Strong Father. Healthy Family. Thriving Benton Harbor.

Present Pillars empowers fathers and father figures to navigate their barriers so that they can become the dad of their dreams. We envision a community that nurtures families, especially children. To accomplish our mission, we focus on the barriers to wellness including mental, physical and financial help as well as parenting skills and family fun.

Cory is a young father from Benton Harbor. As a teenager, he made poor choices that led him to be incarcerated. Before his incarceration, his son was born. After Cory was released, he began to improve his life so that he could be the dad his son deserves. Despite his best efforts, Cory began to realize that he needed help, so he did the most courageous thing a young man in his position can do- he began to reach out and ask for help.

Through his uncle, Cory was able to get in touch with the staff at the Pillar Center. After hearing his story, we immediately began the process of filing a motion to reunite Cory and his son. In just a few weeks, he called to let us know that his motion was successful, and he was granted visitation. That night, for the first time, he and his son fell asleep under the same roof.

At The Pillar Center, we are aware of the hurdles that children face when they don't have a present, healthy father. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, 17.8 million children or 1 in 4 are without a biological, step or adoptive father in their home. This fact puts them at greater risk of outcomes such as poverty, incarceration, teen pregnancy, abuse, neglect, drug/alcohol abuse and poor health.

We are inviting you to join the mission to strengthen our Pillars so that they can better support their families.