Hey folks,

Although it feels like forever ago, I still remember March of 2020 quite well. I remember talking about COVID-19 in a staff meeting at The Family Room on March 4th, and thinking "yeah, no big deal, just wash your hands." I remember the weekend of March 6th-8th, when Dad Guild's Board of Directors went on our first retreat, and worked with a consultant at an AirBnB in Leicester, VT. I remember Wednesday, March 11th, when Dad Guild hosted a "Dads' Night Out" event at Zero Gravity, only to find 4 fathers in attendance at a half empty bar. I remember talking to the bartender, and wondering out loud "so is this really a thing?"

Little did I know, two days later, my daughters would attend their last day of school until the beginning of summer. And although my memory of those first two weeks in March is pretty clear, the three months that followed Governor Scott's school closures announcement are very much a blur.

When I sit back and reflect on last March, it's so bizarre to think about how quickly the world turned upside-down, and how quickly folks needed to pivot and adjust. Over the past year, I have connected with so many fathers, and have been so impressed with how folks have risen to the occasion. I've loved seeing folks lean into one another, and to see the growing Vermont fatherhood community that is erupting out of this pandemic.

Let's keep the momentum going.

I'm looking forward to seeing you all in-person, at a playground with our children, at some date in the not too distant future. And I'm looking forward to the continued growth of our community of dads, and the potential that exists regarding our collective ability to reshape how fatherhood looks in our society.

-Keegan

If you're having trouble viewing the calendar in this email, please click here to view a larger image.

All virtual events are being hosted by Dad Guild on Zoom. Same link. Same password. Every time (with the exception of the Fletcher Free Library book groups, which you will receive a separate Zoom link for via email when you register).

Link: https://zoom.us/j/142812659?pwd=MDRwQXE2MEhiRVVjaE5hUFRYOE91Zz09

Password: 614565

Having difficulty setting up Zoom? Lacking access to reliable technology that allows you to connect with us? Reach out to us and we'll see how we can help.

Help Dad Guild Support Winooski Mutual Aid

On Saturday, March 13th, Winooski Mutual Aid is hosting a Pop-Up Mutual Aid (PUMA) Drive for community members in need during these challenging times. If you don't know about Winooski Mutual Aid, they're a group of 100+ community volunteers who are stepping up to help out their neighbors while fostering a strong sense of community. This month, Dad Guild is helping raise money and donations for kids' hygiene products and art kits for the upcoming PUMA as part of our Dadvocate initiative. Please visit our GoFundMe page to learn more about how you can help. In addition to donating money, you can purchase needed products and drop them off at Vivid Coffee in Burlington, located at 150 Cherry St.

Dadvocate Giving Circle Launches This Month

After mentioning the "Dadvocate Giving Circle" a few months back, I know you've all been tingling with anticipation. Well tingle no more...it's here. Since last June, fathers have been meeting twice a month to discuss topics related to systemic racism in order to deepen our understanding, and explore antiracist actions we can all take. Beginning this month, that workgroup is transforming into Dad Guild's Antiracist Dadvocate Giving Circle. This new structure will help guide our work in the months and years ahead. I'll give you a quick explanation of how things will look:

Meetings will happen once a month, for six months
Members will identify topics they feel passionate about, and then vote on a shared topic to focus on as a group
Readings, podcasts, interviews, etc. related to the topic will be shared with one another, and folks will spend time deepening their collective understanding of the topic through discussions in safe spaces
Research will be conducted on the local level in order to figure out which organizations are addressing this issue, and the group will vote on a specific organization to focus on
The Giving Circle will raise money for that organization, through member contributions (encouraged, but not necessary), social media campaigns, and additional potential community fundraisers
Monetary gift will be delivered to organization
Wash, rinse, and repeat the following six months

This is not an exclusive group, and any of you are invited to attend at any point in the process! Just show up to the meeting, or email info@dadguild.org for more information.

