107 – Mike Carmody Has A Brother With Down Syndrome & Is Co-Founder of Opportunity Knocks

Transcript:

Dad to Dad 107 – Mike Carmody Has A Brother With Down Syndrome & Is Co-Founder of Opportunity Knocks

Mike Carmody: He’s been like the guiding force in my life to help me learn who I am and what I need to do to help me reach out potential. I think he’s helped me really reach my potential. So as a person and in turn, we’ve also, I think we’ve done that together. He’s always been my role model.

Tom Couch: That’s Mike Carmody speaking of his brother, John, who has special needs. Mike spent the last several years running opportunity, knocks a nonprofit that helps young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by providing activities programs. And general kindness. Mike’s our guest on this Special Fathers Network, dad to dad podcast.

Here’s our host David Hirsch.

David Hirsch: Hi, and thanks for listening to the dad to dad podcast, fathers, mentoring, fathers of children with special needs presented by the Special Fathers Network.

Tom Couch: The Special Fathers Network is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs through our personalized matching process.

New fathers with special needs children connect with men. To our fathers in a similar situation. It’s a great way for dads to support dads, to find out more, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

David Hirsch: And if you’re a dad looking for help or would like to offer help, we’d be honored to have you join our closed Facebook group. Please go to facebook.com groups and search dad to dad.

Tom Couch: And now let’s listen in on this conversation between David Hirsch and Mike Carmody.

David Hirsch: I’m thrilled to be talking today with Mike Carmody of Oak park, Illinois, who has a brother with special needs and is founder of opportunity knocks a nonprofit that serves those with intellectual developmental disabilities.

Mike, thank you for taking the time to do a podcast interview for the Special Fathers Network.

Mike Carmody: You bet, David. Thanks for having me.

David Hirsch: Let’s get started with some background. Where did you grow up? Tell me something about your family.

Mike Carmody: Um, I grew up in Oak park. Um, I’ve one of five boys. I’m the middle. Um, my older brother, Chuck is involved in finance, my older brother, Phil, which is someone who my partner at opportunity knocks.

Uh, he’s a fireman, my younger brother, Collin. Is he involved in insurance and then there’s Sean and it’s been nice because each family members taken a role in the room organization. Um, my dad is on the board of directors. Um, my brother, Chuck has been a financial consultant and help with our budgets.

Phil is worse than me. He’s the president. And he does the financial and marketing, the organization and HR and my, the Collin’s involved on the auxiliary board, which is our young professionals. And then John was the inspiration. So then my mom just makes sure we all do, we’re supposed to do. But yeah, everyone, everyone in our family has played a role in the building of this organization.

And it’s been very nice to see that.

David Hirsch: Yeah. I think it’s created, it’s been a family affair

Mike Carmody: to say the least yes.

David Hirsch: Out of curiosity. Um, which one of your brothers is the one with special needs?

Mike Carmody: It’s our youngest brother, John.

David Hirsch: Okay. And out of curiosity, what did your dad do for a living?

Mike Carmody: Um, my dad, he sold institutional bonds.

It, uh, first Chicago and then Wells Fargo and then in capital. But yeah, he was in, he was in, he was a finance

David Hirsch: person, uh, out of curiosity, how would you describe your relationship with your dad?

Mike Carmody: I think it’s good. You know what I mean? We get along really well. I’m more of an upbeat, outgoing person. He’s a little bit kind of shyer, but I also get a lot of my attributes from him.

So I think, I think we’re, we’re very similar in a lot of ways. We’re very community oriented. We’re very welcoming to people. I think the biggest thing is we’re givers as a

David Hirsch: fan though. That’s a really important characteristic to have. Yes. Not that the whole world falls into two categories. Those that given those that take, but, uh, uh, it’s an admirable quality.

So what are some of the more important takeaways in addition to being community oriented, welcoming to people and. Giving that come to mind. What are the takeaways? Is there something that always comes to mind when you think about your dad?

