Akron Life December 2022

A group of kids, around 16 to 18 years old, showed up to Just A Dad one day in February 2022 — armed with a gun. “Kids came in and tried to rob me,” Lambert says, adding that he was shocked but decided to start talking to them, explaining the story of Just A Dad. His method worked. “They took their hands out of their waistband, because they’re holding the gun in there, took their masks off,” Lambert says. And one of the kids surprised him by asking if he recog nized him. “I used to mentor one of the kids when I first got sober.” The tension dissipated. The kids, who had never been in the store before, told Lambert that it was amazing, especially because one was going to be a dad. He told the kid he knew that he’ll be there for him if he needs anything. Despite the frightening event, Lambert main tains an open-door policy during Just A Dad’s business hours. “Anyone’s welcome. People come here that are homeless, and they sleep on the chair while we’re open because they have nowhere to sleep,” he says. “That’s cool, ’cause I’ve been there.” Kids often come after school to hang out. They greet customers, eat donated snacks, watch YouTube videos and talk with him about their goals and role models. “I wish there was something like this around when I was a kid,” Lambert says. “Little kids immediately are warmed up to him, … but the teenage kids — that’s where I really see the huge impact,” says Kristi Watson, the director of operations for Just A Dad and Lambert’s girlfriend. “They come to him for support and inspiration.” “I’m asking them, Who’s your role model? Who do you look up to? ,” Lambert recalls. “They all said the same thing. They all said their

grandpas because their dads are dead, in jail or run the streets.” Students also share their struggles and seek advice. For example, when they got suspended from school, Lambert suggested apologizing to teachers to make the situation better. “Being able to see him provide a safe space, have those open conversations, is really cool,” Watson says. One 17-year-old with a difficult home life has visited the store nearly every day for a year. He’s a great artist, and Lambert encouraged him to design a Just A Dad hoodie, which sold very well. “He’s very, very talented. His parents, they take his art and throw it in the trash,” Lambert says. “He comes to the store. He’s loved.” Lambert’s support extends to adults as well. Just A Dad hosts sober support mental health meetings on Fridays, where he facilitates con versation in a packed room of 17- to 65-year olds, welcoming openness about struggles like depression, eating disorders and substance use. Recovery and mental health are lifelong journeys. “The stuff that got me sober — I have to do that every day, like pray, be around positive people, talk about anything that’s bothering me,” Lambert says, adding that he doesn’t feel tempted to break his sobriety anymore, instead focusing on his mental health, since he struggles with depression. He stays busy when the store isn’t open, with side projects such as home renovation work to help hold him accountable while also making sure to rest. He also sponsors four people through Alcoholics Anonymous and meets with his sponsor, and he gets support from Watson, who attends Just A Dad meetings with him and is nearly three years sober from alcohol. It’s especially meaningful when people Lambert knows get inspired, like his brother,

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