Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerron Hurtt Sr.
Jerron, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Jerron Hurtt Sr., though many people know me as “Daddy”.
Most people were introduced to me through social media, but my story didn’t start there. My story started with my twin sons.
Long before the nonprofit, the advocacy work, and the public attention, we were simply a father and his boys creating memories together. Recording and sharing those moments was a family tradition. We documented family trips, everyday adventures, life lessons, and the simple moments that often become our most treasured memories. During the pandemic, while many families were searching for connection, we continued doing what we had always done: spending time together and sharing our journey.
People from all over the world began connecting with our videos. It wasn’t because of expensive equipment or elaborate production. People connected with something much simpler. They connected with love. They saw a father deeply involved in his children’s lives. They saw laughter, learning, encouragement, and a bond that resonated with families everywhere.
The importance of those moments also inspired me to become a children’s book author. I wrote Look to the Left, Look to the Right: No Cars, Then It’s Alright, a book designed to teach young children important safety lessons while encouraging learning through positive family interactions. Like much of the work I do today, the book was inspired by my belief that small moments between parents and children can leave a lasting impact.
Those memories eventually generated more than one billion views across social media platforms.
As our audience grew, so did the messages.
Fathers from around the country began reaching out to me. Many shared stories about their relationships with their children, the challenges they were facing, and the emotional pain they carried. What surprised me was that it wasn’t only fathers. Mothers, grandparents, and entire families also reached out. Many felt unheard. Many felt alone. Many were simply looking for someone who understood.
The more people shared their stories, the more I realized that what we had built was bigger than social media.
We had built a virtual family.
People from different backgrounds, cities, and life experiences found common ground through our story. They celebrated our victories, supported us through challenges, and shared their own journeys. What started as family memories became a community built on connection, encouragement, and hope.
Looking back, I realize that community prepared me for what came next.
The moments that once defined my daily life became moments I found myself holding onto more tightly. For the first time, I truly understood the pain that so many parents and families had shared with me over the years. Like many of the people who had reached out to me, I found myself navigating challenges that tested me emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
During some of the most difficult moments of my life, I learned that pain can either consume you or inspire you.
I chose to let it inspire me.
That is when my pain became my passion.
Instead of allowing adversity to define me, I decided to use my experiences to help others. What began as a platform built around family memories evolved into a mission focused on strengthening families, supporting parents, helping children thrive, and creating opportunities for future generations.
That mission became The Hurtt Fathers Advocate Corporation (HFAC), a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families overcome challenges while creating pathways to hope, healing, and opportunity.
Although we are still building, our vision is ambitious.
Beyond mental health support, mentorship, and workforce development, we also advocate for fathers and families who often feel lost navigating complex systems. We help connect parents and caregivers with resources, information, and support as they work to maintain healthy and meaningful relationships with the children they love. We support efforts that strengthen families, encourage positive co-parenting relationships, and promote the importance of children having access to safe, healthy, and supportive relationships with both parents whenever possible.
At the heart of our work is a simple belief: when families are stronger, children are stronger. Everything we do, from advocacy and mental health support to workforce development and mentorship, is designed to help create healthier outcomes for children, parents, and families as a whole.
I have also had the privilege of supporting legislative and policy initiatives that strengthen families, encourage meaningful involvement from both parents whenever possible, and improve outcomes for children, fathers, and families throughout our communities. While every family’s situation is unique, I believe children benefit when they have access to the love, guidance, and support of both parents whenever it is safe and appropriate.
One of the lessons I learned through my own journey is that many fathers carry emotional wounds that often go unseen. When fathers experience separation from their children or major disruptions within their families, the emotional impact can be significant. Yet many men suffer in silence because they do not know where to turn for help.
That reality inspired us to partner with Global Impact Wellness as we work to provide free mental health therapy and support services for fathers and families. Our goal is not simply to help fathers survive difficult moments but to help them heal, grow, and continue showing up as positive forces within their families and communities.
I am also proud of initiatives such as our Dad Retreat in Saugatuck, Michigan. The retreat gave fathers an opportunity to step away from daily pressures and focus on mental health, personal growth, healing, and brotherhood. It created a space where fathers could be vulnerable, support one another, and invest in their own wellbeing. It reinforced something I strongly believe: when fathers are healthy, families become stronger.
We are also investing in the next generation.
Through workforce development, entrepreneurship, mentorship, and digital literacy initiatives, we are helping youth ages 14 to 18 and young adults ages 18 to 24 prepare for successful futures. Many of the young people we encounter are searching for guidance, encouragement, and positive role models. Some are growing up without consistent support systems. Others simply need someone to believe in them.
We want them to know that their circumstances do not determine their destiny.
Through partnerships with the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC), community leaders, educators, and workforce development professionals, we are working to connect young people with opportunities, skills, mentorship, and networks that can change the trajectory of their lives.
Over the years, social media taught me the power of storytelling. What began as family memories shared online eventually reached millions of people and created connections with families across the country.
But over time, I realized that while views can create awareness, real impact happens when people come together to support one another and create change in their communities.
That realization shifted my focus.
Today, much of my energy is dedicated to growing HFAC and building programs that create opportunities for children, families, and young adults. The goal is no longer simply to reach people online. The goal is to create lasting impact in the real world.
One of those programs is Viral 4 A Vision, a free workforce development, entrepreneurship, and digital literacy initiative for youth ages 14 to 18 and young adults ages 18 to 24. The program teaches communication skills, confidence, leadership, personal branding, entrepreneurship, and career readiness while helping participants understand how technology can be used as a tool for opportunity and advancement rather than distraction.