Mike Carmody: Um, I think it’s finding the good in people. Uh, he was a coach and I also became a coach.

Um, and I think that’s one of the things he taught me was always trying to find the good in people and helping advance people or helping them improve or helping them become more aware of things. And in turn, helping yourself. Yeah, a good sense of humor, but since yours are totally different, though, I think, like I said, I’m more of a, a cheerful, outgoing person.

He’s more of like a quiet, he, he can be a lot quieter.

David Hirsch: Okay. Would it be fair to say that you’re more extroverted and he’s introverted?

Mike Carmody: That’s a great way to say it. I’m sorry.

David Hirsch: Okay. Well, I’m wondering if there’s anybody else that, uh, when you were growing up or as a young man yourself, that played a important role in your life.

Mike Carmody: Um, yeah, I’ve had a couple, um, one, I, one is my, I guess he’s like my adopted uncle. Um, and I grew up with his son and his other children. Um, and he’s actually a member on our board and he’s someone I consult with on a lot of things. Uh, his name is Tom McShane. I think one of my most influential people also is high school basketball coach.

His name was Al Allen and he was the person who told me I wasn’t going to play. Um, and I was going to sit on the bench and it was probably my best learning opportunity to raise and elevate myself with the help of my teammates to become better. And it’s funny, cause we ended up having an amazing relationship.

But the, the challenge that he gave me was something that really changed my life.

David Hirsch: So it’s begging the question. Did you actually play, or did you sit on the bench?

Mike Carmody: Well, at the end of my junior year, when he said I wasn’t going to get a Jersey, I ended up playing in a playoff game and I ended up being like a, my senior year.

I was seventh, man. He presented something to me and. I took the challenge. It wasn’t easy, but I had to do something I had to work for.

David Hirsch: Yeah. Well, that’s a really important lesson to learn at an early age. And it sort of coincides with what you were saying about being a coach, bringing the best out of people, because it sounds like that’s what he did for you.

Mike Carmody: Yeah. And that’s, that’s actually, that’s why I wanted to go back and coach, um, right after college, I did that with, with him and the other, my other mentors and coaches.

David Hirsch: Excellent. So from what I remember, you went to st. Joseph college in Indiana, and then you also a years later went and got your master’s degree from Dominican university.

So what was it that you wanted to be doing when you finished up with your schooling?

Mike Carmody: Uh, well, I wanted to be a history teacher and a coach. The history teacher thing lasted about one semester because I. I didn’t realize how much I was going to have to read. And comprehension was all, always something. I was always, it’s always, it still is an opportunity for me for growth.

So with all those things, I think I realized that yeah, or other avenues in education. And my brother was always a huge part of my, my life. So I ended up getting a degree in elementary education slash like endorsements and special ed and other things. So the goal, like I said, let’s go back to my high school and teaching coach, so deviated a little bit.

David Hirsch: Well, it sounds like it. Um, so, uh, let’s talk about special needs first on a personal level, like from your family’s perspective and then beyond. So you’re one of the four older brothers to your youngest brother, John, who has down syndrome. What do you remember about. That when you were super young, cause you would have been, like you said, maybe six or seven when he came along, what was going on in your family at that point in time?

Mike Carmody: You know, to be honest, like we didn’t really talk about it. It was just like, Hey, here’s your brother, but I know that like years later there was a lot more to it. We just kind of accepted him for who he was. And we didn’t even know what this down syndrome was. So we kind of just treated him as if he was just.

One of us, but she was right when she, excuse me. Um, but like, we didn’t really, I didn’t really understand the magnitude or I didn’t understand like what it really was until I was older, but it was, I think my parents helped me because it was such second nature. It’s like, this is your brother. You didn’t even really acknowledge all the other things you just said, this is your brother.

Like. That’s cool.

David Hirsch: So you just played with them. Did everything else that you did with your older brothers, um, or your next youngest brother for that matter as well?

