Producing My Own Story | Endowment Intern Lauren

Lancaster Fatherhood Project.

I can’t believe I am already in week 5 of my internship.  I have been consistently busy with my story about the Fatherhood Project, a program that helps to reach out to non-custodial fathers, helping them to become better fathers to their families.

Last week, I was able to get some interviews with the staff and fathers who will help bring my story together in a positive and influential way.  The staff members I interviewed at the Lancaster Fatherhood Project, at their Rock Hill facility, were really nice and helpful.  We discussed when the Lancaster Fatherhood Project started and what types of challenges the organization has faced since then.  The staff helped me to better understand what their job duties were. My favorite part of the interview was when I got to listen to their memorable moments. Each person had a personal anecdote to share. I love the way the program has helped to reconnect broken families.  I sat down with the Executive Director, Tyrom Faulkner, and he shared a touching story with me.  The story was about one of the fathers in the program and his two little boys meeting for the first time, while enjoying some ice cream and playtime together. The two boys were half-siblings. They shared a father but had different mothers. The mothers initially did not want the boys to meet one another. Fortunately, the Lancaster Fatherhood Project helped bridge that gap between the family members and helped to rehabilitate the relationship between the mothers.

The facility was generous enough to allow me to get some footage of the group session that they had on Tuesday.  I took camera shots panning the outside of the building to show its location.  I also took some still shots outside of their facility of vans that are used to pick up those who need transportation. 

This Father’s Day weekend, the Fatherhood Project will be hosting a special event for the fathers and their families to come out and enjoy some recreational activities.  The event will be held at an activity field in Lancaster, South Carolina.  Kaitlyn Park, the Digital Analyst and Content Specialist at SCETV, will be assisting me in getting more footage and possibly interviews that will be significant for my story.  I am looking forward to working with Kaitlyn and getting the materials I need for the story.