“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Anonymous
Isabella had turned three years old and could not have had a care in the world. She lived on Balboa Island in Newport Beach, California and had the love of two parents who loved each other. Her life was abundance in every sense of the word — protected, sheltered and loved.
Cleaning out our closets and preparing to donate our less-used clothing, I was on the phone making arrangements to have our family clothing picked up and donated to Charity. Upon hanging up the phone, Isabella asked me if Charity was the name of a little girl who lives in Santa Ana, a neighboring, less fortunate town.
My Dad, Arthur, had always taught me “to live by my actions, not only by my word. It is never enough to talk about it, unless you walk the talk and set the example.” I knew I could not wait and lose the opportunity to teach my daughter, Isabella, a lesson for her life.
We immediately loaded the clothes into our new SUV and drove to a family transitional shelter in Santa Ana — The Orange County Interfaith Shelter. It was there where Isabella first was introduced to Charity, and played with many, many less fortunate children, giving them her clothing from her closet, her high chair and her baby car seat.
That face-to-face, heart-to-heart interaction for Isabella set in motion a young lifetime of giving. And on that day, in that moment, Dads for Giving was born.
Isabella and Daddy Mark buy and deliver two Thanksgiving dinners to families in Santa Ana, California.
Isabella and Daddy Mark buy, make and deliver 50 Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless on the streets of Santa Ana, California.
Isabella, her brothers Harry & Ricky and Daddy Mark buy, make and deliver 100 Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless on the streets of Miami Beach and Miami, Florida.
Isabella, Harry, Ricky and Daddy Mark buy, make and deliver 150 Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless on the streets of Miami Beach and Miami, Florida.
Isabella, Harry, Ricky, Daddy Mark, Raquel, Daphne, Daddy Arthur, Oliver, Lucas and Daddy Art buy, make and deliver 300 Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless on the streets of Miami Beach and Miami, Florida.
With food sponsored by Sysco, the growing group of Dads and kids make and deliver 500 Thanksgiving lunches to the homeless on the streets of Miami Beach and Miami, Florida.
With a parking lot donated by Park West Parking and food donated by Cheney Brothers, over 500 hot meals are served on Thanksgiving morning. Founding dads Mark, Adam, Eric and Arthur are joined by 8 more dads and more than 25 kids.
After receiving 501(c)(3) status, Daddy Mark, Eric, Arthur, Adam and Alan and their 11 kids make 500 bag lunches, handed out one by one on the streets of Miami.
Daddy Mark, Eric, Arthur and Alan and their 11 kids prepare 100 hot meals, distributed downtown and under the I-395 freeway.
8 Dads, 22 kids (and a Mom) — joined by the Bast, Pathman, Sokol, Serbin and Whitehead families — prepare 500 hot Thanksgiving meals.
All the Daddies and Kids together again — 400 deliveries to those in need, with new families joining the effort.
Carnival Cruise Line donates its cafeteria for food preparation, where the kids prepare 800+ meals served near the American Airlines Arena.
2013 is a beautiful repeat of 2012.
A new partnership with Lotus House, a haven for mothers and children — the Dads and kids serve a hot holiday meal to 75 moms and 110 kids, with a gift-wrapped Christmas present for every child.
Taking a cue that socks are the #1 requested item in homeless shelters nationwide, the group distributes over 500 pairs of socks on the streets of Miami.
The sock effort repeats, with a Mother's Day addition: a photo booth and flower distribution at Lotus House for moms and their kids.
Sock distribution grows to over 1,000 pairs — highlighted by a moment where a boy gives the shoes off his own feet to a man on the street.
A beautiful repeat of 2017.
A beautiful repeat of 2018.
Amid COVID-19, a pack of medical masks is added to every sock distribution for Miami's homeless community.
Dads for Giving takes requests — Mark, Bella and Harry give out 500 bags of t-shirts, socks and masks under the overpasses of Miami.
“Kids don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” — Jim Henson
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” — Muhammad Ali