Humanity

Founded in 1999 by the City of Minneapolis, the FATHER (Fostering Actions To Help Earnings and Responsibility) Project became a program of Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota in 2004.

After participating and benefiting from FATHER Project myself, I felt fundamentally inspired to pay it forward by training/serving as a Parent Group Facilitator - teaching fellow fathers and parents how to be leaders in their community, in their families, and in themselves.

After serving and vulnerably connecting with several fellow fathers at FATHER Project, I felt fundamentally inspired to envision practical steps to greater equity and restorative justice in family legislation and policy.

So moved and humbled was I to be one of the fathers to receive this award, I spoke the following at the award ceremony (also posted on Facebook):

Thank you to all who believe in me and who care to empower families across our community.

We each have a purpose. We each have a destiny of our own making. We can choose to let circumstances destroy us or teach us. We can choose to let our fears consume us or reveal to us what we need to face with courage in our bones. We are not a slave to fear. We are not a slave to circumstance. We are not even a slave to ourselves. We have the ability and honor to look at ourselves and choose to be a father, choose to be greater, choose to be stronger, choose to be an overcomer. We don't overcome by raging in the night or yelling blindly in the light. We don't overcome by reacting to every temptation that comes our way. We don't overcome by attempting to move mountains with just our bare two hands. We overcome by looking into our child's eyes and committing our life to their wellbeing. We overcome by looking into the mess of ourselves and simply saying “enough is enough”. We overcome by making every moment count for something greater than us.

Love what you can’t by reaching out where you can. You are not alone. Do not isolate as a father. Strong community is you and your child’s most practical ally. Find mentors, build relationships that last, and learn like you know not if you will ever have another chance to inspire and parent your child again. For, we know not what tomorrow may bring. We know not when death may ring. But, we know we are all Kings. We know we have a purpose beyond our wings. May you reach out to community and fly towards your child. You are not alone and your worth is not just in yourself.

You are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy. You are worthy to be more than you are right now. You are worthy to grow without limit. You are worthy to spend your entire life discovering better ways to be a father and a teacher to your child. They can learn from you if you choose to give them the opportunity by you being your best. Be brave. Be free. Be you. Choose to make a difference in your child's life.

I'm NOT choosing to be on this stage because caring individuals believe I deserve an award. I’m choosing to be on this stage because I believe in my ability to make a difference in myself, my son’s life, and in families across our community. This is not about the award for me. This is about the opportunity ... to make a difference far beyond me.

So moved and humbled was I to receive this award from colleagues, I wrote and shared the following statement (also on Facebook & LinkedIn) :

In turn, I choose to give the honor and glory to God - thankful for every moment's opportunity to better both the life of my family and the lives of families across the community.

I strongly believe that peace in society starts at home and that the work we all do in our professional lives should support the love we give in our family lives.

So, no matter your professional occupation, please remember your dedication … to any family, any mothers, any fathers, any sisters, any brothers, any loved ones, any mentees, any communities you have in your life. They matter, and you have the capacity to help them grow … as you continue your own growth! 🤗

After my 1st son, Eloy, was born, I quickly grew fascinated by child development and social emotional learning. I eventually joined Osseo Area School’s ECFE Parent Advisory Council and later became Vice Chair. I served & empowered our school district's parents to be involved in their child's early education and school policies. It's critical we all work together to brighten our future today.

After Eloy started attending Pioneer Technology & Arts Academy (PTAA) / Colorado Springs, I sought ways to virtually join/contribute in the Parent Teacher Organization and later became the Hospitality Committee Chair. I collaboratively set/lead this school year's Hospitality vision to creatively & personally bring belonging & encouragement to PTAA staff.

Kinship of Greater Minneapolis' mission was to support youth by carefully creating and sustaining long-term mentoring relationships that help them reach their full potential. Most of the children came from low-income single-parent homes and had trouble in school and difficulty getting along with family members and peers.

After further accepting my own personal drive to help bring more peace to families, I trained/served as a Kinship Mentor. After Kinship eventually closed, I continued partnering with families and mentoring youth. To this day, I choose to be an active role-model and responsible friend in the life of youth. If you want to make a difference … be the difference.

Andrew Freeberg - Recommendation from LinkedIn

As a Workforce Development Director, in my role of leading teams promoting Family Stability, I am pleased to write this recommendation on behalf of Elwyn Fraser. I have known Elwyn for almost ten years as he has served in several humanitarian and volunteer capacities with Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota’s FATHER Project, helping strengthen not only fathers but also children, families and communities. Elwyn’s vision for legislative and resource equity for families and communities is inspiring. Equally, his talents, and his willingness to graciously contribute in various roles, inspires staff and participants alike. Communication, both verbal and written are among Elwyn’s many top notch skills. He volunteered to be featured in our organization’s “Power of Work” promotional video last year. In this project, his passion for the mission and his eloquence in articulating his vision and the impact of our program’s service is clear.

