By the numbers
$315,000: Amount Urban Light will receive annually from a five-year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant.
$100,000: Amount Urban Light will receive annually for two years from the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood
$67,000: Amount Urban Light will receive annually for two years from Clark County Department of Job and Family Services.
Complete coverage
You can count on the Springfield News-Sun to provide in-depth coverage of all the key stories on local education and jobs.
Urban Light Ministries will get $382,000 annually in new grants, part of which will go to a partnership with Clark State to create a regional hub focused on helping fathers and families.
Urban Light will receive a five-year U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant, which will provide $315,000 annually. The organization also recently received a new grant of $67,000 annually for two years from Clark County Department of Job and Family Services.
Parents are key to the development of children and the community, said Eli Williams, director of Fatherhood Clark County, which operates under the Urban Light umbrella.
“They get better grades in school, have fewer crime problems, there are fewer kids hooked on drugs, fewer teen suicides,” he said. “Kids are better off when they have two involved, responsible, skilled parents.”
Part of the new money will pay for the new Fatherhood Institute, a joint effort with Clark State Community College that will be housed in Rhodes Hall on the school’s East Leffel Lane campus. The institute will provide educational and job opportunities for unemployed and underemployed fathers.
Urban Light also received a two-year grant of $100,000 annually from the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood in September that continues funding it has received since 2008. It’s earmarked to serve families in Clark, Greene, Madison and Montgomery counties.
“This is more than doubling our budget,” said Williams of the new funding.
Urban Light was one of four state entities to be awarded a grant by the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood.
The fact that Urban Light had an established fatherhood program was a big factor in it getting the new grant money, OCF Executive Director Kimberly Dent said.
“In fatherhood issues, we always have a tendency to be reactive,” she said. “Our goal was to get in front of all the issues fathers face in life, to be more proactive.”
Urban Light plans to use the federal and county grants to add practitioners, mentors and administrative support. Among the increased services would be fatherhood and relationship classes, coaching and case management.
“The goal is to help these young fathers be the best fathers they can be and strengthen their ability to be the resource their children will need as they grow up,” said Williams.
The Fatherhood Institute will be anchored by Clark State’s new advanced manufacturing program.
It will offer full-time, six-week classes, which will include job and fatherhood/life skills training. Upon completion, each participant will be provided assistance finding work.
The institute will also offer a 12-month mentoring program and wants to attract local employers to work with its graduates.
“We can’t guarantee them a job,” said Williams. “We will do everything we can for them, but the applicant has to present themselves well to the employer. Ultimately, it’s the employer’s decision.”
Corey Holliday, director of community outreach at Clark State, said the school has been working with Urban Light on the Fatherhood Institute for about two years.
“This is the one project that’s like a game-winning shot for the championship — it is that big for us,” he said. “We’ve put a lot time, planning and sweat into this.”
The institute gives Clark State a chance to connect with students, Holliday said.
“We think this flow cycle will really happen: We start working with dad, then his kid connects through one of our programs or camps, then the dad comes back for more training and then kid comes to Clark State when he gets older,” he said.
Earlier this year, Williams also was received a $45,000 contract from the Clark County commissioners to coordinate efforts to increase Fatherhood Clark County’s community awareness and program participation.
The new DJFS grant is “significantly more money” than Urban Light has received from the agency and will be used to focus on Clark County fathers.
The push to target younger men doesn’t stop with young fathers, Williams said. A new program called Wise Guys is designed to help middle school boys with good decision-making.
“So we will be increasing the number of adolescent males we reach,” he said.
Other local outreach organizations are on board as well, including Springfield Christian Youth Ministries and Family & Youth Initiatives in New Carlisle.
About the Author