When Ron Pyett first enrolled at Man 2 Man Fatherhood Initiative in Florence, SC, he was hesitant.
A father of three, Ron was struggling to find a job and falling behind on child support payments. He had trouble communicating with his eldest child’s mother and resented her being the gatekeeper of his relationship with his son. Due to the responsibilities of fatherhood, compounded by the lack of a positive social circle and no clear path to better employment, Ron felt stuck and unable to see past the world he knew.
“I always felt like I was looking for somebody to blame but I had nobody to blame,” Pyett said.
A family court case worker suggested he consider the fatherhood programs at Man 2 Man.
At first, Ron didn’t think Man 2 Man could help him. But after talking with staff and listening in on several group sessions with other fathers in the program, he started to open up about his struggles.
He began to realize his potential to rise above his circumstances and take responsibility for his life and the lives of his kids.
Ron enrolled in Man 2 Man's Employability Boot Camp to position himself for better job opportunities. Staff saw his determination and selected him for a career training program in partnership with Florence-Darlington Technical College.
Completing the program as a certified welder, Ron found a new outlook on life as well as employment with Florence Concrete.
“Everything that I learned from Man 2 Man put me in a position where now, when I go to work, I look at my job as a career,” he said. “They taught me about job stability and financial responsibility. They helped me become a better father to my kids. They molded me into who I am now.”
He still makes time to stop by Man 2 Man when his work schedule allows. He’s found a sense of freedom talking with other fathers in similar situations.
“When you’re having a bad day, you can go talk with somebody who can steer you in another direction or give you another glimmer of hope or flicker of light,” he said. “Before I started going there, I didn’t have an outlet. Man 2 Man became my outlet.”