Group facilitation is another primary skill that Elwyn has shared through his work with the FATHER Project as a volunteer facilitator for our parenting classes. He has a unique ability to connect with parents in a highly authentic manner, sharing curriculum based content and fostering an environment that promotes healthy peer support connections.
Elwyn has received recognition as “Father of the Year” as well as the “Dwight Vinson Award” for his contributions to the FATHER Project and the organization, in recognition of his impact, integrity, empathy and character.

I am pleased to provide Elwyn with my highest recommendation.

~ ~ ~

Naomi Prabhakar - Recommendation from LinkedIn

Elwyn is wonderful to work with. He is an effective communicator, shares his expertise in community by volunteering and role-modeling and leads by example. I appreciate that he tackles everything with thoughtfulness and empathy.

~ ~ ~

Katie Knutson - Recommendation from LinkedIn

I have had the pleasure of working with Elwyn over the past few years as not only a colleague, but also a collaborator. His dedication, passion, creativity and drive resulted in achieving our goals while collectively building a strong employee culture of inclusion and belonging. Elwyn is ready for any challenge and has the unique ability to bringing people together so that they, too, can accomplish the task at hand. Whether it's working remotely or in-person, Elwyn brings his whole self. Thrivent has been blessed to have Elwyn's talents, skills and, most importantly, his 'heart.'

~ ~ ~

Matt Pekuri - Recommendation from LinkedIn

What I appreciated most about working with Elwyn, is that he values collaboration and exploration. He has a warm, open personality that goes a long way towards creating a safe environment where innovation can take root. He has many interests, and is always interested in learning more. When I think of someone who epitomizes a positive growth mindset, I think of Elwyn.

~ ~ ~

Oketekyie Dakwa-Agyekum - Recommendation from LinkedIn

Elwyn is a committed professional who unfailingly brings a high level of dedication and versatility to his work. His natural trait of creativity and penchant for collaboration shows through in how Elwyn approaches his work, as he brings an open mind to each task and solicits insights from stakeholders to ensure a viable work product is produced. Elwyn works to form genuine bonds with his coworkers and is an engaged member of the team making his presence felt in all team endeavors both primary and extra-ciricular. Elwyn is an asset to every team he is on and has my highest recommendation.

Mona Parmar - Recommendation from LinkedIn

I love having Elwyn on my team for energy and artistry! He created and hosted “Innovation Safe Space” at an Early Childhood Parent Advisory Council to solicit feedback anonymously. He then synthesized it, then found and presented common themes for us to take next steps on. As an extra special touch, he guided us through an inspirational meditation exercise that touched our hearts and brought some tears of relief for some!

I’ve also had him participate in child focused events. He sang and encouraged young kids to join in at our Spring Social, attended by 100’s of families. He also read and acted out story books to engage young readers at our Literacy Night. At both events, I heard tremendous positive feedback from young families in our community.

Elwyn also created a logo for the Parent Advisory Council. It embodies that parents are the foundation and roots to young minds and hearts while, Early Childhood programming with parent involvement helps those young minds and hearts grow and bloom in adversity. Absolutely beautiful and impactful!

Bring Elwyn onto your team. He just “gets it” and will deliver exactly what you need!

~ ~ ~

Brian Kirkness - Recommendation from LinkedIn

As I only tangentially worked with Elwyn I'll let others speak more to his technical skill.

I would like to focus on his leadership, community building and drive to uplift others.

Elwyn genuinely believes in people and the good we can accomplish together, both from a more worldly view, but also as a development team.

He takes a genuine interest in collaborating, learning from others and helping to up-skill others when he can.

Elwyn leads by example. He's not afraid of being vulnerable, he's always positive, and won't hesitate to jump in and help out wherever he can.

He's a true team player that any team will be better with him on it.

~ ~ ~

Christine Mueller, MBA - Recommendation from LinkedIn

I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside Elwyn on several key initiatives, including Thrivent’s annual Holiday Celebrations and the memorable 2020/2021 Silent Night production. Elwyn consistently demonstrates empathetic leadership, going above and beyond to foster a work culture where everyone feels valued. His dedication to employee morale and creating an environment of belonging is unmatched. Elwyn is always innovating new ways to ensure that care and inclusion remain at the forefront of our workplace, and his contributions have made a lasting impact on our organization and the community.

~ ~ ~

Tim Lim - Recommendation from LinkedIn

Elwyn has demonstrated deep understanding of applications engineering with an exceptional ability to solve complex problems efficiently. He delivered high-quality products on time with clean maintainable code. Besides his technical and problem solving skills, Elwyn always willing to share knowledge, support others, and approach any challenge with a positive, can-do attitude. I have learned a lot from Elwyn's guidances and technical leadership. I would definitely recommend Elwyn on your team.

~ ~ ~

Andrew Kolb - Recommendation from LinkedIn

Elwyn and I worked together at Thrivent on the Thrivent Hackathon team. Elwyn is a thoughtful communicator who brought great ideas to drive engagement and inclusion for the Hackathon. He cares personally about the people that he works with and that shows up in everything he does. If you're looking for someone who leads with empathy, brings creative ideas to the table, and has an excellent voice, Elwyn is the guy for you.

For more recommendations, check-out:

• LinkedIn

• Google