Our Story
Our Fatherless Foundation was conceived in the summer of 2017 by Dr. Joe L. Roberson Jr., founder and CEO of Our Fatherless. Joe experienced a supernatural encounter while traveling for work one morning. Abruptly awakened from his sleep, Joe experienced what seemed to be a heart attack. A powerful rush of desire and intense grief tore at his heart. He heard the word "fatherless" maybe eight or ten times, gripping his hurting chest each time before finally picking up his laptop to find out what it meant. He could have only heard the word once before this interaction. But he was aware that the Lord was sending him on a mission.
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After months of research and brainstorming, Joe formally launched Our Fatherless Foundation, a Christian non-profit organization whose mission is to end fatherlessness, one family at a time. Shortly after, he enrolled in a Ph.D. program to study organizational leadership in order to further his expertise and be ready to lead the nonprofit.
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Joe remained committed to his Ph.D. program for the following two years until he met his future wife in 2020. In addition to possessing a background in education, production, and project management, Joe's future spouse had extensive experience managing nonprofit programs and a strong desire to assist fatherless youth.
Rahkal Shelton Roberson, who became a co-founder of Our Fatherless Foundation, would carry out Joe's vision the next year, in late 2021, by designing programming, constructing a website, launching the initial donation campaigns, and laying the groundwork.
Presently, Our Fatherless Foundation has hosted its second successful flagship annual Father & Son retreat and is continuously building, expanding, and trusting God for the future.
Our Fatherless believes every child is born with promise, a purpose, and incredible potential. The vision is to impact future generations by producing healthy, present, and active fathers and father figures. Our Fatherless works to ensure that men and children are set up for success and that father voids are filled with fully equipped men (fathers and father figures). The vision and mission are fulfilled through the four pillars of the C.A.R.E. initiative.
core values
Our approach to serving and equipping our volunteers, men, children, and everything we stand for is reflected in five core focus areas:
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FAITH
CHARACTER + INTEGRITY
COMPASSION
LIFE SKILLS
SOCIAL SKILLS
Meet The Team
Dr. Joe L. Roberson Jr.
CEO | Founder, Our Fatherless Foundation
Husband, father, servant leader, project manager, and Chief Executive Officer of Our Fatherless Foundation, Dr. Joe has a Ph.D. in organizational leadership with published research on emotional intelligence and Black male leadership.
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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.
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rahkal s. Roberson
Co-Founder, Our Fatherless Foundation
Creative + Program Director
Rahkal is the program and creative director of Our Fatherless Foundation. She is also a mentor, writer, career strategist, and certified professional coach. With a professional background spanning more than twenty years, she has held positions in the nonprofit sector, media, education, project management, and Fortune 500 companies.
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Leadership, mentoring, professional development, and philanthropic endeavors all reflect Rahkal's deep-seated devotion to serving and motivating others. She attended Texas Southern University, where she majored in radio, television, and cinema, and is a proud HBCU graduate. Rahkal holds a Master of Arts in Training and Communication and is the founder of Black Girl College Prep, a college, career, and life readiness organization that prepares underserved youth for life after high school. Rahkal is the author of College Bound: A Black Girl's Guide, Everything You Need to Know Before Starting College, Woosah: A Survival Guide for Women of Color Working In Corporate, Woosah Workplace Peace, 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, coaching, serving in the women's and prison ministries at her church, and working alongside her husband, Dr. Joe Jr.​
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Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
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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.
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Send resume here.
Mission
Our mission is to eradicate the fatherless epidemic, one family at a time
vision
Impacting generations by producing healthy, present, and active fathers and father-figures
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