Mike Carmody: Yes. Everything was the same. Like we would be just as physical with him as we were with each other. We would raise them just like we would raise each other.

I think a big thing was we would take him out with our friends and use that as a teaching tool for our friends. And I think that was something that really kind of stuck with me growing up was like wherever we had games, he went and he was included in those. And like with our friends, we tried to do our best to, I think, to normalize it.

David Hirsch: Okay. So did he go to the same schools as you and your older brothers or not?

Mike Carmody: Yes. So everyone went to Lincoln in Oak park and then we went to Emerson, which is now Brooks. And then when he went to Oak park high school. Okay. Yeah, it was actually a place I talked to.

David Hirsch: Okay. So out of curiosity, did you ever feel that, uh, John got more attention than you or your other siblings?

Just because of a situation

Mike Carmody: that didn’t really affect me. Um, but I mean, yes, he did get more attention, which he needed growing up, but I don’t really think that was something that totally affected me. It may have in. It may have created some overcompensation and like, Hey, I need to do all these things so I can get attention.

But I think that was more evident with my younger brother, because he would go to the Easter sales and the things with him, them. But I mean, he had medical issues, so like there were like, I would play a part in my other brothers would play a part in helping with that. So like in that regards, yeah, there was a little bit more attention if that makes sense.

David Hirsch: Sure. So out of curiosity, what type of medical issues did he have or does he have today for that matter?

Mike Carmody: So don’t quote me on this, but he has a, he has kidney, his kidneys are functioning at a lower level. Um, I’m not sure the correct diagnosis of it. Um, he had a surgery, he had a bladder infusion surgery when he was in high school, I believe.

And he is not able to empty himself out when he goes to the washroom. So he self catheterizes four times a day.

David Hirsch: Oh, wow.

Mike Carmody: Okay. So right now, I mean, he’s, he’s able to do everything you and I are. He’s not supposed to play like basketball or whatever, but we still do that. Um, as long as my parents aren’t there, um, but like he’s the, he’s able to do everything.

He’s pretty self sufficient when it comes to taking care of that aspect of his

David Hirsch: life. Okay, well, um, the kidney issue or the bladder surgery has nothing to do directly with towns. That’s just something that, you know, it’s sort of parallel with what his experience has been. Right?

Mike Carmody: Yeah.

David Hirsch: Do you remember, what do you think the biggest challenges were.

Not necessarily for you, but perhaps for your parents, your family, raising a son, or from your perspective, a brother that was different.

Mike Carmody: Um, I think my parents, I think the idea of accepting, um, I think one of the things I’ve learned in working at opportunity Maxim in the field of special education is, uh, parents go through that spectrum of things.

And one of them is accepting. Uh, what happened in working forward and moving forward with it. And that, that was, I think something they carried with them. Um, I think my parents definitely had to fight for certain things in the school system. Cause you gotta think that’s 30 years ago. Things have definitely changed since then, but they had to change back then I think up until now.

So I think that they were, they definitely had to advocate a little bit more. I think we were still progressing number, so we continue to progress. For people rights for people with disabilities. And so I think my parents had to do a lot of advocating.

David Hirsch: I think in one of our prior conversations you referred to yourself amongst you and your brothers, maybe your parents for that matter as the peacekeeper.

Why is that?

Mike Carmody: Um, I can’t really, I don’t know if I can really articulate how I would say. I said that I think that I was able to help keep a balance in regards to keeping it light and not like gets a little heavy and. Um, it just being available to help, uh, through situations that may have been difficult to navigate, like the hospital visits and being home and those types of things.

But I think that’s kind of how I saw

David Hirsch: that. That’s fine. So how would you describe your relationship with John? Is it different also than his relationship with his other older brothers?

Mike Carmody: Uh, I probably, I would probably say I’m the closest with him. But he’s, he has a different relationship with his brother.

