Dad Guild Inc

Fatherhood Peer Support - Dad Guild is home to a growing peer network of over 2,000 dads across the state of Vermont. The organization follows best practices of engaging men by meeting them where they are at utilizing peer-facilitated casual environments. A wide range of activities are offered that speak to a variety of interests and passions and are offered at different days and times including weekends and evenings when organizations typically do not offer services. Programming is offered with the intention of increasing the number of social connections dads have and increasing the number of people dads can turn to when they are looking for support. This has become increasingly concerning with well-documented research that highlights the male loneliness epidemic. Regular activities offered include virtual check-ins drop-in basketball New Dad Cohorts board game nights Dungeons & Dragons meetups campfires and several different virtual platforms ex. private Facebook group Discord community private Subreddit. This year in-person programs began expanding into additional regions across the state. Data gathered from this years annual survey found that dads who participate in programs experience a significant increase in the number of social connections they have and an increase in the number of people they can turn to for support when needed. This program served approximately 237 unique fathers over the course of the 24-25 fiscal year not including the number of dads who connected with one another through the organizations virtual platforms.

Dads & Kids - Dad Guild offers a wide range of activities that foster positive relationships between fathers and their children primarily kids ages birth through age 8. Activities occur primarily on the weekends when other service providers are closed and when a majority of dads are not working. Weekends are also a stretch of unstructured time for single dads navigating custody issues. Program offerings take place at a variety of community settings and include library playgroups playground playgroups nature walks rock climbing weeknight dinners attending collegiate sporting events going to the movies attending arcade events and more. Over the course of fiscal year 24-25 approximately 600 unique dads and kids participated in this program.

Other program services Whole Family Events ~ Additionally Dad Guild offers whole family events in order to support dads who may experience social anxiety which prevents them from participating in events. Whole family events also provide opportunities for families without present fathers or those with incarcerated fathers to feel a sense of belonging in the Dad Guild community. Regular whole family offerings include pancake breakfasts dance parties a winter concert series and coffee & waffle gatherings. This program saw approximately 2,187 attendees not necessarily unique over the course of the fiscal year.