Fatherhood Fires
A space for fathers to call their own.
Fatherhood Fires brings eight nearby dads in the DC area together for deeper friendships. We help form your group and guide your first two gatherings—the Sparks—with conversation, shared expectations, and a plan for what comes next. Then your group keeps the Fire going together.
DWW Sparks the Fire. The Group Keeps It Going.
This model is designed to utilize the spaces that already exist in local communities and create a regular home for fathers to recharge. This is not a one time event and is not a camping trip. It is a sustained 3rd space, outside of work or home, for men, for fathers.
A gathering place doesn't have to be an established campground. A father's backyard or rotating backyards with outdoor space and a fire ring is most commonly used. Groups can also decide to arrange another space if they choose.
The Two Sparks
DWW facilitates two in-person gatherings that establish connection, expectations, and culture, and prepare the fathers for the handoff.
The Handoff
Before the second Spark ends, the group leaves with its next gathering already scheduled, a confirmed location, and a Fire Tender from the group identified.
Father-Owned,
The fathers lead their own Fire from here, following the gathering plan they set at the handoff, whether that's staying with the same host, rotating among backyards, or choosing another location. Fathers can meet monthly or more frequently. The group decides!
Find Your Fire. Keep It Going.
Find a nearby circle of dads, or bring a facilitator back to an existing Fire.
Find a Fire
Meet other dads near you. Join the interest list for your area and we'll coordinate a nearby group once there's enough interest to Spark a Fire.
Add a Log
Running your own Fire already? Invite a DWW facilitator back for an occasional gathering whenever your group needs one.
Local Enough to Actually Show Up
Fatherhood Fires aren't just local so they're easier to attend. They're local so dads in the DMV can actually show up for one another, at school pickup, on the sideline, at the grocery store, and in the hard moments in between.
Why Invest in This
Building a circle of friends takes finding people nearby, making time, and connecting with them. Fatherhood Fires helps with each step: bringing together dads with compatible availability, facilitating two Spark gatherings, and helping your group establish a rhythm it can continue. Your investment covers that supported beginning, with no ongoing membership fee required to keep meeting.
A Note on What Fatherhood Fires Is Not
Fatherhood Fires is a third space. It is not a form of therapy or clinical counseling. If you or someone you know is looking for therapeutic support, Dads with Wisdom's Dads 2.0 program is a good place to start. You can learn more at www.dadswithwisdom.com.
Where We Meet
Participants coordinate and secure their own gathering space, such as a group member’s backyard, for both launch Sparks and future Fires. DWW does not provide, book or pay for venues. A physical fire is optional; the connection is what matters.
Ready to Find Your Fire?
It only takes a few minutes to join the interest list for your area — no long forms, no pressure, just a first step toward a regular gathering of dads near you.