Who Is Father Matters?

 

Father Matters was started in 1997 by Vance Simms. The vision for this program came when Vance saw a tremendous need for the issue of fathering. Vance, the father of Nathan and Shayla, has seen first hand the need for strong, positive mentoring among fathers. Being raised with out his father in his life, Vance has had to seek out positive role models for his direction in fatherhood. This type of positive influence is needed for ALL fathers, no matter of what the situation may be.Vance resides in Tempe, Arizona with his wife Janine.

 

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What Is Father Matters?

Father Matters is a non-profit organization put together by fathers, for fathers, and with fathers. Our purpose is to support, encourage, and enlighten today's dads. Our vision is to see men with children become more effective, more active, and more involved in their role as fathers. From a single dad to a father of five, newly married or divorced. Stepfather or grandfather. This organization is exactly what our name says. We discuss how much a father matters, by discussing father matters.

At Father Matters, we do not believe there is a kid problem. We believe there is a dad problem. For the first time in history, America is using the phrase "fatherless generation." The negative statistics about children that grow up in an "abandoned father" environment are alarming. What is equally alarming is the number of children that grow up in an "absentee father" environment. You know the type. The father who's not home even when he's home. The father who works too much. The father who knows more about the NFL draft than he does about how his own child's doing in school. The father who watches his children grow up by their pictures on his desk. The father who knows the latest stock quotes but does not know his wife's favorite flower.

Father Matters is a program of "Fathers Mentoring Fathers." There are countless fathers out there who are positive role models and awesome dads. These are the men that we learn to be good dads from. You might be one of these fathers. Your dad may have been a father like this to you. Or, you may just want to be around some positive examples of truly good, effective fathers. Either way, Father Matters' "Father Mentoring Workshops" are developed to not only help us become better fathers, but to be the best fathers, and men, we can be.

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How Father Matters Works

This organization is based around our Father Mentoring Workshops and follow-on Men's Meeting Groups. Our one-day, six-hour workshops are presented throughout the United States and cover five critical topics of being an active, effective, and involved father. The topics are as follows:

• Communication:
  This is the key to any relationship and is stressed heavily in the program. Not only communication with your child, but communication with the child's mother as well.
  
  
• Time and Commitment:
  Not just quantity time but quality time as well. Being in the same room as your children when they are watching TV is not quality time. It is in these times that we will influence, guide, and direct our children. Remember, either we will take the time to influence our children or someone or something else will.
  
  
• Responsibility:
  When a child is born, we become a father. When we accept responsibility for that child, then we become a man. Men need to take responsibility for their families.

- Financial Responsibility
- Physical Responsibility
- Spiritual Responsibility
- Future Responsibility
- Guide, Guard and Governing Responsibility

• Dumping The Garbage:
  To become better fathers, we must first become better men. Dumping the garbage is about taking inventory of ourselves and cleaning up the messes in our lives.

  - Pornography
  - Alcoholism
  - Adultery
  - Drug Abuse
  - Physical, Mental and Verbal Abuse
  - Racism

Father Matters is "Fathers mentoring fathers." This is the heart of the organization. It is our hope that men will go from the workshop to establish or join a Men's Meeting Group. These "come as you are" groups provide a safe, non-attributable environment where fathers can share the joys and the sorrows, the triumphs and tragedies, and the personal challenges associated with fatherhood. They provide an opportunity for fathers to commit to encouragement, support, and accountability with other fathers, as well as themselves. Father Matters believes that, through positive actions and examples, and by learning from each other, participating fathers not only will become better men, but more importantly, their children will have better dads.

Men's Meeting Groups help refresh and teach life and relationship skills with parenting partners, friends and children by addressing topics such as: - Father/child relations - Partnering with mom - Dealing with the destructive mom - Topics from the popular Father Matters workshops - Today's challenges - Support and encouragement

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