It is so important that we have positive male role models if we are going to break the cycle of domestic violence, which is why Hands of Hope is working diligently to engage men in …
Celebrating Father Figures & Their Impact on Community Mentorship
I have been fortunate to have more than one man in my life who has served as a father figure, something I reflect on fondly. Our community recently lost one of those father figures with the passing of Alan Miller on May 31.
It wasn’t that I needed a father when I arrived in Marion to work for the Chronicle-Tribune, it just seemed to be one of the attributes Alan Miller embodied.
I fondly remember Alan Miller and Ed Breen, two long-time editors at the Chronicle-Tribune whose desks were butted next to each other facing the gaggle of reporter desks. Alan and Ed sat next to each other nearly every day for 30 years in that newsroom.
I always pictured Alan and Ed as the two elderly men who sat in the balcony on the Muppets show and always had some nugget of wisdom or wise crack to make.
Alan always dressed preppy in his penny loafers, crisp tan pants, argyle button up shirts, and a plaid necktie. While Ed, I recall was, how do I say, more casual in his attire. The differences between the two men were like night and day. Yet you could count on either one to offer you fatherly advice or direction on how to wrangle a good story.
Probably my fondest memory of Alan was when I told him I had decided to leave the newspaper business and pursue a career at Family Service Society, Inc. I think Alan was the Family Service Society’s President of the board of directors at the time.
I remember Alan taking me aside and very seriously asking me if Family Service Society, Inc. was going to pay me enough money. I reminded him just how poorly the Chronicle-Tribune was paying me and assured him that my new career would be an increase in wages.
I hadn’t seen Alan recently, other than an occasional chance meeting at Aldi, but my admiration for both men has remained steady. As father figures do, they were a presence in my life, even if we didn’t talk. Which in turn, is a reminder that no matter how long you are in someone’s life, the impact you can make can last a lifetime.
Which brings me to the importance of men showing up in their children’s lives and the lives of others. It is so important that we have positive male role models if we are going to break the cycle of domestic violence, which is why Hands of Hope is working diligently to engage men in this movement.
Currently, as part of a five-year initiative Hands of Hope, with the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Centers for Disease Control are focusing on a fathering initiative. As part of this work, listening sessions are being conducted to find out just how to engage men in positive role modeling.
If you or someone you know is a male interested in helping Hands of Hope, please reach out to Delta Ahead Project Coordinator Jeanelle Artherhults at 765-667-8791 or by email jartherhults@getradiant.org
Hands of Hope – Radiant Health (getradiant.org)
ICADV – Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (icadvinc.org)
