Good Dads, a nonprofit headquartered in Springfield with community chapters throughout Missouri, is excited to announce its “Great Community of the Year” contest. The brand-new contest aims to honor the outstanding grassroots developments taking place across the state to support engaged fatherhood.
The contest, part of Good Dads’ 10th birthday celebration, was developed as an opportunity to recognize the outstanding communities in Missouri whose residents go above and beyond in their father-focused efforts. The winning community will receive a $10,000 grand prize to support responsible fatherhood projects.
Founded in 2015, Good Dads is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on inspiring, resourcing and encouraging fathers to be more involved in the lives of their children. Headquartered in Springfield, MO, Good Dads also has regional offices in Kansas City and Columbia. It serves hundreds of fathers every year through a variety of programs, events and resources that empower them to be Good Dads.
Dr. Jennifer L. Baker, a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and director of Good Dads, says a cornerstone of the nonprofit’s operations is to build better communities. She and her team achieve this by promoting engaged fatherhood—especially in areas that would otherwise have access to very few resources to champion fatherhood.
“Studies tell us that the best places to live have a high percentage of engaged fathers,” Baker said. “This makes the community safer, the schools stronger and the economy more robust. This most often occurs when the whole community rallies around the importance of supporting engaged fatherhood in meaningful ways.”
Any Missouri community with an ongoing Good Dads program can enter the contest by answering the questions in the online submission form and submitting before the May 1 deadline. After an evaluation committee reviews each qualifying candidate, Good Dads will announce the winner, plus first and second runners-up.
“We’re excited to celebrate the changes occurring around Missouri as communities come together to support and promote responsible and engaged fatherhood,” Baker said.
Find contest rules and details on the Good Dads website, https://gooddads.com/events/