I think he’s been like the guiding force in my life to help me learn who I am and what I need to do to help me reach my potential. I think he’s helped me really reach my potential person and in turn I’ve only, so we’ve also, I think we’ve done that together. He’s always been my role model and like someone who I can really like have in depth, serious conversations, we just kind of give each other and.

We’re we’re there for each other. So like that unsafe the unspoken language.

David Hirsch: Well, it sounds like you have a very close relationship and that phrase that you use get each other, right. There’s just this mutual understanding, you know, maybe it is an unspoken language. Now you can understand where one another are coming from in an easier way than maybe others can.

Mike Carmody: Yeah. And I think a lot of it is he’s taught me the empathy of really. Before I cast judgment, which I’m still working on putting myself in other shoes. Like he’s taught me a lot of that stuff. Like the idea of empathy and like meeting people where they’re at, not where I want them to be. So I think that’s, that’s a big factor in our relationship.

Like he just teaches me to just calm down and just relax. And he’s also, I think the big thing is that it’s really anything that happens really is not that big of a deal. And it’s, it’s amazing how, like he’s able to let things just roll right down his back. Like that’s what really blows me away about my brother and his friends is like, just how care, like carefree there.

It’s just like, Oh, okay. That happened. All right, let’s move on. Um, and they don’t, they, their backpacks are very light.

David Hirsch: I liked that phrase. The backpack is very light

So does John live independently? You mentioned his 30 young thirties. What’s his living situation.

Mike Carmody: So he currently lives with my parents where we grew up. So it’s my parents and him. We have me and him have spoken, then he would like to eventually live with a group of his peers. So that’s something that’s we’re as a family we’re working through.

David Hirsch: Okay. Well, it’s a work in progress. Uh, not everybody is able to live independently or even with a group of other people. So I’m hoping that, uh, if that’s John’s destiny, that it will be realized in an appropriate time. And, uh, I know that something that some parents, uh, dads in the network of. Described as that, one of the greatest fears is what’s going to happen to my son or daughter, you know, when we’re not here.

And it sounds like, um, your parents are not only both still alive, but healthy. And that, uh, John has four older brothers, right. That can advocate and look out for him. And, uh, I’m hoping that whatever the solution is, is the right solution for

Mike Carmody: John. Yeah. He’s very, he has a very good support system. Um, even outside of us in the community.

There’s a lot of people who look out for him.

David Hirsch: Excellent. Were there any organizations that, uh, your family benefited from or the John benefited from as he was growing up?

Mike Carmody: Uh, I know he could Easter sails and we would go to Misericordia events growing up. I remember that like the family Fest and then this is the old park school system I think was something that really, um, helped him.

And he was also very, uh, my dad was big in apart baseball. So he was able to include him in those things. So I think that with the community and my dad had, he was able to kind of navigate and do things that weren’t usually done before.

David Hirsch: Yeah, that’s excellent. So let’s switch gears and talk about opportunity knocks.

I understand that the organization’s mission is providing opportunities and resources for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so they can pursue their educational, occupational and social interests. So I’m sort of curious to know, where did the name for the organization come?

Mike Carmody: You know, that’s a really good question. I’m not a hundred percent sure where that name came from. I think it came from, and I’ve gone back and forth on this. I think there was this movie called opportunity knocks, like with Dana Carvey in, it

starts Friday, March 30th at theaters

David Hirsch: everywhere.

Mike Carmody: Consult your local listings. I liked the plot of it because it was. Someone who started out bad. And then he turned out getting a conscience and being good, but that could have been it. I don’t, I’m not a hundred percent sure where that came from. I’ve actually gone back then, like really thought about that.

I’m not hundred percent sure where that came from.

David Hirsch: Okay, well, that might be one of those mysteries of the world type of thing,

Mike Carmody: right?

David Hirsch: Yes. So, uh, what’s the backstory. I remember you had the idea, but there was a series of events that happened back around 2007. So if you could recount that, that would be great.

