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With Valentine's Day approaching and father-daughter events filling calendars across the metro, a fast-growing dads group in Kansas City says it's changing lives by building community among fathers.
The Kansas City Dad Tribe, which launched just months ago, has already attracted over 2,000 members as demand for fatherhood support continues to grow.
"I started the Kansas City chapter in May of last year. I believe … I think we just hit a little over 2,000 members," said Cody Clements, the group's leader.
The Kansas City Dad Tribe represents a growing movement of father-focused support groups addressing mental health and community connection challenges facing modern dads.
The organization focuses on more than just social gatherings. Clements said the group's primary mission centers on connection and mental health support.
"Our main mission here is we're making a brotherhood out of fatherhood," Clements said. "We're trying to squash that trend of us isolating."
National data supports the need for father-focused community groups. According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, dads engaged in community groups are more likely to report better mental health.
Research from AllForKids shows children with actively involved fathers are more likely to succeed academically and less likely to struggle with behavioral or emotional issues.
Harold Greer, a Dad Tribe participant, said joining the group provided crucial support during his early days as a new father.
"I'll tell you right now, those first two months were, holy moly, if I had somebody to just tell me, ‘You're gonna get through it, man, I was there too.' That would have been huge," Greer said. "And so these little meetups can be that opportunity for those new dads."
The group's activities extend beyond regular meetups. Greer is now planning a motorcycle ride for members in April, addressing another common challenge among fathers.
"I see guys all the time, bikes just sitting in the garage. And it's the same excuse every single time there's, 'I don't have time.' You know, life has caught up," Greer said. "And really, what I'm hearing is I don't have a good enough excuse to get it out. I don't have friends to go out and ride with."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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