Warren Ransom, left, laughs as he talks with his son Demond, 12, on Thursday afternoon. Ransom lives with his two sons in Emma Wheeler Homes. One of his sons was hit by a car six years ago and requires 24-hour nursing care. Ransom is one of a group of fathers who will be honored at a dinner Friday.Chattanooga Housing Authority events to honor fathers include:• The Emma Wheeler Resident Association will host a Father’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the rental office at 4900 Edinburg Drive.• CHA will host a dinner at 7 p.m. tonight at the central office at 801 N. Holtzclaw Ave. The guest speaker is the Rev. Willie Paul.• A block party will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Greenwood Terrace at 3056 Dee Drive. Partners for the event include Abba’s House, RA Ministries, the Greenwood Resident Association and CHA’s Neighborhood Networks Program. Local gospel artist T-Ran Gilbert will perform.CHA will honor the following fathers who live in public housing:College Hill Courts• Donnell Bramlett• Pius Mutubwa• Aroni NdayisabaCromwell Hills Apartments• Ellis Jones• Timothy Jones• Ralph SmithEmma Wheeler• Marvin Harris• Kevin Palmer• Warren RansomGreenwood Terrace Apartments and Scattered Sites• Anthony Hambrick• Thomas Simmons• Edward Rowe Sr.Harriet Tubman Development• Marcus Hayes• Christopher Hudgins• Fred SturdivantSource: Chattanooga Housing Authority
A 12-year-old boy with a brain injury and his 13-year-old ADHD brother have a home and a stable family thanks to their father, local officials say.
“There are some things in my life that I have not accomplished,” said 30-year-old Warren Ransom, the boys’ father. “But there are some things I have to be in control of. There is no out to this. Being a father is what I’m supposed to do.”
Ransom is one of 15 fathers who live in public housing to be honored tonight at the Chattanooga Housing Authority’s Father’s Day dinner.
“He’s fun. He takes us places,” Warren Jr. said when asked what he liked best about his dad.
Said Demond, “He took me to Chuck E. Cheese.”
Along with 200 public housing agencies across the country, local housing officials organized the event after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said it wants to encourage fathers in public housing and increase the bond with fathers and their families.
“HUD sees there is a disconnect because the father is not on the scene,” said Carol Johnson, CHA director of resident services. “When young people turn to crime or gangs, a lot of people say it is because the father is absent from the household.”
The housing authority’s goal is to recognize the fathers who are active day-to-day in their children’s lives, Johnson said.
CHA selected the 15 men by asking family members to write essays about their fathers. Section 8 residents selected the 15 fathers based on the essays.
Former CHA board Chairwoman Connie O’Neal said she hopes fathers feel encouraged by the event.
“I remember a time when the system did not embrace fathers in public housing,” O’Neal said. “Without a doubt, we understand the gravity of the problem we’re having with the absence of fathers. Their presence is critical.”
Young men without fathers are more apt to misbehave, and young women without fathers lack a clear example of what should be expected in a man, O’Neal said.
HUD patterned its initiative after a program that the New York City Housing Authority launched in the summer of 2010. HUD gives no money but asks that other federally funded agencies such as the Department of Labor’s One Stop Career Centers, health departments and educational institutions get involved by making their resources more easily accessible to fathers in public housing.
HUD also calls on employers and faith-based organizations.
Ransom said caring for his two sons makes it difficult for him to keep a job. Demond, Ransom’s youngest son, needs 24-hour care after a brain injury caused by being hit by a car, and Warren Jr., his oldest son, often needs assistance in school because of his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
But Ransom said he wants to pass his GED, he said. He took the test earlier this year and passed everything but math.
“I want to take it to the next level and be able to support my family,” said Ransom who wants to be a licensed practical nurse. “I won’t be able to get what they need without furthering my education.”