In collaboration with a number of other fathers in the greater Burlington area, Dad Guild is here to create a supportive network of dads in our community. Playgroups. Dad’s Night Out. Online community forums. Meal plan sharing. Monthly calendars. Volunteering. And more...
- Keegan Albaugh, President/Founder, Dad Guild
Why Dad Guild?
Dads Need Support.
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Social Connections & Mental Health:
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- A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 10 percent of men worldwide showed signs of depression from the first trimester of their wife's pregnancy through six months after the child was born. The number spiked to a whopping 26 percent during the three- to six-month period after the baby's arrival.
- A 2014 study published in Pediatrics found that depression among new dads increases by 68 percent during the first five years of Baby's life. "The fact is, one in four new dads in the United States become depressed—which amounts to 3,000 dads who become depressed each day."
Moving Towards Parental Equality.
The Imbalance of Unpaid Domestic Labor:
- "A study published in 2014 in Psychological Science found that when fathers and mothers share chores more equally, their daughters tend to have broader professional ambitions."
- "Women are at least four times more likely than men to reduce their hours or leave the workforce for a period of time to care for children or aging family members. If a 35 year-old woman earning $41,000 leaves her job until her newborn goes to kindergarten, she could lose an estimated $433,000 in wages, lost raises, and retirement contributions."
- "Globally, women spend significantly more time than men – sometimes up to ten times as much – on unpaid care and domestic work. If this is calculated on the basis of an hourly minimum wage, it could make up 9 to 11 percent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2018, 606 million women of working age around the world said that they were unable to take on paid work because of unpaid care responsibilities. In countries where women do twice as much unpaid care work as men, their average earnings are less than two-thirds of men’s. This disparity lies at the heart of gender inequality; it keeps women, families, communities, countries, and the world poor. "
MissionTo support and empower fathers by offering opportunities for connection, education, and community engagement.
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Vision
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Meet Our Board
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Keegan Albaugh - President
Keegan’s passion for being a father can undoubtedly be traced back to the hundreds of hours he spent as a child watching Full House reruns. When the dream of having a child became real in 2016, he embarked on a mission to increase the number of opportunities and services for dads in the Burlington, VT area. He facilitated a support group for new fathers at Evolution Yoga in 2017, and created Dad Guild the following year. Prior to becoming a father, Keegan earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Colby College in 2006. He has worked in nonprofit organizations ever since, with a focus on community building and social emotional skill development in adolescents. |
He moved to Vermont to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2009, and worked as an educator at Howard Center for nearly 10 years. He is currently the Fatherhood Program Coordinator at the Janet S. Munt Family Room, serves on the New England Fathering Conference planning committee, and has a monthly column, "Pop Culture", in Kids VT Newspaper.
Keegan lives in Burlington’s New North End with his partner, Stephanie, their two daughters, Coraline and Penelope, and their two cats, Otis and Clover. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking, watching Stephanie perform improv at the Vermont Comedy Club, and playing the ukulele...at a very mediocre skill level. Like, really mediocre.
Keegan lives in Burlington’s New North End with his partner, Stephanie, their two daughters, Coraline and Penelope, and their two cats, Otis and Clover. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking, watching Stephanie perform improv at the Vermont Comedy Club, and playing the ukulele...at a very mediocre skill level. Like, really mediocre.
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Nicholas Kramer - Secretary
Nicholas first discovered Dad Guild through connections he made at Modern Pop, a support group for new fathers. As an early Dad Guild member Nicholas attended several Dad’s Nights Out, as well as preliminary organizational meetings and brainstorming sessions. He is truly honored to be a founding member of the Dad Guild Board of Directors. Besides his passion for the organization’s mission, Nicholas brings previous nonprofit start-up experience, having previously worked for Foundation Center (now known as Candid), an organization that, among other things, provides services to help nonprofits get started and ultimately grow and expand. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Library Science, which provides a skill set that will assist him in his role as Secretary. |
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A resident of the New North End, Nicholas is an avid hiker and snowboarder-- that is when he can find time between working full-time at Dealer.com and being the father of an active toddler. He is also a DJ on a local community radio station, 99.3 FM, WBTV-LP, Burlington, hosting the weekly eclectic music show, Endless Head Nod.
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Marlon Fisher - Treasurer
Marlon Fisher was the full time stay at home caregiver for his first son, Percy, until he returned to work when Percy was 18 months old. That first year and a half taught Marlon several important things as he joined many groups for breastfeeding mothers: first, applying a warm compress to the chest prior to nursing helps to increase milk flow; second, there were not enough places for fathers to gather and connect; and third, the greatest pleasure in his life is being a father to Percy and, now, his second son, Malachai. Marlon met Keegan at an event where it became clear that there was a shared passion for developing a community for fathers, their families, and their children. Professionally, Marlon has dedicated his career to supporting at-risk youth in various settings including residential, wilderness, and in the community. |
He graduated from Champlain College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Integrated Studies after starting college 9 times. In between, he served 8 years in the US Army as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst. Currently, Marlon works for the State of Vermont Department of Children and Families Family Service Division as a Juvenile Service worker in Chittenden County.He loves seeing youth through hard times and helping them make better choices. Marlon brings years of board experience to Dad Guild, as he has previously served on several boards.
Marlon lives with his wife, Aron, their two boys, Percy and Malachai, and their two sibling kitties, Adirondack and Himalaya. In his free time Marlon is a stand up comic and a regular host of The Moth StorySlam competition.
Marlon lives with his wife, Aron, their two boys, Percy and Malachai, and their two sibling kitties, Adirondack and Himalaya. In his free time Marlon is a stand up comic and a regular host of The Moth StorySlam competition.
