Guy Bowling ‘Father of the Village” honoree is the Executive Director of the FATHER (Fostering Action to Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project, a program of Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota. In that role, Bowling has, “Overseen the successful implementation of 3 federally funded grants. Including a five-year $2.5 million annual grant project in 2012 funded through the federal Department of Health and Human Services, through the Office of Family Assistance (OFA).”, he said.
His specific area of focus is, “working with low-income, non-custodial, never married fathers and their families in culturally specific, multi-racial, multi-ethnic and rural communities.”, Bowling told ‘First Friday’. As a nationally recognized fatherhood leader and speaker, he has delivered more than 450 fatherhood trainings, keynotes, consultations and workshops with public/private agencies in 30 states, and two countries over his 25+ year career.
Born in Chicago, Illinois Bowling relocated to Minnesota in middle school. Annually he hosts the Festival of Fathers & Families event, the largest fatherhood convening’s statewide. He is the proud father of David Edward 33, Averi Diana 16 and grandchildren Gabriella Rae 4 and Jaden Edward 2