HOUSTON – March 19th, 2021 – In his new book, Voices of the Fatherless, Percy Kennedy shares eye-opening letters from incarcerated fathers and thought-leaders in the field of fatherlessness that shine a light on the gaping wounds that a father’s absence leaves in the hearts of his children. Kennedy is the founder of Voices of the Fatherless, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization designed to teach, equip, affirm, and mentor those impacted by fatherlessness.
In his debut book, he gives readers a poignant look at the heartbreak and feelings of abandonment that nearly 40 percent of children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen face growing up in single-family homes without a father.
The idea for the book derived from time spent with men at the Wallace Pack Unit prison in Texas as a facilitator of the InsideOut Dad program, a national initiative designed to bridge the gap between the incarcerated father and his children and provide a road map to successful re-entry into society.
Kennedy became a single parent as a young college student and rose to the challenge to raise his son and graduate from Lamar University. He has poured his personal knowledge and empathy into combating fatherlessness for the past decade. As an administrator of the InsideOut Dad program for WoodsEdge Community Church, Kennedy invited program participants to write letters to their children, their younger selves, and school groups. Children were also given the chance to pen letters to their fathers.
With permission of participating inmates, Kennedy curated and compiled poignant and, at times, emotionally raw letters in the book to give readers a sobering look at the collateral damage left in the hearts of absent fathers (many who also grew up without a consistent father figure) and their children as well as the lessons hard-learned to provide guidance for the next generation.
“Their testimonies, their transparency, and their love for their children have inspired the basis for what you will read,” said Kennedy. “This book is intended to give fatherless children insight into why they think, feel, and act the way they do and also to connect that with their father’s experiences, with the ultimate goal to help lift the veil, heal the heart, and break the cycle.”
Ken R. Canfield, PhD., founder of the National Center for Fathering, lauds Kennedy for his efforts to respond to the negative impact of fatherlessness. In the book’s foreword, Canfield points to the many consequences of children growing up without a father in the home but says that no statistic can adequately measure the amount of pain caused by an absent father.
Voices of the Fatherless provides insight on the impact of fatherlessness as well as inspiration to provide a pathway forward for change.
The book is available via Amazon (Kindle eBook edition) and in paperback via Barnes & Noble, Walmart, BookBaby Book Shop, Google Books, and leading online booksellers nationwide.
For more information, or to set up a youth program for your school or group, visit voicesofthefatherless.com or contact voicesofthefatherless@gmail.com
Media Contact
Company Name: Voices of the Fatherless
Contact Person: Percy Kennedy
Phone: 281.804.9255
Country: United States
Website: http://www.voicesofthefatherless.com/
