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Help comes from the most unexpected places in the most unexpected ways. This has been the case since the beginning of Dads4Kids in 2002. My wife and I have been truly humbled by the amazing support Dads4Kids has received over that time.

When we started Dads4Kids there was a desperate need to see positive change for men and fathers. Thankfully, we saw significant support from conservative liberal parliamentarians too numerous to mention. Men like John Anderson MP, the Deputy Prime Minister and Hon Larry Anthony, Minister for Children, who helped support the 12Pt Plan for fathers and families.

The good news it was not just conservative Parliamentarians that helped Dads4Kids but two amazing Labor parliamentarians (among many others). Mark Latham, who became the Leader of the Labor party, co-released the 12 Pt Plan with Larry Anthony in June 2003.

Secondly it was Jenny George, our local MP from the Labor left faction, who stood behind the much fairer Shared Parenting Legislation, introduced by John Howard in 2005-2006. Jenny was the parliamentarian that helped Dads4Kids secure its Tax-Deductible Status as a Harm Prevention Charity in 2005.

Interestingly when we were viciously attacked in the media in 2008, the only ones to offer behind-the-scenes support were two Labor Parliamentarians. Strangely my Liberal friends were silent.

One of the Labor Parliamentarians was Roger Price MP, who was at the time the longest-serving Labor member of parliament. He was risking his political future as he was the Chief Government Whip. The other who offered support was at one stage the Labor Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

It is at times like these you find out who your supporters really are. It is always humbling to receive such amazing support.

My wife and I have worked for Dads4Kids on a voluntary basis for the last 19 years. Of course, this is unsustainable and now we must raise significant finance to ensure the important work of giving our children the best start in life continues. We must move to the next generation.

The people who rise to the occasion, to support the future of our children, are the real heroes. Interestingly, we have recently had several emails and phone calls from Dads accusing us of selling out, because we support the idea of esteeming mothers in our Mother’s Day CSAs on TV.

Alison and I find these phone calls quite disturbing as we have worked so tirelessly for fathers for so long, but we have always supported mothers too. Of course, you can’t have a father without a mother! To give our children the best start in life, we must support both mothers and fathers.

Thankfully, we have some amazing women who support us. Let me tell you about three of them.

Just last week we had a wonderful woman give Dads4Kids $500. Why, you ask? The said Donor saw our Mother’s Day for all year-round TV ad, and went to our new website. She was so touched with our dream to give our children the best start in life and resist the cancel culture, she decided to pledge her support for Dads4Kids on the spot.

Only a few days ago, a young woman, 18 years old, gave a donation of several thousand dollars. Our team was staggered by her kindness. We rang her up to thank her and asked her why she gave Dads4Kids a donation when she was not even married, nor did she have any children.

Her answer was simple.

“I felt the inspiration of providence but in reality, I well know what Dads4Kids does. You guys helped my dad become a better dad and that means the world to me.

My father is much more focused on our family since he did the Good to Great fathering course. He started taking us camping more as result and giving each of us more time. My dad wrote me beautiful letters of love and appreciation during the Good to Great Fathering courses you guys ran. The great news is, I will keep these letters all my life.

Some of my friends’ dads have passed away and they don’t have anything to remember their dads by, but I do, thanks to Dads4Kids.

Furthermore, there is a huge attack on young men these days. The fact that Dads4Kids teaches men rites of passage means that many of these young men can gain hope and build a future.

Plus giving to Dads4Kids is tax-deductible and that helps with my finances.”

Lastly, we have a single mother who gives us a few thousand dollars each year. She has better things she could be doing with her money, but she knows fathers need support. She has three boys. Some of them are young men now — where else are they going to learn how to be men?

Sadly, her husband betrayed her and left her for another woman many years ago. To her absolute credit, she did not become bitter and twisted.

This single mother was very noble in her attitude, and she forgave her husband. She knew that hatred would not build a better future for her children. Only love could do this. I believe this could be one of the reasons she gives to Dads4Kids. It is always humbling to receive such amazing support.

Lovework

We don’t ask very often, but we do need your help with our Dads4Kids Help Our Children End of Financial Year June 30 Appeal. Every dollar counts.

If everyone who reads these words gave the equivalent cost of 10 coffees, we could reach our end of year goal of $300,000 with what has come in already.

Then again, there might be some brave men who would follow the example of the courageous women above and match their sacrifice. We could then go over our end-of-year goal, which would be better still.

Then we could even help even more children.
How exciting! GIVE NOW!

Thank You for your Amazing Support!
Warwick Marsh