Mike Carmody: Okay. So the backstory is, is that we, we came up with this idea. I think it was probably around 2005 ish after college. This is, you know, one of those things where you would go and you would talk and you. Talk with people and talk about it. Okay. Here’s an idea, blah, blah, blah. One of the things that helped me realize that this was hospital is I used to help coach.

I volunteered and helped coach special Olympics at Oak park high school. Um, and we ran an event for them to raise it some money so they can get uniforms and whatnot. In that one night they met, we raised $10,000. And I was like, Oh, okay. Maybe there’s something here. Like maybe like we have this. And at that event, we met a family who introduced us to them organization called good city.

I was talking to the sister of the family member and we got the nonprofit for dummies book, started to write up ideas. Um, and then she connected me with good city and we see it was a grassroots. We had some events they’ll trying to build a name and. During that time, we’re building a mission statement and serving parents and all that.

In 2007, I had a, a friend who passed away and her name is Kathy Darien. And she actually was helping me any along the way with like special Olympics and this idea of opportunity, max, just a big influence in my life. And when she passed away, like, I didn’t know what to do with that emotion. Like buried it into opportunity nights.

I tried to put all of the energy. I was having trouble processing and the feelings into this organization. And so we started a softball tournament and her name. And the third year we did it, we were able to raise 40 or $50,000, which helped us say, you know what, we’re going to do this. And before we did it, we did a lot of work.

Like the building, our board and surveying parents and surveying warriors, which we call the people we serve and finding a place to do it and building the place out. And then he just, after that, you raised the money when just took the dive. I think that is a good timeline of how it kind of came to fruition.

David Hirsch: Well, uh, thank you for sharing. I’m very sorry to hear about your close friend, Kathy Carrigan, passing away at such a young age. Um, but what a testimony, uh, to her life that you’ve been able to create and a legacy that I think that you and the others who helped co-found opportunity and ox can be so proud of.

So the program has. Some physical aspects of it. Like there’s a place where you do the work that you do. And I’m wondering how that has evolved from the beginning and to where you are now.

Mike Carmody: Ah, well, it’s, it’s evolved tremendously. So we’re actually sitting in the room where we first started doing programs and we’re sitting in Kathy’s room.

So we initially were looking for places in the Oak park and forest park area. And we looked at a couple of storefronts and whatever, and then one of our board members. Uh, with connected to the forest committee center and he’s like, Hey, you guys should look at this space. And so the room that we’re sitting in was an old storage room that we converted into or a space to do programs.

And so with that space, we also had a relationship and a partnership with Oak park high school, which in turn, um, has given us a lot of great things. So we share, we space share with the, with. Oak park river forest high school community integrated transition program. And then our second phase was we have, we created the light shop, which is a 22 and up, um, program.

It’s eight 30 to two 30. So that’s an all day. So that’s a day program. Um, and the after hours was a, was an after school after work program. Cause that was the biggest need when initially started was that three to six time period. Cause there was nothing really there, like there was some programs that were there.

But we didn’t feel like there was enough for them to really, you know, do the things that they wanted to do. So the second aspect was the day program and the third aspect was our social enterprise, which is we’ve created. We have a space where we lease a land from the reuse Depot and there’s a farm.

There’s 30 raised beds of different vegetables we have at the social enterprise. We have. Farm to jar pebbles and they sell those. So the warriors make and sell those in different restaurants and in different events. And then we have a catering company, which we use. So a lot of the food from our farm to make our meals.

And then the last aspect of what we’re doing is that, um, or looking to do housing in the area. Um, all of the things that I’ve just mentioned to you, we have increased our space at the community center. So we have this room and then we have space upstairs and then we have access to other rooms. So as we’ve grown in this space, we’ve also expanded here.

David Hirsch: Well, it’s very interesting how it’s grown and developed over the last dozen or so years. So when, when you first started out, um, how many warriors. Those are the participants in your program were involved in the program?

