Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a father who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a man and a father. Above all, the Dad of the Month is dedicated to his children. Rich or poor, famous or not, he shines as an example of what fathering is all about.

Our choice for January is Lyle Hanna, father of one.

Lyle Hanna believes strongly in the power of fatherhood and his ability to influence his child’s life. He lives an exemplary life intentionally to teach his 12-year-old son, Shelby, what truly matters. Hanna is on the International Board for Habitat for Humanity and is on the organization’s Kentucky Board of Directors. With his son’s edification in mind, he takes Shelby on work trips with him. Together they have built many Habitat homes and rebuilt countless lives.

When Shelby was 3, Hanna began bringing him to work projects. Although Shelby did nothing more than carry around a hammer and visit with the workers, he began to understand how lucky he was. He felt the gratitude of the people they helped and enjoyed the time with his family. By the age 6 he was ready for real work.

At 6, Shelby was old enough to recognize the differences in cultures and learned a tremendous amount on a work project in Guatemala. Hanna was pleased with his son’s observations. "It had a big impact on him when he saw kids begging on the street," Hanna says. "He’d say things to me like, ‘Daddy, did you see that boy? His clothes are rags.’ He was beginning to see how good his life was."

Shelby hammered nails, hauled supplies, cleaned up and helped the other workers. Thanks to his father, at age 6 he already understood the value of hard work.

There is a melding of passions and parenting in the Hanna household. Hanna and his wife, Mary Diane, are passionate about helping the needy and commit countless hours each year to building homes for the less fortunate. Most often, when his school schedule permits, Shelby accompanies them. As he works beside his parents and meets kids from around the globe, his view of the world continually expands, as does his empathy for others. Just as Hanna hoped, his endeavors have made Shelby a more compassionate person.

"Making your children understand the importance of Christian commitments, to understand the spiritual side of things as well as the physical, helps them realize we are helped by helping others," Hanna says.

He took Shelby to New Zealand last year to build homes for the Maori people. Together they built the first three houses of the new millennium. Shelby got to work and play with kids from around the world who were there to help. "He is learning about the world from these work trips and the people he meets," Hanna says.

Hanna volunteers his time for Habitat for Humanity. His paid position is as an international human resource consultant for William M. Mercer, Inc. His role with Mercer works well with his worldwide calling for Habitat. Fortune Magazine recently featured Hanna for his ability to successfully merge both jobs.

There is a reason Hanna feels compelled to take his family with him on as many trips as possible. "These events are potentially life changing," he says. "I want my family to share in that. It doesn’t work to come back and tell someone ‘you should have been there.’ It works so much better when you experience it together. Sometimes the trips change me. I don’t want to be changing without my family, I want them to change with me."

Hanna will be heading off to Egypt with his family in October to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. He looks forward to the lessons he and his family will learn from that trip. "I get Shelby out in the world to see it and ‘feel’ it. I want him to feel this world of need around us."

If you want to enrich your parenting experience and increase your compassion as a human being, listen to the words of Lyle Hanna. "We must enhance our experiences by finding ways to help other people," he says. "If you want your life to have value, you have to give value to people in need."