On July 25, we will host a workshop in partnership with the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC), bringing together youth, young adults, professionals, and community leaders to help prepare the next generation for success.
My story is still being written.
While I continue navigating my own challenges and adversities, my focus remains on building something bigger than myself. My vision is a stronger Baltimore, stronger families, and stronger communities. I want children to grow up surrounded by love, stability, and opportunity. I want parents to have the support and resources they need to succeed. I want fathers to know they matter, mothers to know they are valued, and families to know they do not have to face life’s challenges alone. I want young people to have access to mentorship, opportunity, and support so they can build brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
The same love that inspired millions of people through simple family videos continues to guide everything I do today.
If my journey has taught me anything, it is that some of our greatest pain can become our greatest purpose when we choose to use it to serve others. My hope is that what began as one family’s story becomes part of a larger story of healing, opportunity, and hope for families throughout Baltimore and beyond.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has been learning how to keep moving forward during some of the most difficult seasons of my life. Building a platform, growing a nonprofit, advocating for families, and creating new programs all require time, energy, and resources. Like many founders, I’ve faced financial challenges, setbacks, disappointments, and moments where the road ahead wasn’t clear. And the biggest I can’t even talk about.
Personally, I’ve also experienced circumstances that changed my life and forced me to see the world differently. Those experiences gave me a deeper understanding of the struggles many parents and families face every day. Instead of allowing those challenges to stop me, I chose to turn them into purpose.
Starting a grassroots nonprofit from the ground up has not been easy. Every partnership, every donation, every program, and every opportunity has required persistence and faith. There have been plenty of days where the vision was bigger than the resources available, but I kept going because I believed the mission mattered.
What keeps me motivated is knowing that there are fathers, mothers, children, and young adults who need support, guidance, and hope. Whether it’s helping a father reconnect with his children, connecting families to mental health resources, mentoring a young person, or creating workforce development opportunities, I know the work is making a difference.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that adversity doesn’t have to define you. Sometimes the very thing that causes you pain can become the thing that gives your life purpose. My journey hasn’t been a smooth road, but every challenge has strengthened my commitment to building stronger families, creating opportunities for young people, and leaving Baltimore better than I found it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Hurtt Fathers Advocate Corporation (HFAC) is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening families, supporting fathers, empowering youth, and expanding access to opportunity through education, workforce readiness, mentorship, mental health support, leadership development, and community based services.
Our mission is to help individuals and families build stable, healthy, and successful futures while fostering stronger communities across Maryland.
What sets HFAC apart is that our work is built on lived experience and a genuine commitment to helping people overcome challenges and reach their full potential. We believe strong families create strong communities and that every child, parent, and young adult deserves access to opportunity.
A major focus of our work is empowering youth ages 14 to 18 and young adults ages 18 to 24 through workforce readiness, mentorship, leadership development, entrepreneurship, and career preparation. We are creating programs that expose young people to meaningful career pathways, apprenticeships, skilled trades, employment opportunities, and the skills necessary to succeed in today’s workforce.
At the same time, we remain committed to supporting fathers and strengthening families through advocacy, mentorship, mental health support, leadership development, and community based services. Everything we do is centered around helping individuals and families build stronger foundations for long term success.
What I am most proud of is that HFAC is still growing while staying true to its mission. Every partnership, initiative, and opportunity is focused on creating lasting impact and expanding access to resources that help people move forward.
We also believe meaningful change happens through collaboration. As HFAC continues to grow, we are always open to building relationships and partnering with community organizations, educational institutions, workforce development leaders, businesses, faith based organizations, and others who share our commitment to strengthening families, empowering youth, and creating opportunities throughout Maryland.
HFAC is about hope, opportunity, and action. We are not simply talking about challenges. We are helping build solutions that create stronger families, empowered youth, and stronger communities across Maryland.
What’s next?
Looking ahead, my goal is to continue building The Hurtt Fathers Advocate Corporation into an organization that creates lasting change for families and communities throughout Maryland.
I want to expand our work supporting fathers, strengthening families, and helping children grow up with the love, support, and guidance they need to succeed. Too many families face challenges that leave parents feeling isolated and children caught in the middle. My hope is to continue creating programs, resources, and support systems that help families heal, reconnect, and build stronger futures together.
I am also excited about expanding our workforce development and youth initiatives. Every young person deserves access to opportunity, regardless of their zip code, family circumstances, or economic background. One of my biggest goals is to help ensure that youth and young adults in underserved communities have access to the same mentorship, career pathways, leadership development, apprenticeships, and opportunities that are often available to those with greater resources and connections.
In the years ahead, I hope to grow partnerships with educators, community leaders, businesses, and organizations that share our vision for stronger families and stronger communities. I want HFAC to become a place where people can find hope, support, opportunity, and a path forward.
Personally, I look forward to continuing to grow, learn, and serve. My story is still being written, and so is the story of HFAC. If there is one thing I hope to accomplish, it is helping create a future where families are stronger, young people have greater opportunities, and children can benefit from the love and involvement of the people who care about them most.
That is the future I am working toward every day.
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thehurttfathers.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hurttfathers?igsh=a3BhMDV2MGRueXF0
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JQSeFU3W9/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jerron-hurtt-1b50a7361
- Other: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=Q9DRKH62QZSVS
