Dora Gilreath is the communications assistant at Good Dads. She joined the team in 2024 and has a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in creative writing at Missouri State University. She loves reading, writing and anything related to theater.
Madison Dennis
Like many fathers, Madison Dennis grew up in a time when sharing your feelings or struggles is discouraged. Because of this, he struggled with an alcohol addiction, pretending nothing was wrong.
“Everything was great on the outside,” he said. “I hid from being drunk well. I had a full-time job, my wife had a job, and my kids were in school and didn’t know I drank. I hid it well, until I didn’t.”
Madison said he used to build things with his kids in the garage and even showed them how to work on the car. At first glance, everything was going well, but Madison couldn’t keep his addiction hidden forever. Madison described a breaking point in his addiction where the police were called, and he was kicked out of his house. For the next few months, he felt horrible, continuing to drink consistently.
His wife, Mary, encouraged him to seek treatment for his addiction. Madison referred to her as his “biggest supporter.” He said she helps him stay focused on his goals, staying by his side and encouraging him throughout his journey.
“She hasn’t given up on me when I almost did,” he said.
Madison went from patient treatment to the Restoration of Hope, a recovery outpatient nonprofit in Springfield, MO. It was there that he learned about the Good Dads program. He wanted to take advantage of the opportunity, admitting he’s still learning what fatherhood means to him. His own father wasn’t in the picture growing up, and he learned that being raised in the 80s and 90s was much different than being raised now.
“I never had an example,” he admitted. “It’s an ongoing learning process: learning as I go and learning to adjust.”
He said that through the Good Dads 2.0 course, he was able to reflect on his childhood, how he was brought up, and how some children are brought up differently now. He said it involves reframing your train of thought, which he admitted can be “exhausting” at times.
Madison says you have to “look at yourself and realize you were wrong and face yourself with what you did wrong.”
“You have to acknowledge it,” he said. “The relearning process hasn’t been a bad experience, but an eye-opener. It’s helped me see things from not just my own perspective.”
One of the most important lessons Madison said he learned in the Good Dads program was on communication. He’s gone on to use the skills he learned with Good Dads in both his personal and professional life. He even says he owes a recent work promotion to the communication skills he gained through the Good Dads program! Madison said that he often had a “my way or the highway” attitude, but now he feels more open to discussions.
“The biggest obstacle (Good Dads) has helped me overcome is the one-sided train of thought in communication,” he said. “I communicate a lot better with my wife and share things with her I wasn’t sharing. I talk with her more often about how I feel about things.”
When Madison formally graduated from the New Pathways for Good Dads program, he joked that it felt a little strange being in a suit in front of a lot of people.
“It’s not something I (would have) normally done, but it was a good experience,” he said. “My wife was there, showing support. (There are) other people out there going through the same difficulties—the same challenges—and overcoming things in their own way.”
Madison hopes to be involved in Good Dads in the future. Not only do both he and his wife want to take the Within Our Reach together (Prep’s healthy relationships course for couples), but he also wants to volunteer to mentor and facilitate Good Dads courses in the future. For fellow fathers going through similar struggles as Madison, he said the hardest part is facing yourself before you can move forward.
“If you’re in this program to help your children, you can’t do it for them if you can’t do it for you,” he said. “Focus on what you need to focus on; be the man you think they need and have room for improvement and adjustment.”
Madison said his biggest goal is to continue learning lessons in fatherhood and being a good role model and source of support for his children. He said to learn as you go along, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
“Do your best; you’re not alone,” he said. “There’s always someone there to help. Asking is the hardest thing to do, but once it’s done, it’s so easy to accept.