Gratitude starts with family, as far as Avery Slade is concerned.
The 39-year-old single father says as a teenager he couldn’t wait to leave Bellefontaine, and now he says he couldn’t picture raising his family anywhere else.
Avery Slade dines this week with two of his sons, Mason, left, and Andrew during a meal at Lutheran Community Services. (EXAMINER PHOTO | NATE SMITH)
“Funny how after all these years we still ended up back here,” he said Monday between bites of beef and noodles during a community meal with his family at the Lutheran Community Services, 223 Oakland Square, Bellefontaine.
Mr. Slade has full custody of two young sons, Mason, 5, and Andrew, 4, and supports a third, nine-year-old son.
About 10 weeks ago Mr. Slade also learned that he is the biological father of an 11-year-old girl he’s known since birth.
“I’m very grateful for my daughter,” he said. “I was overjoyed to find out she was my little girl, and the boys were glad to learn they had a sister, too,” he said.
He said his daughter is equally thankful.
“She won’t let go of me anytime we’re together now,” Mr. Slade said. “It’s like she’s afraid I’m going someplace, but I always tell her ‘I’m not going any place.’”
Mr. Slade resides on the north side of town, and is surrounded by family. His sister lives nearby, and their parents live around the corner, he said.
“I couldn’t do it without them, my sister and mom,” Mr. Slade said. “We had moved to Tennessee for about three months, but moved back to be with our family.
“The boys missed their Grandma, and I needed the help raising them.”
Mr. Slade is a Logan County native, and attended Benjamin Logan High School.
He works full time as a manager at the McDonald’s restaurant on the north side of town. A rare day off Monday afforded him the opportunity to enjoy a meal with loved ones at Lutheran Community Services.
“We are thankful that we can come here and eat together and get a hot meal,” he said, noting the family plans to eat Thanksgiving supper at one of the local churches that’s serving a free meal.
“Money is tight now,” Mr. Slade acknowledges. “Support from not just family but places like (Lutheran Community Services) makes raising my sons and supporting my daughter possible.”
Lutheran Community Services serves a free hot meal to the public through Our Daily Bread five days per week between 4:15 and 6 p.m. Various church groups and assorted not-for-profit organizations volunteer to serve approximately 22,000 hot meal trays per year.