A dependency on drugs was a major barrier for Antonio Gaston – one that nearly deprived him of everything he had and everyone he loved, including his six-year-old son Kamren. Not being married to his son’s mother, Gaston was denied visitation. He knew he had to refocus his life and find a job that would allow him to financially support his son and be the father he wanted to be. He knew that meant tackling his drug addiction.

Gaston overcame his dependency with assistance from a rehab program. Soon after, he was able to secure gainful employment. With those two major hurdles past him, he began work to obtain visitation rights through the court.

Like so many fathers, Gaston was experiencing some of the major challenges fathers may face when not married to the mother of their children. He confided in a friend about his struggles. That friend happened to be a graduate from the fatherhood program at Father to Father, Inc. and encouraged Gaston to look for guidance there. 

Gaston enrolled voluntarily enrolled in the program in North Charleston.

The staff at Father to Father played an important role in giving Gaston the tools he needed to rebuild the relationship with his son and his son’s mother through the Healthy Relationships curriculum. Economic Mobility sessions showed him the steps to properly managing his income, including creating a budget and looking at immediate and long-term financial goals.

Gaston’s life had taken a new direction. He was awarded court-ordered visitation with his son and has begun using the things he has learned at Father to Father to re-establish that vital paternal relationship and he is learning to be a better communicator with Kamren’s mother.

Thanks to the life-changing fatherhood programs and services of Father to Father and Gaston’s own determination, the opportunities for building a positive, prosperous future for this father and son seem broader and brighter.