Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Torri J. Evans-Barton.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dr. Torri J.. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, without my biological father did not seem to have much impact on my life until it did. One day out of nowhere I was 30 years old and wanted to know my father.
Talking with my mother was arduous, but that conversation gave me the information I needed to locate him. Finding the man’s name in the Whitepages offered me the opportunity to call or write him a letter. I wrote the letter. Strangely enough, he responded to my letter asking him if he was my father on my 31st birthday.
Shortly after our initial talk over the phone, we took a Paternity Test. I did not waste any time. The results were 99.963% positive. I found my father! Finding my biological father at 31 years old caused me to realize the significance fathers play in our lives.
I believe, if possible, all human beings should have the same opportunity I was provided. By being reunited with my biological father, I was positioned to heal from the trauma fatherlessness introduced. Reuniting with my father ignited an incredible burden to help other fatherless children reunite with their absent fathers.
In 2009, I launched The Fatherless Generation Foundation (TFGF). TFGF is a (501c4) non-profit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia providing services to now 98 cities within 33 states where we are reuniting fathers and their children all while providing the resources and services that strengthen, support, and elevate a commitment to fatherhood and family values.
Our services include Husband & Wife Team Mentor Teams, Beyond Fatherless Peer Groups hosted in The Boys & Girls Clubs across America where we help fatherless children overcome the obstacles of their fatherless household, Tutoring through Kumon, and at the helm of the organization is the Commitment to Fatherhood Program where we reunite fatherless children with their biological fathers.
It took me a while to figure out the processes, curriculums, and partnerships out. But once I did TFGF has thrived. To date, we have hosted 52,000 children through our Beyond Fatherless Peer Groups, mentored 216 fatherless children through our Husband & Wife Mentor Teams, Tutored 39 fatherless children in reading and math, and reunited 3042 fatherless children with their biological fathers!
What makes this organization unique is the fact we still have not found anyone else in the country who reunites the way TFGF does. TFGF and I would not be where we are today without our “Father’s Day” segment on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. This segment allows me the opportunity to frequently come on the air and reunite a fatherless child(ren) with the biological father.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. From 2009-2013, there were real challenges to launch such an organization. I found myself receiving a lot of pushback concerning the reunites and questions as to why would I want a father who clearly abandoned his child to have a second chance. At first, those questions were tough to answer. Unable to answer those questions sufficiently left me hungry and financially destitute. But, I refused to give up.
I knew I was on to something. I felt this was my purpose in life. I dug into studies and statistics learning the particulars around fatherlessness and its impact on our society and the children growing up in it. I discovered there was much more to fatherlessness than just a man walking out and abandoning their family. Fatherlessness can be everything from a father who walks out, to a father who does not live in the home, to a father who has died. And let’s not forget about the father who lives in the home but is disengaged emotionally from his family.
By 2013, I really found my answers and realized with so many unwed fathers without access to their children there needed to be a legal component to TFGF’s reunification process to ensure the success and longevity of the reunifications. I then added other holistic components in order to create the proper balance during such conflict.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Fatherless Generation Foundation Inc. – what should we know?
The Fatherless Generation Foundation Inc. (TFGF). TFGF is a (501c4) non-profit organization headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with offices in St. Louis, Missouri, Miami, Florida, Dallas, Texas, Washington, DC, and now Chicago, Illinois where we reunite fathers and their children all while providing the resources and services that strengthen, support, and elevate a commitment to fatherhood and family values to 98 cities within 33 states.
Our services include Husband & Wife Team Mentor Teams, Beyond Fatherless Peer Groups hosted in The Boys & Girls Clubs across America where we help fatherless children overcome the obstacles of their fatherless household, Tutoring through Kumon, and at the helm of the organization is the Commitment to Fatherhood Program where we reunite fatherless children with their biological fathers.
I am most proud of the fact, TFGF has hosted 52,000 children across the country through our Beyond Fatherless Peer Groups, mentored 216 fatherless children through our Husband & Wife Mentor Teams, Tutored 39 fatherless children in reading and math with Kumon, and reunited 3042 fatherless children with their biological fathers!
What sets TFGF apart from others is, the fact we still have not found anyone else in the country who reunites the way we do and for the reasons we do.
Personally, I am most proud of being the recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the 44th President of The United States Barack Obama, and being the wife of Varick C. Barton, MDiv. & the bonus mom to Charity Barton. I serve on the National Father’s Day Council and Women Against Paternity Fraud Advisory Board.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The essential qualities and characteristics that have been most important to my success… GRIT; the resolve to never give up in the face of adversity, trusting my instincts in the midst of all the chit-chatter, replacing my negative self-talk with positive affirmations, and compassion.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3340 Peachtree Road NE Suite 1010 Atlanta, GA 30326
- Website: www.tfgf.org
- Phone: 1-888-407-7990
- Email: info@tfgf.org
- Instagram: @thefatherlessgeneration
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFatherlessGenerationFoundation/
- Twitter: @werfatherless
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-fatherless-generation-foundation-atlanta
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