The Fatherhood Network has been supporting fathers and families in Kalamazoo since 2015, and the people behind it will tell you the work is personal.
In a conversation recorded with PMN’s mediaImpact Content Studio, founder and Executive Director Kevin Lavender Jr. sat down with Director of Operations Derek Miller and Director of Wellness Jacob Pinney Johnson to talk about why they do this work, what fathers are up against, and what a community looks like when it takes fatherhood seriously.
Built by Fathers, for Fathers
The Fatherhood Network describes itself as a global support network for fathers and families — but its roots are firmly local. Kevin Lavender Jr. founded the organization in Kalamazoo in 2015 after navigating parental alienation and realizing that many fathers around him were facing the same barriers with nowhere to turn.
Jacob Pinney-Johnson, a fifth-generation Kalamazoo resident, brings a background in social work and health and wellness to his role as Director of Wellness. “There is a ripple effect around healthy fathers,” he said, “and that when fathers are healthy, that children, families, and communities thrive.”
Derek Miller, Director of Operations, frames it through his own experience as a father of two boys. The goal, he said, is to be educated and sharpened — not just for his own children, but to pass something on. “You can only pass on what you have.”
Meeting Fathers Where They Are
A central thread in the conversation is how the Fatherhood Network reaches fathers who might otherwise disengage — not through programs that feel clinical or institutional, but through spaces that feel familiar and real.
Dad Cafes, Barbershop Talks, and other community settings give fathers a place to be honest about their experiences, ask questions, and learn from each other. The Network also connects fathers with resources around employment, housing, and family court — some of the most common barriers that get in the way of fathers being present in their children’s lives.
The Kalamazoo Black Golf Association, which grew out of the Network’s programming, reflects another approach: incorporating joy, outdoor activity, and social connection as part of what wellness for fathers looks like.
What Fathers Actually Need
The team pushes back on narratives that frame fathers — and particularly Black fathers — as absent or uninvested.
“Most fathers want to be there,” Miller said. “Most fathers might not have been equipped with knowledge to know how to handle these different situations.” Some retreated out of fear or felt they couldn’t provide the way they wanted to. His message to those fathers: “Your kids spell love, TIME. They want you. They’re not looking for what’s in your hand. They’re looking for your heart.”
For Lavender, the organization’s continued existence is itself a testament to something larger — what he described as a calling beyond themselves to “leave a legacy and impact a generation that we may never see.”
His closing thought: “We need to continue to treat fatherhood as essential, not an accessory. As long as we continue to do that, our communities will be better.”
The Fatherhood Network is based in Kalamazoo, Michigan and serves fathers and families locally and beyond. Find them at thefatherhoodnetwork.org.