Mike Carmody: 18. Our first session was 18.

David Hirsch: And did you have employees back at the beginning or not?

Mike Carmody: Yes. We have three employees and lots of volunteers.

David Hirsch: And, uh, what are you up to now? How many warriors are there? And what’s changed as far as the number of employees and they, you know, expanded programming.

Mike Carmody: So we probably provide service to about. Between 30 and 50 warriors a week. And how many employees we have.

So we’ve gone from one full time employee to nine full time employees. And then I believe we have 15 to 20 part time staff, and we also have a lot of warriors that we are employing.

David Hirsch: If you’ve been doing it for 10 years, you’ve had people start out after school basis, then transitioned to the programs and the livestock programs.

And then, um, then beyond, um, so it’s wonderful that you’re not only to able to help somebody as a younger person or a young adult, but that they might actually be included in your program. So I’m wondering if there’s, um, A story or two that might exemplify, you know, somebody’s, um, progress through the opportunity knocks organization.

Mike Carmody: Oh man. Uh, there’s a lot actually. Um, I would say, I think a lot of our guys it’s, it’s been great to see cause some started an after ops and they went to the light shop and they also now are employed. We’ve had some people who originally were not people would not be like, Hey, I want to hire them. Um, but I think with the programming and the confidence that was built and the opportunities that were presented to people, um, we’ve been able to see people may not be quote unquote employable, be productive employees and businesses thriving.

I think that’s, those are good examples. And I think also good examples of people who may not try things are starting to try things like if it’s as simple as. Trying a different fruit. It may take four years, but people are trying it now. Like I think one of the big things that we stress here is that we don’t force people to do anything.

We try and provide opportunities for them to become aware and try things on their own.

David Hirsch: No, I think it’s really important. Um, you know, you, you want to create opportunities as opposed to like change people, right? Like, you know, what’s best for somebody or the. One way is better than the next way. And I think that’s the, uh, and the respect that I understand that your program entails.

I remember reading something about the goals and all of your programming, and there’s an acronym that you use called view. B I E. And if I remember that stands for voice interdependence, experience and wellness, um, could you speak to that?

Mike Carmody: Yeah, actually that’s my brother was the one who kinda, he’s the word Smith,

David Hirsch: which brother?

Mike Carmody: I’m trying to, my partner in crime film. Okay, brother. But yeah, that, that, it’s kind of just who we are as an organization. Like the voice, we provide opportunities for people to use their voice. And express and do the things they want. And the interdependence is a really good one because this idea of like independent, I feel like that’s something that’s used.

It’s like, Oh yeah, you’re independent. But who, it really is independent period. Like this idea of independent is something we wanted to kind of not really focus on. It’s more interdependent. Like we depend on each other and other things too. Rise and continue to grow.

David Hirsch:  I was going to say, I see that interdependence as a strength, not a weakness, right?

Emphasizing the importance of working together and the sense of community and the visions that come to mind that people that are independent, if you will, are people that live in caves and people that are hermits and people that are just, you know, just sort of removed themselves from everything else.

And that’s not healthy either.

Mike Carmody: Um, and then another aspect is wellness. Um, One of our big components is that we want to create lots of opportunities for our warriors to be well in the community. And that’s not just physical activities, that’s mental, that’s emotional. It’s like it’s learning to find out who you are and who you want to continue to grow with.

David Hirsch: That’s fabulous.

Mike Carmody: And then social, we realize the opportunity knocks that. The way that our staff and our warriors are going to continue to grow as people is, if they do it socially together in fun activities that they want to do, not that they’re told what to do. So social is a huge component of what we do here.

David Hirsch: So we’re going to amend that to, from you to views since there’s enough on the back of that. Okay. Well, thanks for clarifying that you were very close to your brother from the get go. And you get each other and, you know, are inspired to, because of a number of events in your life to do something, right.

