Creating good dads focus of latest Riedel Foundation grant

HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Good Dads program is coming to Hannibal with the help of a $10,000 matching grant from the Riedel Foundation after a successful Rotary Riverfest fundraiser. 

The Hannibal Rotary Club applied for a Riedel grant to help Hannibal establish the program, which helps at-risk dads to become involved parents. It consists of six months of coursework, fatherhood development and relationship training and employment assistance. It teaches low-income dads the importance of paying child support and being engaged in their children’s lives both financially and emotionally.

“This program really gives kids their dads back,” interim local coordinator Stacie Williams said in a press release. “A majority of the men in this program come out of prison or from rehab. Most don’t have a positive male role model in their lives. This teaches them to become active parents. It can change the outcome for generations.”

As the program gets started, it will hire a project director and case manager who will coordinate with local volunteers to work with the at-risk fathers. With the Riedel grant, that volunteer training can start right away.

“When the Riedel board looks at grant applications, we want to see how our awards will make an impact in our community,” administrator Sarah Deien said. “We know that when we have good dads involved, we have better outcomes for their children. It’s an opportunity to make a real difference.”

The Hannibal Rotary Club hosted Riverfest in June, bringing in live music, food vendors and entertainment at their new pavilion on the riverfront. The event took many volunteer hours and raised enough to trigger the $10,000 matching grant from Riedel. That money will be applied to the start-up costs to the Good Dads program which has shown great success in other parts of the state.

If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about the Good Dads program, contact Stacie Williams at 573-221-3227.

The Riedel Foundation was established in 2000 and has awarded more than six million dollars to Hannibal non-profit organizations.