Each year, Dr. Billy Earl Dade Middle School in Dallas, Texas, holds a “Breakfast with Dads” event to encourage fathers and father figures to connect with their students. Many of these students come from challenging backgrounds.

This year, some kids didn’t sign up for the breakfast because they didn’t have a father or father figure to invite. Principal Tracie Washington was worried about this. Kristina Dove, who helped organize the event, suggested asking for volunteers on Facebook to serve as “dads” for the day. She aimed to find 50 men, but her post quickly went viral and attracted 600 volunteers.

One of the volunteers, Archie Nettles, a motivational speaker and Army veteran, felt it was important to support boys who might lack a dad or mentor. When the students entered the auditorium and saw all the men, they were surprised and excited to talk to them.

The breakfast included an activity where the men taught the boys how to tie a necktie, which set a positive tone for the event. Afterward, one student expressed his joy about gaining a mentor.

Dove and her coworker are now working to keep these men involved in community initiatives and hope to inspire similar efforts in other cities. They aim to show the children in South Dallas that they are cared for and that their circumstances do not limit their potential.