Life is full of tough lessons, and Jamal Kariem has spent all nineteen years of his life learning the toughest lessons of life without guidance and support. That was until he joined our Young Fathers Services.

Jamal said he had heard about the Young Fathers Services from a few different sources for a couple of years, but it wasn’t until a four months ago when he was given a brochure about the program that he began to meet with Tim Cunniff, Parent Pathways’ Young Fathers Case Manager.

“What Tim does best is help by giving positive guidance versus negative violence,” Jamal said, “which is the only way I have been taught.”

Jamal meets with Tim once a week. Although they have spent a lot of their time together looking and applying for jobs, writing Jamal’s résumé and cover letter, discussing how to dress and how to answer interview questions, the lessons that Tim is teaching Jamal are priceless to him.

Jamal said, “I feel comfortable expressing myself and talking about different issues I am having. Tim’s really good at giving advice and different options. He makes me step outside the box and see the bigger picture.”

These lessons Jamal is learning are lessons he wishes his own father would have known. Jamal said the biggest lesson he has learned from his time with Tim is: “It’s not all about me... it’s about my son because he needs me.”

He continued to say, “I am breaking the cycle for all the men in my family. I am not going to leave my son behind.”

Together they are working on parenting techniques for his seventeen month-old son, Jamal Jr. Jamal and Jamal Jr.’s mother, Jimmia are also beginning parenting counseling sessions with one of Parent Pathways’ counselors at the Florence Crittenton School. Jamal and Jimmia realize that they were raised very differently, and they are working with the counselor to learn the best ways to discipline and raise their son.

Jamal said that the Young Fathers Services has helped him to build his self-esteem and maturity, and learn responsibility. He said, “I want to be a good role-model in every role that I play… father, brother, friend.”

Like the other young men who participate in our Young Fathers Services, Jamal is also receiving assistance with study skills and pre-testing for earning a GED, learning about financial responsibilities, developing a budget and looking for housing.

Fifty years from now Jamal said he wants to look back on his life and see he was a good dad who positively contributed to society and didn’t waste any time, but for now he is focused on keeping his new job and taking care of his son, providing him everything he needs.

Jamal also had some advice of his own for other young couples. “Educate yourself! Having a kid is harder work than you can imagine…it’s not just fun and games all the time. Wait until you are in a secure relationship and financially stable. You will need a large support system.”

Top of Page
Meet Our Friends Page