Not only for your brother, John, but dozens and dozens of other people. Right? So this is a calling, right? What I think of as your calling. And it’s not that for everybody, right? Uh, some siblings are not close. There’s a lot of anxiety and, and yeah. Parents are just doing the best job they can, but they might.

Inadvertently direct a disproportionate amount of the resources, the time and energy the family has, um, to that, um, sibling with the special needs and to the disadvantage or loss of their typical siblings. And that creates an unhealthy dynamic in the family as well. So I’m wondering if there’s anything else you’d like to say before we wrap up,

Mike Carmody: I’d say it’d be things to stay for this opportunity.

I usually don’t, uh, But I think for the families, the thing I would like to say to them is it like, you’re not alone. There are people who do want to help. Um, and I say that from both sides, like I say it as a sibling and as a advocate and as a teacher. So I think it’s a big thing is, is you’re not alone is this is not easy.

Like it can be hard and you’re human and. In this process? No, one’s perfect. Like I’ve made tons of mistakes as a brother and as a, as an organization, but I’ve learned from that. So I think very grateful for the communities that we service and the organization and the staff as a whole, we’ve done a lot of great work together, but yeah, just like I said, I think reiterating the families.

And to sips, like if there’s a sibling listening to this, call me and reach out to me, I’m here. Like it’s important for me to connect the sibs because there’s an unspoken, like the unspoken language that I spoke with you with John, I was like, there’s an, there’s an understanding when two sips who are two from two different walks of life and they walk into the room, like there’s a connection that you have.

David Hirsch: Well, one of the things I admire about you, Mike, is that a, is your authenticity, right? You know, you’re just sort of. Very, um, matter of fact about things and what you see is what you get. And I think that’s probably one of the, one of your strengths, which has been, why so many people over the last decade or more now have embraced the work that you’re doing and that so many people have, you know, not only been involved, but who’ve stayed involved over a longer period of time.

So I just want to say thanks for the work that you do. So if somebody wants to learn more about opportunity knocks to volunteer, make a donation, or just to contact you, what’s the best way to go about doing that.

Mike Carmody: Uh, you can check out our website www.opportunityknocksnow.org. When we first started opportunity max, that org wasn’t available.

So now we figured that was perfect. Um, so www.opportunityknocksnow.org, and then there’s ways to reach out to us there.

David Hirsch: Excellent. We’ll put in that, the show notes as well. So it’ll be easy for people to follow up. Mike, thank you for taking the time and many insights. As a reminder, Mike is just one of the individuals who’s involved with the Special Fathers Network, a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers, raising a child with special needs.

If you’d like to be a mentor father or are seeking advice from a mentor father with a similar situation to your own, please go to. 21stcenturydads.org. Thank you for listening to the latest episode of the Special Fathers Network dad to dad podcast. I hope you enjoyed the conversation as much as I did.

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So you’ll get a reminder when each new episode is produced. Mike, thanks again,

Mike Carmody: David. Thank you for all the work you’re doing too. This is great.

Tom Couch: And thank you for listening to the dad to dad podcast presented by the special fathers network. The special fathers network is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs through our personalized matching process.

New fathers with special needs children connect with mentor fathers in a similar situation. It’s a great way for them. Fathers to support fathers go to 21stcenturydads.org. That’s 21stcenturydads.org.

David Hirsch: And if you’re a dad looking for help, or we’d like to offer help, we would be honored to have you join our closed Facebook group.

Please go to facebook.com groups and search dad to dad also, please be sure to register for the Special Fathers Network, biweekly zoom calls held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Lastly, we’re always looking to share trusting stories. If you’d like to share your story or know of a compelling story.

Please send an email to David@21stcenturydads.org.

Tom Couch: If you enjoy this podcast, please be sure to like us on Facebook and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you listen. The dad to dad podcast is produced by Couch Audio for the Special Fathers Network. Thanks for listening.