DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — A Danville church is giving dads and other father figures the chance to leave a lasting impact on the next generation, and they’re doing it through donuts. 

Under the glaze, and before the sprinkles, these sweet treats represent hope for the future. 

“Where I come from, I didn’t have a father,” said Tommy Harris. “We have to come together as a whole, because there’s not really a lot of men left in Danville.”

Mentorship is what Mosaic City Church wants to bring into 2025. They partnered with Royal Donut in Danville to give free donuts and drinks to kids if they were brought in by their dad or father figure.

“With having a male mentor, we hope to steer [kids] in the right direction to help them to deal with conflict in a positive and healthy way [so] that they don’t have to resort to violence,” said Mosaic City Church Lead Pastor, LeStan Hoskins. 

The event is for kids like sixth grader LeRon Atcher, giving him the drive to reach his goals.

“My new year’s resolution [is] I’m trying to get good grades, be good in school, try to help people out and think positive,” Atcher said. 

Organizers hope it inspires men to be more present in the community, ultimately steering kids in the right direction.

“The way things are now, kids need good role models,” said Royal Donut employee Twana McCullough. “The violence and all that needs to step aside. This is the year for dads to communicate with their sons [and] get them on the right track, because the prisons [are] full of kids that don’t need to be there.”

Of course, the donuts don’t hurt.

“I got the chocolate donut, and the chocolate is my favorite,” Atcher said. 

It’s championing family through food. Not just now, but far into the future.

“I think when we’re able to lead by example and [kids are] able to see our lives and see how we conduct ourselves, I think that’s the biggest influence and that’s what we want to do with the youth in our community,” Hoskins said. 

This was the start of many events Mosaic City Church is planning to give male role models the chance to be more active in the community. Hoskins said he hopes Tuesday’s event will impact kids in 2025 and much farther into the future.