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Illinois Fatherhood Initiative
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Chicago, IL 60606
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Email - 4fathers@earthlink.net
 

Byrdsong Award Page

IFI / RICKY BYRDSONG AWARD

2007

Fernando Carrasco

 

Fernando grew up as one of 5 children in Monterrey Mexico. He attended college in Mexico at Universidad Mexican de Noreste and Instituto Tecnologico Regional. As part of an urban ministry in Mexico he worked with other ministries at developing programs to address the problems of urban life for impoverished families. He would even take families into his own home when the need presented itself.  Eventually, Fernando applied and was accepted for a student visa to the U.S. where he entered Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Illinois and received his Masters in Divinity in 1994.

For the past ten years, Fernando has been working with the counseling department at APCC as an individual counselor, group counselor, and parent workshop facilitator for immigrant children (grades 3-8) and parents. His work focuses on strengthening the emotional, social, and behavioral conflicts that the families who are not originally from America face as they transition from life in their home countries. The people Fernando serve come from all over the world including South Africa, Honduras, South American countries, the Philippines, Pakistan, China, and others. To date, Fernando has worked with over 800 at risk youth at APCC. He is currently looking into strengthening his work by continuing his education and getting a PhD in Human Services.

Much like Ricky Byrdsong, Fernando is also deeply committed to his faith and his family. His wife, Rev. Kathy Taylor, is the senior pastor at the First Baptist Church in Maywood, and he is an Associate Pastor at the church.  Together they have four children, Fernando-12, Camilla-9, Nicholas-6, Jeremiah-2, (three of whom are adopted). Fernando currently leads a youth ministry but is also committed to developing a men’s group at his church. Fernando explains that most of his work with parents at APCC and his church are with young mothers. He explains that about 8 out of every 10 adults he works with are women, so “I would like to encourage more men to be responsible,” He discusses how the award was a blessing for him because he wants to be a living example of his values and beliefs. He stated that it is very important to “be what I say I am, inside and outside, here, and at home.” Fernando works hard at taking what he learns at work and his ministry and applying it to his relationship with his family.

Other activities Fernando has been involved with:

Illinois Fatherhood Initiative presented Fernando Carrasco with the 2007 IFI / Ricky Byrdsong Award.

 

November 2007