top of page

Our Story

On Jun 1, 2017, Founder and CEO of Our Fatherless Foundation, Inc., Joe L. Roberson Jr., had a supernatural encounter in a hotel room while traveling for work. Abruptly awakened from his sleep, his heart burned with overwhelming surges of passion, yearning, and deep heartache. Terrified, he sat up, grabbing his aching chest. The discomfort was so intense he thought he had a heart attack. While rubbing his chest, he heard the word "Fatherless" roughly 8-10 times before grabbing his laptop to research what it meant. Before that encounter, he may have heard the term a single time, although he grew up fatherless. At that moment, Joe knew the Lord wanted him to go into action and create something for the fatherless. 

Our Fatherless Templates (5).png

After months of research and brainstorming, Joe decided to start a nonprofit. Our Fatherless Foundation was officially organized as a 501(c)(3) in March of 2018 with a mission to help end fatherlessness one family at a time. Months later, he enrolled in a Ph.D. program studying Organizational Leadership to expand his knowledge and prepare him to lead his nonprofit. 

Over the next three years, Joe's sole focus was his Ph.D. program and preparing for his dissertation until he met his wife in 2020. Rahkal Shelton would not only have experience working for nonprofits, as a creative startup consultant and project manager but also as someone who grew up fatherless and shared a passion for serving youth. A year after marrying, Rahkal Shelton Roberson would help bring Joe's vision to life, becoming Co-Founder of Our Fatherless Foundation.


Our Fatherless Foundation's approach to ending fatherlessness is a two-prone approach focusing on serving youth ages 8-18 and men looking to reconnect with or better lead their families. In 2022, the foundation has established all foundational, programming, and structural work, including a very successful website launch and hosting their 1st Annual Father & Son Retreat. Our Fatherless is actively solidifying team members. 

core values

Our approach to serving and equipping our volunteers, men, children, and everything we stand for is reflected in five core focus areas:

Colorful Memphis Social Media Marketing Tips Infographic (1).png

FAITH 

CHARACTER + INTEGRITY

COMPASSION

LIFE SKILLS

SOCIAL SKILLS

Meet The Team

Joe L. Roberson, Jr.

CEO | Founder, Our Fatherless Foundation 
  • LinkedIn

Husband, father, servant leader, project manager, and Chief Executive Officer of Our Fatherless Foundation, Joe is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership with a dissertation topic: The Lack of Emotional Intelligence, Male Leadership, and Fatherlessness.

He is passionate about family, serving, leading, mentorship, and philanthropic work. Joe's commitment to eradicating the fatherless epidemic is a God-given purpose. He has a Master's in Business Administration and experience in strategic planning, business analysis, information securities, and process improvement. Joe enjoys traveling, mission trips, serving in the men's ministry at his church, and spending time with his wife. 

FOR IG marketing (3).png

rahkal s. Roberson

Co-Founder, Our Fatherless Foundation
 
Creative + Programming Director
  • LinkedIn

Certified professional life coach, author, dynamic speaker, and skilled producer, Rahkal is the creative and programming director of Our Fatherless Foundation. She has over 15 years of combined experience in media, education, and project management, working in the nonprofit sector and for fortune 500 companies.

Rahkal's passion for serving and inspiring others is demonstrated through her heart for leading, mentorship, and philanthropic work. She is an HBCU alum and graduate of Texas Southern University, where she studied Radio/TV/Film. Rahkal has a Master's in Communication and Training. She is the author of Woosah: A Survival Guide for Women of Color Working In Corporate, Dreams Bigger Than Texas: A Story of Faith, Purpose, Perseverance, and Growth Into Womanhood, and Blackbird: The Story of a SistaMom.

 

Rahkal enjoys traveling, blogging, being creative, serving in the women's ministry at her church, and working alongside her husband, Joe.  ​

FOR IG marketing (2).png
shape

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 

-Isaiah 1:17 NIV

Colorful Memphis Social Media Marketing Tips Infographic (2).png

Wanna help serve our mission and be a part of changing the lives of fatherless children? We're looking for program coordinators, admins, grant writers, and board members. 

Send resume here.

shape

Mission

Our mission is to eradicate the fatherless epidemic, one family at a time

shape
shape

vision

shape
shape

Impacting generations by producing healthy, present, and active fathers and father-figures

bottom of page