Category: health

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A “Safety Net” for Tough Times –

Boot Camp for New Dads Shares Strategies for Families in Need

           

Every year, infant formula is one of the most shoplifted items throughout the country.  This brings into focus a problem faced by increasing numbers of families with a new baby as the economy tanks.

 

Parents of new babies who wondered “how am I going to afford this” before their baby arrived, are now losing part or all of their income and/or home. Now what? There’s no real answer for them, other than cutting back and trying to replace the lost income. If they don’t have luck with replacing that income, things can get steadily worse.  With a baby screaming due to hunger and no money to pay for infant formula (which runs $50 per week), the temptation for a father to steal it from the local market is understandable.  Yet, it is not an option.  Dad being arrested for shoplifting will only add to the economic nightmare for a young family. 

 

According to Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads, a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, and author of two books on fathering, there are alternatives available for feeding baby and family.

 

Bishop explained, “Every community has a ’safety net’ for families falling off the economic ladder and they generally give priority to children. Dad will need to learn how to navigate this network, which can be very frustrating, particularly now when there is growing competition for limited resources and each community has a unique arrangement of resources and organizations involved.”

 

But, assistance is out there.  Boot Camp for New Dads provides some basic guidelines to follow:

 

• Look for support early when it becomes apparent you may need it.  There may be waiting lists, or an eligibility period, etc. Connect with the local information and referral system.  Don’t know where to start?  Ask at a church, county welfare, a senior citizen center or food bank.
• Start with a local food bank to supplement your family’s meal costs.  They can also provide a wealth of information (talk to others in line and staff as well) for anyone accessing the “safety-net” for the first time.
• Check into your family’s eligibility for food stamps.  The national program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service is now known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).  The SNAP program provides families with an electronic card, similar to an ATM card which may be used for groceries.  In general, families with an income of less than $2000 per month for a family of four are eligible.  (Visit www.fns.usda.gov/FSP)
• Housing is tough due to limited resources.  Homeless shelters can be a temporary fix, but they are not set up for families.  Subsidized housing may be an option that is available to you and your family, but waiting lists are involved, so investigate this option as soon as you know you may need it.
• You may be eligible for help with your utility bills, especially heating oil.  Check with your local referral system.
• Temporary income assistance may also be available from your county welfare office.
• If you lose your health insurance, check out local health clinics for the uninsured for both treatment and information on insurance alternatives (like Medicaid for your child).
• Look for odd jobs to pay something. 

 

Bishop continued, “When times are tough, the man who does whatever is necessary, in an honest way, to take care of his family, is a man in its truest sense.”

 

Tips, Advice, Instructions and more

Greg Bishop offers strategies from more than 200,000 new dads that have gone through the Boot Camp for New Dads program in his second book, Crash Course for New Dads:  Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets.  His first book, Hit the Ground Crawling, covers work balance, being a dad, caring for a new mom and much more.  Both books are available online at www.DadsAdventure.com.

                                                                                                             

New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops

Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow.  They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes.  For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.

 

Boot Camp for New Dads        

Now celebrating their 18th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program.  Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years. 

           

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics) and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.

 

 For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org, or to visit Dads Adventure, go to www.DadsAdventure.com.

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Enter Dustin Keller—the New York Jets’ 2008 first round draft choice from Purdue University went through his decorated collegiate as a star offensive talent in the Big 10 Conference. Originally sought as a first-day selection the National Football League Draft, Keller saw his stock rise high in the NFL Combine and became the 30^th overall selection of the Jets franchise. Currently a starting tight end in his rookie season and receiving passes from the immortal Brett Favre, Keller took a breather during his busy football schedule to give Black Health Magazine a few words about his ascendance into the League, his daily preparation and the work he’s undertaken to become a target for arguably the greatest quarterback in professional football history.

 

1.   How does it feel to finally be in the NFL, coming from Purdue University as a first-round selection?

It was really a dream, more than anything…it’s a huge accomplishment.

