Brandon struggled while raising his son, Logan, alone, with no support system.
The Florida Department of Children and Families connected Brandon with Better Together. It was 2019. Logan, who has autism, was 4 years old. Though Logan captured his dad’s heart fully, parenting a child with special needs and working to provide for his family of two proved challenging.
Better Together connected Brandon with a mentor, a man who had also been a single dad.
That relationship gave Brandon the support and encouragement he needed. It was the start of Brandon’s community. He attended Better Luncheons, where he met other parents and soaked up expert advice from the guest speakers. Isis LaRose, a Better Together team member, invited him to Rise Church one Sunday.
“The first day there, I was like, ‘This is my church!’”
When you talk about juggling family and work, Brandon says, Pastor Nick Yantorn has been a major influence on him. “He helped me see it’s fine to have both,” Brandon says.
Today, Brandon works a road construction job that he’s had for ages. He’s trying to get Logan into a specialized autism program. He and his partner in life, Kristina, now have a little girl, Melanie, and a baby on the way.
Brandon says his kids are his pride and joy. “There’s no greater feeling in the world than to be a dad.”
Posted June 14, 2024 | Pamela Hayford
