In recognition of the important role fathers play in the welfare and development of their children, the Today Not Tomorrow Family Resource Center has started a father’s group where men of all ages can get together and bond over the love of their children.

“The response to this father’s group has really been overwhelming and energetic and enthusiastic,” says Betty Banks, executive director of Today Not Tomorrow. “These men want to come together and do this in the best interests of their family and themselves, and it really has been a success. It’s a fun time; but it’s also an opportunity for them to learn more about being a father.”

Many people in the greater Madison community remember Banks from her work at a previous resource center, the South Madison Health & Family Center, known as Harambee.

Today Not Tomorrow’s Jeanne Erickson (left) and Betty Banks

“In the past, I was the director of a family resource center and we always had a strong father’s group,” Banks tells Madison365. “So, at this center, [Today Not Tomorrow Senior Executive Producer] Gaddi [Ben Dan] came by and we started talking about having a real need for a father’s group. A place for fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and more to get together who want to do things for their children, but also for men who want to talk about the issues that impact them as men in this community and in this country.

“We wanted to give men more opportunities to do things with their kids, learn more about their kids and become more confident in their parenting,” she adds.

Dan put a call out on Facebook for fathers and men responded quickly. A father and grandfather himself, Dan is the facilitator of the group and understands the important role men play in their families.

“I really enjoy communicating with these brothers … with black men. It’s a great group,” he tells Madison365. “We bring our grandchildren along with and we break bread. The men really enjoy it.

“The guys are enthusiastic about getting together to discuss issues that impact us. We talk about everything including family,” he adds.

The Today Not Tomorrow Family Resource Center (FRC) opened up earlier this summer inside of the East Madison Community Center. It provides a safe place for caregivers with infants and young children to play, learn and grow together. The programming and offerings of the FRC are open to anyone in the Madison and surrounding areas.

A child plays at the Today Not Tomorrow Family Resource Center

“We love the location,” Banks says. “It is really nice being co-located at the East Madison Community Center. That staff has been really welcoming to us. We feel like we are a really strong partner with them.”

“Today Not Tomorrow has always been about strengthening families over the years. What we’ve done with this resource center is we’ve become more intentional about it,” she adds.

You can still catch “Club TNT,” a weekly one-hour local TV show to encourage youth to pursue healthy behavior and habits, on Saturdays.

“We’re in our 24th seasons, and it is going great,” Banks says.

Meanwhile, the Today Not Tomorrow Family Resource Center provides opportunities for parents to learn about children and their needs and establish supportive networks. Outreach to fathers has been an important initiative for the Family Resource Center because the unique needs of these men are often overlooked.

The father’s group meets on the first Tuesday of each month and plans activities including fun ideas that include children. “We have gone to the zoo, had fun playing basketball and our cookout was a great success,” Dan says.

On Tuesday, Nov. 21, the men will be getting together for billiards and bowling at Schwoegler’s Lanes on Madison’s west side.

“After that, the dads and the kids will be going to see the Harlem Globetrotters at the Alliant Energy Center in December … sponsored by WISC-TV,” says Dan.

The father’s group is a lot of fun, but it’s also educational. The group is looking forward to group education sessions with topics such as “Early Brain Development,” “The Building Blocks to Positive Discipline,” “In the Kitchen With Dad,” which covers nutrition and healthy meal planning, and, lastly, the workshop for new fathers called “Papa Has a Brand New Bag (diaper bag),” which is about the nurturing and caring for infants.

“There is excitement among them because of the support they give each other over dinner, during a basketball game and during their monthly meetings. Older fathers and grandfathers, who are more experienced parents, provide wisdom and knowledge for the younger dads. In addition, they share useful community resources.

The Father’s Group meets at Applebee’s.

“It’s important when groups like this get together because they can build their own networks of support,” Banks says. “You make friends and soon you can call somebody and you know longer need to depend upon an organization. You depend upon each other for support. A men’s group like this opens up new networks.

“One of the nice things with this group is seeing the young fathers with some of the more-experienced dads who can interact with each other to talk about what fathering is all about,” Banks says.

Banks says that it’s not as common for men to come together as it is for women. “We’ve done some research about fathering and many times men have the question: Do I want to father my way or do I want to do it my father’s way? I think that this father’s group is an opportunity for men to explore those ideas and compare the way that they’ve been fathered themselves and what do they like and what would they change,” she says.

“One of the great things about this is that this is not a mandatory group,” Banks adds. “The men are coming because they have fun and they voluntarily want to learn more about their kids.”

Anyone wishing to join the father’s group should call, Gaddi Ben Dan at (608)358-7036. The Today Not Tomorrow Family Resource Center is located at 8 Straubel Ct. and is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with occasional weekend and evening activities.