Father's Day can be lonely for dads who miss children

Father's Day can be lonely for dads who miss children

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For Kenneth Aparicio, Father's Day is not a day to think about gifts and presents.

It's an occasion to remember his estranged children.

Aparicio has not seen his two child ren in at least two years.

He doesn't talk to them as often as he would like.

On his cellphone, he keeps a voicemail of the last time his daughter, Kimberly Aparicio, 22, called him to wish him happy Father's Day. The recording is from 2007.

Aparicio likes to listen to it, especially on this day.

Communication between Aparicio and his son, Angelo Ramirez, 20, has improved since Ramirez became a father, Aparicio said.

He hopes his children will call him today.

"I'm praying for them to call me tomorrow," Aparicio said Saturday while at the father's day celebration at the El Paso Housing Authority's Family Investment Center.

Aparicio was part of the more than 150 people who gathered Saturday at the center at 203 Cortez to celebrate Father's Day.

"I appreciated events like this because I fought for my daughter 18 years in court, and I never got any appreciation," Aparicio said. "I appreciate when I'm recognized as a padre be cause I'm a good father."

With food, games and interactive activities for parents and their

children, the Housing Authority of El Paso honored fathers.

The event was aimed at helping strengthen the important roles fathers play in the success of the family.

"One of the things that we are seeing is missing is that connection between the parent and the child a lot of times," said Maria Flores, a community services supervisor with the Housing Authority. "So we are trying to strengthen that interaction through activities like this type where we engaged parents."

Flores said a lot of participants were seniors whose children are adults now.

"We are also trying to get people involved in intergenerational activities like community guardians, so children can understand the elderly, the values that they bring to them, the wisdom that they can give them by interacting," Flores said.

This was the second year the Housing Authority celebrated Father 's Day.

Flores said the Housing Authority has taken the lead in engaging fathers to participate in activities with their children.

"It is more about interaction so they learn to have fun together and enjoy things together," she said.

Aileen B. Flores may be reached at aflores@elpasotimes.com; 546-6362.