Families Without Fathers

Because every family has special circumstances when dealing with the loss of a father, Families Without Fathers provides a variety of services in an individualized approach to meet these unique family needs.

With your help, the following are our service programs in development today:

Child Care assistance -- the sudden transition to the work force may leave a mother in a bind of obtaining child care services. We help match child care services to meet the special needs of our families in crisis.

Counseling support -- we bring grief counselors, depression experts and family/children specialists who lend their services to help families when they need it the most.

Financial planning -- when tragedy strikes, many families face a financial crisis. By teaming families with financial planners and specialists, families can develop strategies and tactics to help maintain quality of life standards, while coping with a new financial reality.

Funeral assistance -- one of the hardest emotional issues to face is the funeral process. By helping with funeral services, families have one less burden to deal with.

Job and Career aid -- when a father dies unexpectedly, the wife is often left in the position of having to enter or re-enter the workforce. By pooling job and career resources, we help prepare, transform and empower homemakers to family breadwinners.

Legal services -- by working with family law attorneys who specialize in tax, probate, community property, and family related issues, families can rest assured knowing that their legal rights are being protected.

Social support -- the loss of a father can create a devastating void of social contact and interaction. Having someone who listen, talk and even help out in simple day-to-day activities can make a world of a difference. Our volunteers work to lend families a helping hand in humanizing these times of need.

Unique needs -- when a father dies during the holidays, little things like buying children toys or clothes can carry massive emotional burdens. We help families in providing special services for unique situations, like this where simply providing holiday items makes a world of a difference.

Q: Who benefits from Families Without Fathers?

A: The primary beneficiaries of our services are the immediate families that we help. However, a major beneficiary also includes the communities from where these families reside. Data shows that children exposed to fatherless families are more likely to commit crimes, engage in drug abuse, commit suicide and suffer from depression. By helping families during their time of need, we also contribute directly to their communities.

Q: Where does Families Without Fathers help families?

A: Currently, FWF is in its first phase of development. With our current limitation on resources, FWF can currently help families in northern California. As we grow, so too does our ability to reach out and expand our services. Our vision is to be able to provide services nationwide.

Q: Does Families Without Fathers help families where a step-father has died?

A: Yes, FWF helps families where the father-figure (this could be an uncle, step-parent, grandfather, or any other male head of household) has died. Our only requirement is that a legally valid marriage existed prior to the father's death.

Q: Does Families Without Fathers help families where the parents are divorced?

A: Yes, as long as there was a legally valid marriage prior to the father's death, a family unit existed. Once that family unit is disrupted by the death of a father, FWF is there to help. Not all services may be applicable, but FWF will help to the extent that it can.

Q: Does Families Without Fathers help single-mothers who were not married?

A: Unfortunately, FWF does not have the resources to aid and assist all single-mothers. Our mission is focused on helping the family unit, and if no family unit pre-existed, we can not fulfill this mission. Therefore, we are limited to helping only those where a traditional family unit, including a father, existed.

Ron Brahy, Board of Directors
Ron Brahy is a co-founder and sits on Families Without Fathers' Board of Directors. Mr. Brahy brings nearly 20 years of financial industry experience, including working at the Options Floor, Pacific Stock Exchange in San Francisco, as well as with leading financial and insurance providers. In addition to Brahy's financial acumen and support to Families Without Fathers, he provides additional non-profit experience resulting from his work in sponsoring and volunteering at local Child ID days. Brahy is active in his local school district and participates as a member of the Financial Board for his children's school.

Rachel Campagna , Board of Directors
As a director, Campagna's duty is to shape the mission, services, programs and polices of Families Without Fathers. She brings extensive work experience from the mortgage industry, property management and residential development. Campagna is driven by a strong sense of community, involving herself in non-profit organizations and local politics. She is a proud wife and mother to an expanding family. Campagna holds a B.S. in Political Science from San Jose State University and is completing her J.D. from Lincoln Law School of San Jose (2007).

Christopher McKie, Board of Directors
Chris McKie is a founder of Families Without Fathers and sits on the Board of Directors. He brings a vast array of business management and marketing expertise to the organization. His work experience spans nearly 20 years; ranging from Silicon Valley start-ups to Fortune 100, publicly-held corporations, as well as volunteering services for local non-profit organizations. Among his accomplishments, McKie is a licensed private pilot, holds a B.S. from San Jose State University and is finishing a J.D. from Lincoln Law School of San Jose (2007).

Mike Rosenbaum, Board of Directors
Mike Rosenbaum is a founding member of the board of directors. He brings over 10 years of marketing and public relations experience to the organization. His qualifications include graduating with a B.S. degree in business administration from California State University, Chico. He has held various management positions among technology and telecommunications companies before joining Families Without Fathers' board. His duties are spelled out in the bylaws, and include participation in key meetings and voting on board decisions.