Finding True Joy: Chuck Milton’s Mission to Serve Struggling Fathers

William’s House began with a question: “What about men in crisis?”

Chuck Milton has been sober for almost 16 years, but when he left rehab for alcohol treatment, he faced a dilemma.

“I didn’t have the tools I needed to get my act together with regard to house or finances. I just didn’t have the life skills that I think are necessary,” Chuck shared. “I thought when I got sober, I was going to get my old life back and my old job back. But it didn’t work out that way.”

Chuck found a new job at Mary Hall Freedom Village, a nonprofit that walks with women, with and without children, on the path to sobriety. As he served these women, he began to think about single fathers and their children.

“I wondered, ‘What do men with children do when there’s a similar situation and the women are not in the picture?’” Chuck said.

Over the next few years, Chuck continued considering this question and attempted to find positions at nonprofits that would allow him to meet the needs he saw in the community. 

That’s when he met William Brust. Both men were interviewing for positions in the nonprofit world but were struggling to find the right fit.

One day, Chuck had an idea. “I called William and I said, ‘Why don’t we start our own nonprofit?’” 

At first, William was hesitant. “But the next day he called back, and the rest is history,” Chuck said.

As they identified their mission and planned their nonprofit, Chuck and William reached out to over 200 politicians, community leaders and nonprofit executives across Atlanta. They shared their vision for serving men and children and asked for advice.

Through Chuck and William’s careful planning and many conversations, William’s House was born in 2020. 

William’s House empowers men with children to find housing, financial and mental health stability and future careers. As they empower men, they also encourage healing for the whole family.

“We offer psychiatric care, psychological trauma-informed care and psychotherapeutic services, not only for the men but also for the children and even for the mothers if they’re in the picture and want to participate,” Chuck shared. 

“If you are interested in sobriety, a relationship with your children and home ownership, that’s what William’s House is all about.”

Out of the 200 conversations that preceded the founding of William’s House, Chuck and William made an important connection with former Community Foundation Executive Director, Randy Redner. 

Through Randy, William’s House built another critical relationship with United Way of Greater Atlanta that led to an important 2022 study emphasizing the need for additional support for homeless fathers. 

From meeting new community leaders to becoming a fundholder to connecting with new donors, Chuck is grateful for this growing relationship with the Foundation. 

“They’re important to us because of our partnership and their investment in the community,” he said.

Chuck has recognized that the work of William’s House and fathers’ journeys to healing, growth and family stability is a community effort. He recalls one story where a member of the community stepped up to help William’s House better serve a father in need.

“A man came into the program and he had a young child in [The Georgia Division of Family & Children Services custody],” Chuck explained. 

The man was sober and taking part in the parenting, life skills and financial literacy programs at William’s House, but a judge required one more step before the father could take custody back.

“He needed to have a dwelling with an extra bedroom for the baby, and the renovation was going to cost about $10,000 to finish the project,” Chuck shared.

Soon after the father and the William’s House team learned about the need, the father attended a William’s House breakfast meeting with other community leaders in attendance.

“The young man introduced himself to guests and mentioned the situation,” Chuck said. “Afterward, an anonymous donor came up to me and wrote a check for $10,000 that morning to finish the renovations.”

“Stories like this help me understand the difference between happy and joy. Happy is a new car or a new pair of shoes. It’s temporary. But joy is something in your heart — it’s everlasting. When you’re of service to someone else, it’s truly joy.”
Share joy and hope with the fathers at William’s House by donating to their fund!