Marvin Crumer – How one Dad broke the cycle of absence
Marvin Crumer was only a boy, but his shoulders already carried the weight of a man. The oldest of five, he grew up in the sharp echo of a missing father, a void that no amount of kindness from relatives could truly fill. Every scraped knee, every confusing teenage moment, and every family meal felt incomplete.
“Before FFSC, I never had anyone show me what it means to be a man or a father,” Marvin explains, the memory still carrying a sting. He was determined to break the painful cycle, but he didn’t know how. Then, life gave him a sacred mission: his wife was expecting their son, Malik.
“I knew I had to find a resource to help me become the father I never had for the sake of my son.”
In 2005, Marvin, despite already working full-time as a dedicated youth coordinator, took the brave step and enrolled in Fathers & Families Support Center’s (FFSC) Family Formation program. The initial anxiety was crushing. He worried he didn’t have the blueprint to be a good dad. But as he sat in the first class, something powerful shifted.
“The relief was immediate,” Marvin recalls, a warmth in his voice now. “I looked around and saw so many other guys—men who felt the exact same fears and questions about how to truly care for their kids. I wasn’t the only one struggling to find the right path.”
FFSC didn’t just give him advice; it gave him a foundation. He learned essential parenting skills, how to nurture his family with proper nutrition and meal planning, and perhaps most importantly, how to build strong, healthy relationships. “I benefited so much from FFSC’s programs,” Marvin says. “I’m a better husband and a better parent as a result. They didn’t just fix a problem; they helped me build a future.”
The View from the Sidelines
Today, that future is a bright, energetic 12-year-old named Malik. And if you want to find Marvin, look on the sidelines. Malik is a whirlwind of energy on the field, and standing there—at every game, every practice—is his father. “My dad is at all my games and tries to coach me to do my best no matter what,” Malik shares with easy pride.
Marvin knows this feeling is precious. He grew up scanning the stands for a face that was never there. Now, as he cheers his son on, he understands the silent, profound difference a father’s presence makes. “I want him to know that I’m there and always will be,” Marvin insists. It is the promise he makes to Malik every single day.
The Ripple Effect
Marvin’s transformation didn’t stop with his family. Today, he serves as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Dellwood. He has taken the lessons of commitment and foundational support learned at FSC and poured them back into his entire community. “As a Site Coordinator, I helped coordinate projects. Today, I create the events and programs that directly impact and positively influence the lives of children and families,” Marvin says, a sense of destiny in his words. Marvin Crumer is a success story not just because he became a good father, but because he used our program to become a better man—a man who is now influencing hundreds of families who need that strength and structure.
Your donation today ensures that when the next Marvin Crumer is gripped by fear and doubt, FFSC will be there to offer the blueprint, the brotherhood, and the hope he needs to break the cycle.
