F.I.R.E. on the Mountain 2021

F.I.R.E. on the Mountain

Pope Francis declared 2021 the “Year of St. Joseph” so that “every member of the faithul, following his example, may strengthen their life of faith daily in the complete fulfillment of God’s will.”  He described St. Joseph as a man who protected his family from harm, and served as a daily, discreet and hidden presence at the center of the family. Pope Francis said St. Joseph served his family with charity and humility, adding, “Our world today needs fathers.”

The 2020 U.S. Census reported that 18.3 million children, 1 in 4, live without a biological, step or adoptive father in the homes.  Those fatherless children face these odds: 7x more likely to become pregnant as a teen,  a 4x greater risk of poverty, and twice as likely to drop out of high school.  Surveys reveal higher rates of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse and behavioral problems for children without active fathers.

In response to the call of Pope Francis, the men of FIRE and Men Under Construction collaborated to create F.I.R.E. on the Mountain.  We ask for you to help sponsor our climbers who will be training and ultimately ascending two 14,000 foot peaks in the Uncompaghre Wilderness area in the Colorado Rockies in late July.  Men’s ministries from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas – F.I.R.E. and Men Under Construction join together to raise awareness of the importance of fathers, and we dream of raising $25,000 to support foster care programs, youths aging out of foster care, and ultimately to design and implement a program to identify, train and guide men seeking to make a difference in the lives of fatherless youth.  Sign up to climb with us here; or visit our sponsorship page to journey with these men on a physical and spiritual adventure. 

Support our climbers as they ascend the mountains for those in the foster care system at this GoFundMe link: https://gofund.me/22f173af