Youth For Christ Rochester tackles fatherlessness with basketball initiative

Rochester, N.Y. — Youth For Christ Rochester (YFC) hosted an event on Saturday as part of its fatherhood initiative, which uses basketball to foster a new generation of men.

The event focused on community issues and increasing male attendance at church.

Felix Ortiz, YFC Rochester Sports Director, explained the program’s mission: “Through the program, we teach them spiritual and moral values that are going to carry over into the real world.”

According to YFC, 73% of children in the area live in single-parent homes, predominantly led by mothers. The organization aims to address this by connecting young men with godly father figures.

Michael Hennessy, YFC Rochester Executive Director, emphasized the importance of father figures, stating, “Fatherlessness is at the root of so many of the problems we face in our society. Our children need fathers, and this is particularly true for boys. We all know it and now is the time to do something about it. Together, we are standing in the gap to become part of the solution and bring some discipline, confidence, stability and love to a child’s life. Our goal is to build an army of male role models who can give kids the stability, discipline, character and confidence that only a dad can provide.”

The initiative initially recruited volunteers through local conferences that highlighted the challenges of fatherlessness in the community.

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