Dads gather at Buckingham Elementary School for Fathers Forward program

BERLIN, Md. – A dozen dads gathered in the Buckingham Elementary School cafeteria, Wednesday, for the early morning Fathers Forward program, run by Eugene Schneeberg.

“We had a great turnout today, with dads here at Buckingham Elementary School, dad’s excited, dropping their kids off at school, had an opportunity to spend an hour talking about how important fatherhood is,” said Schneeberg.

Some of the dads were strangers, but they bonded over fatherhood and the ups and downs of it.

Scheenberg said he wanted to create a safe space, where attendees could learn from each other and cultivate a community.

“Sometimes as dads, we can feel isolated or alone, so the idea of being in a community, being with other brothers that can understand what you’re going through, that can relate to what you’re going through, is really important,” said Scheenberg.

Helping to bring this event to life, Blaire Lynch with the Judy Center hopes each father who attended walks away with an additional tool in their dad toolbox, that they can use while navigating parenthood.

“I think there’s a misconception that dads aren’t really involved, but are we giving them the opportunity to be involved? I think having this sort of program incorporated is a great way for them to understand that they can be there for their kid, just as much as anybody else,” said Lynch.