--- title: "NFI Celebrates 20 Years of Changing Fatherhood: Ryan Williams" description: Fatherhood Changes Everything…and We’ve Changed Fatherhood! See one story of how we've changed fatherhood with Ryan Williams. image: https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/file-430827339-jpg/images/20thannlogo.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/bid/194158/celebrating-20-years-of-changing-fatherhood-ryan-williams#main) - [![NFI mark](https://www.fatherhood.org/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI%20mark.svg)FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://www.fatherhood.org/) - [STORE.FATHERHOOD.ORG](https://store.fatherhood.org/) [![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=149&height=82&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=65&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=119&height=66&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ![NFI_logo_blue_left (1) 1](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/NFI-Assets/images/NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png?width=89&height=49&name=NFI_logo_blue_left%20(1)%201.png) ](https://www.fatherhood.org) - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Show submenu for Get Informed Get Informed - [How To Build Strong Families](https://www.fatherhood.org/build-strong-families) - [Why Father Inclusion Matters](https://www.fatherhood.org/why-father-inclusion-matters) - [Father Stats & Infographics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - Show submenu for Get Involved Get Involved - [Fatherhood Programs](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/programs-and-resources) - [Train Your Staff](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/staff-training) - [State, County, and City Agency Services](https://www.fatherhood.org/solutions/collaborative-services) - Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Find Your Stage of Father Inclusion](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-inclusion) - [How Father Friendly Is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) [Get In Touch](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) [Store](https://store.fatherhood.org/?hsLang=en) Show submenu for Get Started Get Started - [Fatherhood Data & Statistics](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-absence-statistic) - [How Father Friendly is Your Organization?](https://www.fatherhood.org/father-friendly) - [Other Free Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/nfi-free-resources) - [Talk With us to Get Started](https://www.fatherhood.org/get-started) National Fatherhood Initiative Blog / [Latest Articles](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood) [NFI-Specific Programs & Resources](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/topic/nfi-specific-programs-resources) # NFI Celebrates 20 Years of Changing Fatherhood: Ryan Williams 3 min read ![Melissa Byers](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/melissa_circle_icon.png?width=100&height=100&name=melissa_circle_icon.png) [** Melissa Byers ** ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/author/melissa-byers) Melissa is the Chief Marketing Officer at National Fatherhood Initiative® (NFI). Melissa oversees the organization's marketing, communications, graphic design, and product fulfillment functions. This is a special year for us. It marks our 20th year of working to “change fatherhood” by ending father absence and connecting fathers to their children. Meet Ryan Williams... ![20 year fatherhood changes everything](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/file-430827339-jpg/images/20thannlogo.jpg?width=150&height=148&name=20thannlogo.jpg) To celebrate the fathers and families whose lives we’ve turned around in the last 20 years, we launched this series of videos, blog posts, photographs, and stories to highlight how our work has strengthened fatherhood since 1994. At NFI, we know that fatherhood changes everything. If you're a family that's been helped by us, you know how important fatherhood is. For the organizations we have helped provide our training programs, you know how vital fathers are to creating healthy families and healthy communities. From poverty, to crime, to school achievement, to child abuse—every issue we care about is affected by whether or not a child has an involved, responsible, and committed father. **When we connect a father to his child, heart to heart, lives change, communities change, and our entire nation is better for it. ** This video shows how NFI’s programs affect an individual life. This is one story out of many over our 20 years of operation. Each video in this series was created from the book “Choosing Fatherhood: America’s Second Chance,” a photography book created by Lewis Kostiner. Lewis spent years traveling around the country, photographing dads who were going through NFI’s programs at community-based organizations in their neighborhoods. The result was a compelling photo book telling the stories of dads working hard to make their children’s lives better. ![Ryan williams](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hub/135704/file-660004449.png?width=400&name=file-660004449.png "Ryan williams") In this video, we spotlight Ryan Williams, who attended an NFI workshop in his community and learned how to be a better dad. Read his words or listen to them on the video, they are a powerful. Let Ryan's words remind you that you are vital to your child's life. And if you're part of an organization who doesn't serve fathers, you should consider how you can better train fathers today. **Can't view the video? Click [here](http://youtu.be/Vh0HouuyCIM). ** "My dad really was never around. I don't know where he is today. I was raised by my grandma. My grandpa passed away. I really didn't listen to her or relate to her like I should because she was a lot older than me. Not having a dad around really influenced me with my daughter, that I know I have to be there for her, and I have to be around. My grandma raised me to take care of responsibilities. I feel like a good dad. I'm not great because I've made some mistakes here and there. This is my first daughter, my first kid. It's just fun. Probably the best experience in the world was watching her be born and then cutting the umbilical cord, just being there for the whole birth process. I don't know how you cannot want to give your kid everything, just seeing what you created. Everything may not go right between you and the other parent, but you always have a strong bond with your kid. That's the most important thing – just have a strong bond with your kid, because the kid needs both parents." —**Ryan Williams (Colorado Springs, Colorado)  ** View more stories from our Fatherhood Changes Everything series [here](https://www.fatherhood.org/fatherhood-changes-everything). **How has fatherhood changed you? How have you changed fatherhood?** [![Learn More About NFI's Community-Based Fatherhood Programs](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/135704/c2aa4481-6751-43c3-adc1-82122f77fb0d.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/135704/c2aa4481-6751-43c3-adc1-82122f77fb0d)   Date Published: 04/30/2014 Last Updated: 06/11/2018 ## Learn How to Build a Fatherhood Program That Works Download this free guide for a proven 7-step roadmap—from making the case and securing funding for your program, to launching and measuring real results! [Get The Guide Now!](https://www.fatherhood.org/starting-a-fatherhood-program) ![7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program](https://www.fatherhood.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Images/7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png?width=700&height=700&name=7-steps-starting-a-fatherhood_program.png) [ Previous ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/single-white-moms-should-say-yes-to-father-involvement) [ Next ](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/family-service-of-greater-new-orleans-teaches-dads-how-to-parent) ## Related Articles ### [Five Leadership Practices That Build Father-Inclusive Organizations Image created with GPT Image 2. Creating a father-inclusive organization doesn't happen through a new but isolated fatherhood program, staff training on how to include fathers, or ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/five-leadership-practices-that-build-father-inclusive-organizations) ### [Beyond Graduation: Keeping Fathers Connected Image created with GPT Image 2. Many organizations do a good job recruiting fathers and helping them complete a fatherhood program. But what happens after the program ends? How do ... Read More](https://www.fatherhood.org/championing-fatherhood/beyond-graduation-keeping-fathers-connected) ### [Funding A Father-Inclusive Effort For Non-Governmental Organizations Image created with GPT Image 2. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) struggle to identify funding sources for fatherhood initiatives and programs. After all, beyond the ... 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