CHICAGO - April 1, 2020 - The Dovetail Project, a Chicago-based non-profit organization, announced a new initiative today to deliver essential baby care and personal care supplies to young fathers and their children throughout the City of Chicago during the COVID-19 crisis. Starting Wednesday, April 1, fathers will be able to text a 24-hour fatherhood support line to request help. Deliveries will begin on Monday, April 6th.
"COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the city. Residents are losing their jobs, schools are being closed, and resources are being cut in programs," says Sheldon Smith, Executive Director. "Because of this crisis, for the first time in Dovetail's 10-year history, our spring fatherhood training cohort has been canceled. As a result, Dovetail is shifting focus temporarily to provide essential resources to young fathers and their babies."
The Dovetail Project normally operates biannual 12-week sessions of its signature curriculum-based fatherhood training program with cohorts of young African-American fathers ages 17 to 24 on the South and West Sides of Chicago. The program highlights the roles, rights, and responsibilities of fatherhood; provides job skills, parenting skills, and felony street law education; and helps fathers maintain an active and engaged presence in their children's lives.
With the current economic crisis and shelter-in-place restrictions on public activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Dovetail Project is temporarily adjusting their way of supporting fathers. Rather than programming, this spring the organization will be providing young fathers with resources (toiletries, diapers, gift cards, etc.) so that they can support their children.
Thanks to the generous support of the Finnegan Family, as well as additional support from the NFL Foundation and the DART Foundation, The Dovetail Project has allocated $50,000 to launch the Fatherhood Relief Fund. The organization is actively fundraising to increase this amount in order to help as many fathers and families as possible.
How can fathers apply? Dovetail's 24-hour fatherhood support line begins on April 1. Fathers can text the word DOVETAIL to 56525 to request support for their families.
Who is eligible? Any father residing in the City of Chicago between the ages of 17-30 is welcome to apply, regardless of racial or ethnic background.
How can others help? Supporters can give online at https://thedovetailproject.org/donate/.
"Fathers deserve to be able to provide basic resources for their families during this crisis. Any amount you donate can make a huge difference to a family in need," says Smith.
To learn more about The Dovetail Project and their ten-year track record of impacting young fathers in Chicago, visit www.thedovetailproject.org.
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LaQuita Washington
