Dad to Dad Podcast

Paul and his wife Nancy are co-founders of Gigi's Playhouse, which are Down syndrome achievement centers for individuals, like their daughter Gigi, who have Down syndrome. There are now more than 30 Gigi's Playhouses across the country. Listen to Paul share his life with and commitment to his special daughter, Gigi.


Website - https://www.gigisplayhouse.org
Email - [email protected]

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

Movie, television and Broadway star Joe Mantenga and his wife Arlene discovered that daughter Mia --- at two and a half years old --- was autistic. Joe shares his journey with listeners of raising an autistic child: finding the right schools and searching for needed resources. He also talks about the special relationship between Mia and her younger sister Gia.

Email - [email protected]

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

Jim Elliott, the father of two daughters with disabilities and founder of Diveheart.org, changes lives by people with all abilities through scuba diving, scuba therapy and related activities.

https://www.diveheart.org
Email - [email protected]

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

Skip Gianopulos of Barrington, IL Is the father of four daughters; two Down syndrome and one with Autism. Take a listen to see just how this man's life has been changed, and how he's helped change the lives of many more through his work with GiGi's Playhouse.

Email - [email protected]

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

Our guest this week is Randy Lewis of South Barrington, IL a former EVP at Walgreens and the father of three including middle child & son, Austin, who has Autism.

Randy's life was transformed by Austin's Autism. And it would lead Randy, to then transform the lives of thousands of other "differently-abled" Americans.

While at Walgreens Randy was in charge of the 20+ Walgreens distribution centers with more than 10,000 employees and a $1B P&L. In 2006 Randy lead the creation of a state of the art distribution center in Anderson, SC where 200 of the 600 employees had known disabilities. It was breaking news around the U.S. and the world to hire so many people with disabilities in one location and to pay then competitive wages with full benefits.

It's an incredible story and part of our SFN Dad To Dad Podcast series.

https://www.nogwog.org
Book - No Greatness Without Goodness - https://www.amazon.com/No-Greatness-without-Goodness-Movement/dp/1496411676/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RRGR6YF99XG6&keywords=Randy+Lewis&qid=1652643914&s=books&sprefix=randy+lewis%2Cstripbooks%2C260&sr=1-1
Email - [email protected]
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-lewis-163440/
TEDx Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyhgqkSvINU&t=1s

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

This is the story of a virus that changed Ben Oommen's life, starting at age six and how it has shaped the heart of his dad and impacted the rest of the family. It's an uplifting story about faith and family. For our "Special Fathers" series, we hear from the fathers of children with special needs. Listen to Tony Oommen's special story.

Special thanks to our friends at Our American Network for helping produce the first couple episodes of what would become the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. www.ouramericannetwork.org

Elim Christian Services - www.elimcs.org

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

In this Special Fathers Network Podcast introduction, hear host David Hirsch tell why he feels fathers are so important. David also explains the mission of the 21st Century Dads Foundation and objective of the Special Fathers Network, which is fathers helping fathers. He talks about founding the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, his appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, being raised by a single mom who was a Chicago Public School teacher, the influence of Sam Solomon his maternal grandfather, being mentored by Dr. Ken Canfield, the Dads Honor Rides from Santa Monica to Chicago, Boston to Chicago and Around Lake Michigan and more recently the Cycle To End Father Absence (C2EFA) events.

Special Fathers Network -
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."

SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/