A Southern Colorado fatherhood program offers resources and mentorship for local dads

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Catholic Charities of Southern Colorado (CCSCO) is offering financial training, networking opportunities, and coaching to dads in Pueblo, through a free 13-week program aiming to strengthen fatherhood in the area.

The Pueblo-based program is a localized part of a larger initiative, the Colorado Fatherhood Program, which receives federal funding from the Colorado Department of Human Services.

Gabe Charboneau, a self-titled fatherhood advocate, leads the cohorts of men who participate.

Just finishing up the program's second cohort made up of 15 Pueblo men, Charboneau said he is happy to see the ways the program has impacted the lives of participants.

"I have heard firsthand from my dads that they don't want to leave the group," Charboneau said. "I actually have several dads that stayed on last cohort and I have more that are staying on this cohort because they look forward to this group every week."

In addition to building relationships, fathers gain access to more CCSCO resources by participating in the program. Those resources include opportunities to network and obtain insurance, legal aid, and access to healthy food.

Charboneau hopes the program can give fathers all they need to change their trajectories.

"We're helping dads heal their wounds, become better fathers, and learn how to father from a healthy perspective in hopes that their children will model that behavior back," Charboneau said. "So we're not just changing dads for one generation. Our hope is that we can change dads for many."

For more information about the fatherhood program and available resources, click here.