along with uniforms at no cost to the families.
The Fabulous Unique Thrift Store
Providing high end, affordable merchandise to the community. Also, providing employment, internship and job training opportunities
The central aspect of our store is our mission. Our ultimate goal is to further advance the community.
The FAB Store provides employment training and opportunities for youth and individuals with limited to no job experience. At the FAB Store individuals are given job training, customer service skills, marketing, and community enrichment opportunities from experienced professionals with a heart for training. All employees are treated like family and are nurtured to be the best that they can be when sent out into the work force. They are also provided with resume building skills, a solid resume and cover letter, and letter of recommendation.
Eco-Green Tech Initiative
Under this program we have figured out a way to turn homes our communities into ecofriendly homes under our Eco Tech Initiative.
FAB is embarking on a revolutionary way to upgrade and modernize homes and make them more energy efficient. The benefit to this is to lower utility bills and living costs to increase the sustainability of property ownership in what is considered “blighted” areas.
Benefits to Go-Green Technology in Homes:
ü A healthier home environment through improved indoor air quality.
ü A more comfortable home due to fewer temperature variations.
ü A return on investment through energy savings and lower maintenance costs.
ü A positive environmental impact.
ü A reduction in the use of natural resources
Under our Revitalization and Modernization Initiative we have purchased a property on 14446 Park Ave, Dolton IL. FAB has a partnership with South Suburban College’s Building and Construction Department to rehab the above property and make it an Eco-Green structure. This will allow the initiative to bring this type of profound technology and innovation to the community.
ü We are looking to gain 10 to 20 homes in order to redevelop these homes by putting the materials together and partnering with our electrical and plumbing unions and structure them by code and get them up to Lead Certification standard.
ü The Go Green Project’s purpose is to turn these homes into low energy cost effective homes in low income communities.
ü With this revolutionary program, we propose to be able to rehab these homes to be energy efficient reducing energy by up to (40%). Our model home at 14446 Park is a precursor for future homes
ü Homes will have Lead Certification
This program will also allow 4 students from South Suburban College a chance to earn degrees
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Sandra Wells – Neighborhood Housing Services – constant support and guidance.
Congresswoman Robin Kelly – provided several letters of support for our endeavors.
Senator Napoleon Harris – provided letter of support, sat down with our CEO and sponsored a youth basketball team for our YES program pilot
Tammie Brown – United Parcel Services – profoundly supported all of our endeavors and constantly shows up and works with us to keep pushing forward.
Carlton Higgins – working right alongside the CEO to make sure all operations were sound.
Valeria Stubbs – Trustee for the Village of Dolton – supports us when we made our transition from Chicago to Dolton, constantly there with words of wisdom and guidance.
Pricing:
- FAB Annual Fundraiser: $100 donation enters you to win either a 2017 Dodge Charger or Challenger
- Fabulous Unique Thrift store: All apparel is $1-$5 excluding furniture
Contact Info:
- Address: 15401 Cottage Grove, Dolton, IL 60419
- Website: fathersandblessings.org
- Phone: 708-933-7357
- Email: fathersandblessings@yahoo.com
- Facebook: Fathers and Blessings, NFP-FAB
Image Credit:
Joshua Garner of Garner Photography
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