A Night To Remember
This February, the Franklin County Community Based Correctional Facility (CBCF), hosted a Father–Daughter Dance for fathers participating in its reentry program.
It was a night centered on connection.
Daughters arrived early for hair and nail services. There was a red carpet, dinner, music, and dancing. Each daughter was announced as she walked in, where her dad greeted her with a custom corsage.
Before any of that happened, though, we had the privilege of playing a small role.
Helping Dads Show Up
Through My Brother’s Closet, our partnership with the Columbus Urban League, we provided participating fathers with formal attire at no cost.
We created My Brother’s Closet to support people preparing for pivotal moments like job interviews and first days of work, but we have always known that confidence isn’t just professional. It’s personal, too.
For these dads, the important moment wasn’t an interview. It was standing at the end of a red carpet, waiting for their daughters.
One father shared:
“Very grateful because it’s giving me a chance to bond with my daughter and I need to bond with her as much as she needs to bond with me.”
That’s why this matters to us. We see every day how clothing can remove one barrier. When someone feels prepared, they stand a little taller and can focus on what’s in front of them instead of worrying about how they look.
At Goodwill Columbus, our mission is rooted in opportunity. Often, that looks like employment and job training, but opportunity also looks like a father getting a second chance to create a positive memory with his child.
We were honored to support these fathers as they prepared for a night their daughters will never forget.
A Community Effort
The dance was made possible by strong collaboration across organizations and volunteers, including, The Ridge Project, Lighthouse Behavioral Health Solutions, OES Alpha Chapter #1, Amy Risch, Balloonics, Jaclyn Brooks and Quishara Shull, C Butts, Austin Riffe, Dontreis Dismuke and Eliza Parsons, and CBCF resident volunteers.
A special thank you to Program Manager Kenya Taylor for coordinating to bring the evening together.
At Goodwill Columbus, opportunity can look like a father having what he needs to show up for his daughter with confidence. We’re proud that My Brother’s Closet could support that moment.
