When Tyrell Moore and his partner separated in 2008, the former truck driver was entrusted with the sole care of their two-year-old daughter, Mariah.
His life changed completely and he went from spending more than 60 hours on the road each week to tending to the well-being of his daughter.
And while parenting comes naturally to Moore, who became his younger brother’s guardian at just 17 and grew up babysitting his cousins, he had had little involvement with the daily grind of parenthood.
“The only time I had with her [before the separation] was on the weekends,” he says.
Moore was forced to leave their family home and take up residency on a friend’s couch while looking for somewhere to live.
Crisis accommodation proved unattainable, and it took about 60 failed rental applications before he was finally given approval for a house in Mill Park.
Just weeks after their separation, Moore was forced to quit his job to look after Mariah. The reality of being a full-time dad didn’t take long to set in.
The pension money covered little more than rent and healthy meals for one – Mariah.
“I was basically starving myself to furnish the place. I was living off noodles, while my little girl was eating meat and veg,” he says.
He remained a “stay-at-home dad” for the first few years, and it was during this time that he realised there were very few local support groups that catered for single parents, let alone anything tailored for fathers.
Rather than battle it alone, Moore made inquiries with Whittlesea council and Plenty Valley Health Services about starting his own support group to help other fathers in need of some guidance.
“We first met at Rug Rats in Epping. A group of fathers caught up at suitable times and brought along their children.
“We started out discussing parenting, what services were available and using everyone’s collective knowledge to help each other out,” he says.
Sole Fathers United (SFU), the single parent support group he started in 2010, now provides support, educational and social networks for 30 fathers and their children from Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
In recognition of his contribution to the community, Moore has been named winner of the 3AW and Villa Maria Community Hero award.
Each month the award goes to an inspiring individual who makes a positive difference to their community, or overcomes the odds to achieve a dream.
Moore, 32, covered both categories. But despite having worked tirelessly for the not-for-profit organisation he created, he says the award came as a complete surprise.
“I was shocked. It’s a very humbling experience and completely unexpected.”
Sole Fathers United offers families professional advice on issues such as accessing government support, child psychology, family law and first aid, and organising social gatherings, cooking classes and fund-raisers.
All the areas of help Moore so desperately sought in 2008, he now provides for others.
SFU has managed to get Coles on board to provide food items for the cooking classes, while other local businesses, including Edlyn Foods and Domenic’s Quality Butcher, donate food for struggling members.
The organisation is currently seeking state funding to run the cooking class more frequently than once every month, and to open an office or warehouse to house clothing and food for families in need.
“A warehouse will be a lot better than my garage,” Moore laughs.
SFU’s approach focuses on the well-being of the children, which, of course, extends to their health and fitness. One of their programs, Active Fathers Active Children Engaging Together, offers family-friendly boot camp-style exercises to improve children’s health.
Moore hopes the organisation will help fathers engage with their children and learn some positive skills in the process.
“We really try to strengthen the bond between father and child by getting together for barbecues and play dates. It’s also great for the kids to connect with others who are in a similar situation.”
A recent appearance on Channel Nine’s A Current Affair has prompted calls to expand the organisationAustralia-wide.
Lofty ambitions don’t seem to daunt Moore, who plans to return to study for a diploma in behavioural science with a minor in family law and politics, all while juggling his roles as president, welfare services director and programs co-ordinator at SFU, not to mention the role closest to his heart – raising Mariah, who’s now in grade one.
