Al Thomas

With no high school degree or job, father Al Thomas signed up for FFSC’s Family Formation program back in 2005, hoping to build a future and support his family.

Along with learning how to be financially and emotionally involved in his children’s lives, one of the greatest skills he learned while enrolled was how to communicate and listen.

“Gaining these skills, I was able to consult with a mediator who contacted my child’s mother,” Al explained. “I learned to manage all child support payments and visitations accordingly and eventually, I gained full custody of my child, years before his mother became ill from diabetes and passed away.”

He added “Staff provided me with the resources and self-advocacy skills to become the man I am today.”

He is currently set to graduate with a BA in psychology from Harris-Stowe University and was drafted by the NAACP St. Louis Chapter as Executive Chair for Gang Abatement, forming Bangers2Brilliance. Al currently operates a nonprofit in North Carolina for at-risk youth and under-served communities and a peer support group that teaches anger management and solutions for unwanted habitual behaviors.