Gathering Child Care Stories for Let's Grow Kids

If you use the Internet, you may be tired of seeing my face pop up on VTDigger four times on one page. I get it. But you know what else? The conversation around accessible, high quality, affordable child care needs to be in the forefront, and it's an issue we need to prioritize. This month, Dad Guild will gathering your stories around child care challenges to share with the folks at Let's Grow Kids. This movement needs more fathers to share their perspectives, as we're hoping to hear yours. Here are a few different ways you can share your story:

Call the Dad Guild warmline at 802-318-4231 and leave a voicemail sharing your story
Attend a Wednesday night check-in this month, where we will be setting aside some intentional time each week to gather stories
Share your story in the Dad Guild Burlington Facebook group (be on the lookout for prompts)
Send us an email at info@dadguild.org

Thanks in advance for your tales. I look forward to hearing them, and to use our network of caring, loving fathers to help make a difference.

Second Annual Dad Guild Tent Event

Holy smokes, Batman! Can you believe it's been a year since our pop-up (ha!) Tent Day event?! Last year on March 22nd, we asked fathers to pitch a tent/build a fort outside, in their living room, in their car, etc, and share in our Facebook group. It was pretty awesome, and I think nearly a dozen fathers pitched tents with their kids that day. So guess what, this year we're doing it again...and we're adding a prize. Here's the deal, and sorry for all the bullet points in this newsletter (/not sorry):

During the weekend of March 20-21, pitch a tent/build a fort/make an igloo/be creative with your children, inside or outside
Take a photo of yourself with your children, and then share in one of the following ways:
- Post the image on social media, and just be sure to tag Dad Guild in the post (@Dad Guild on Facebook, @dadguild on Instagram and Twitter)
- Post the image to our private "Dad Guild Burlington" Facebook group
- Email the picture to info@dadguild.org
The event will end on Sunday, 3/21, at 8pm. All photos need to be submitted by then!
Monday morning, a winner will be randomly selected from the entries, and that winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to Cafe Mamajuana in Burlington's Old North End.

If you'd like to enter, but feel uncomfortable sharing an image of yourself/your child on social media, no worries! Although we love seeing pictures of you and your smiling kids, we totally understand the concerns that arise with this, and the varying levels of comfort folks have. Feel free to blur out faces, wear masks, use Lego people as your models...be creative! In the meantime, please reach out with any questions. Good luck!

Dolly Parton Library in Winooski has Launched

After raising enough funds from our fabulous community members and going through the paperwork process, Dad Guild is now ready to begin accepting registrations for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Winooski. Please visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library today to register your child, today!

Get Outdoors: Bread & Butter Farm

Have you ever been to Bread & Butter Farm in Shelburne? I took my two year-old last Friday for a visit, and it was a perfect day. Blue skies, friendly staff, greenhouses, cows, pigs, chickens...there was even a small fire pit going with breakfast tacos and caffeinated beverages available. Visit their website today and follow them on social media to learn about upcoming happenings, and just be sure to show up with your mask on!

Managing Sad Feelings

January of this year was certainly one of my darker months in recent memories. It's not too surprising that a year of elevated stress got me there, particularly in the dead of winter. One of the weirdly comforting things I've come to realize is that a lot of parents have been experiencing similar feelings this time of year, and I think it's so important to be honest and address the stigma attached to mental health challenges. Read about my recent experience with low feelings, and my attempt to climb out of a dark place in this month's "Pop Culture" column in Kids VT Newspaper.

New England Fathering Conference: Quarterly Virtual Workshops Begin March 10th

The New England Fathering Conference is an annual, multi-day event that provides attendees with the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops involving fatherhood topics. Due to COVID-19, the in-person conference will not be happening this year, and will instead be taking the form of a series of webinars spread out quarterly in 2021. One of the benefits of these virtual webinars? Registration is free! The first webinar will be happening on Wednesday, March 10th, from 9:00am - 12:30pm. Topics covered this go around will be "Recognizing and Healing the Trauma of Father Absence", and "Family Matters - Working with Fathers and Families Impacted by Incarceration". Please click here to visit the NEFC website to learn more and register, and please be in touch with any questions.

Fathering Together's Gender Equity for Fathers Webinar Series

Speaking of free webinars, every Monday during the month of March the organization Fathering Together is hosting a series of conversations that focus on being a dad who supports gender equity. There are some pretty fantastic people lined up, along with some great topics to be covered. Please feel free to visit their website to learn more and register today.