2.   How would you compare the differences between the NFL and the Big 10 Conference from a physical level?

 

I wouldn’t say it’s that much more physical than it was in the Big 10, but the speed of the game, more than anything…it’s a lot more precise (in the NFL).

 

3.   Being a first-round draft pick and being depended upon a significant option on the team, how do you prepare on a day-to-day basis?

Well, you just have to do all the things that are expected of you. You have to go in and spend a lot of time doing film work. You have to take care of your body, because your body is your job now—it’s what keeps you going. And anything that the coach asks of you—they’re paying you good money to go out there and put everything you’ve got into football and be prepared every single Sunday; and if you’re not doing that, you’re not doing your job.

4.   What are the best ways to describe both your training regimens in college and in the pros?

Well, in college, we did lot more heavy lifting work, and then you get to the League, everything’s really more based on speed, than just power. So, we’re doing a lot more high reps-lower weight types of things, just to keep you a lot more explosive…it’s really a long season, so you just gotta take care of your body.

5.   Coming from a family with athletic histories, how has been raised among them accelerated your development as a player?

It’s done a lot for me, I’ve learned a lot from them when I was younger, but more than anything, it was just growing up with four brothers, just being in a really competitive environment; always trying to challenge them, even though they were older than me, and I think they made me a lot better and definitely more competitive…and helped give me a swagger about things to make it in the NFL.

They definitely helped and kept me encouraged and always pushed for me to do my best, and anytime I ever needed anything they were always there for me. They made it a lot easier to deal with where I am now.

6.  You have a multifaceted prep history in various sports, namely basketball, and you see players at your position, like Tony Gonzales of the Kansas City Chiefs and Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers, who were major players on the hardwood in their amateur careers as well, who are now All-Pro tight ends—what advantages has basketball given you, if any, on the gridiron?

I think a lot of it’s hand-eye coordination, with the ball being passed around a lot, so that’s why those guys are such good receivers, and they’re able to use their bodies really well to shield off defenders to catch the ball; and definitely leaping ability and explosion that you have in basketball—that all kind of transfers onto the football field.

7.   How have the Jets organization and coaches helped in your improvement in your play and physical condition thus far?

They’ve done a lot, especially with a couple guys on the team at the tight end position, Chris Baker and Bubba Franks. They’ve been helping me out a lot, teaching me a few things that it would take most guys a couple of years to learn, as far as taking care of your body and stuff like that; but they spend a lot of money for these guys to stay in top shape and always be healthy…(the Jets) kind of stress that.

8.   Does being a target of (future Hall of Fame quarterback) Brett Favre carry any significance that contributes to your play on the field?

I just really praise Brett for having the confidence in me to throw to me…I think we’ve developed a rapport between the two of us throughout the season, it seems as if it’s come along. At first, things weren’t so smooth, and you have that when you have a lot of new people on a team, but as the season’s gone on, we’ll get better and we’ll continue to get better.

9.   Do you have any goals, short-term or long-term, about how you want to improve your physical condition?

I feel comfortable about where I’m at right now, just with me being more a pass-catcher than anything else. I gotta make sure to keep my speed, so I don’t wanna be 265 lbs. or anything like that. I’m really comfortable with where I’m at right now, and getting bigger and stronger is not really something you can during in the season, it’s more of an off-season type thing, because during the season, there’s more of a “maintain (muscle)” type of attitude; and with our strength coach, Sal Alosi, I think we’ll do pretty good.

10. What advice do you have for young players that see you in your position as a NFL player and want to build on their performance?

 

The biggest thing, I would say, is just listening to your coaches. At Purdue, I was originally a receiver and my head coach, Joe Tiller, he had me move to tight end, and rather than being upset and staying at the receiver position, I kind of took that in and realized that it was gonna be the best (move) for me; so I worked really hard at it, gained some weight, and worked on blocking and I’m fortunate enough to be in the position I am today. More than anything, just listen to your coaches, because they always have your best interests.

 

Just keep on cheering for the Jets, wish the best for us for the rest of the season, and hopefully things keep going on the way they are!

 

-Sandy Dover, Writer

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