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| Children's Holiday Luncheon |
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The 5th Annual United Way Children's Holiday Luncheon was held on Monday, December 1st at the Peabody Hotel. Over 400 children from Pulaski County, Little Rock and North Little Rock School Districts attended. The luncheon targets children that are less fortunate than others and without the luncheon may not have a Christmas. Each child received two wrapped presents and a stuffed animal. Santa and Mrs. Claus were there to help hand out gifts and listen to what each child wanted for Christmas. Brian and Terri Kinder of Kindersongs entertained the children with their songs and Derrick Rose performed magic tricks. Tom Brannon of Today's THV emceed the event. A special thanks to the Peabody Hotel and General Manager Greg Herning for providing the venue and the food, Home Depot for providing the poinsettias for the centerpieces, and Kohl's for donating stuffed animals for all the children. One little girl attending the luncheon was quoted by her counselor as saying "This is the exact doll I've been praying for". Thanks to everyone who made this very special day possible!
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| Agency Spotlight: Arkansas Foodbank Network |
| The Arkansas Foodbank Network's warehouse is a busy place. During the workday, forklifts and pallet jacks whiz by as cheerful employees receive donations and chat with representatives from food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other emergency feeding programs. Volunteers and employees help distribute food and grocery products to these valuable member agencies who work tirelessly each day toward a common vision: to create a community where no one has to go hungry.
Established in 1984, the Arkansas Foodbank Network works to locate, secure and distribute food to member agencies that serve the hungry. Today they work with nearly 500 member agencies in 33 central and southern Arkansas counties. The Foodbank distributes approximately 51,000 pounds of food each day, and touches the lives of about 23,000 Arkansans per week. Arkansas is one of the hungriest states in the nation, and many are surprised to find that nearly half a million Arkansans live in poverty.
In addition to their basic service, the Arkansas Foodbank Network serves hungry Arkansans through a variety of programs including:
Kids Cafe: Partnership between the Arkansas Foodbank Network and 13 central and southern Arkansas Boys and Girls Clubs provides children at risk of hunger after school snacks and/or small meals, along with valuable nutrition education in a safe, accessible environment.
Backpacks for Kids: Program that provides underserved children with backpacks packed with nutritious, child-friendly food for the weekends and school holidays.
Senior Supplement: Partnership with the Visiting Nurse Association and CareLink to provide a box of grocery items once a month for seniors who live on a fixed income.
Rural Delivery: Monthly deliveries to agencies located in rural areas who experience difficulty getting to the Foodbank to pick up food as a result of economic, geographical, or other constraints.
Fresh Produce Initiative: Foodbank acquires donated truckloads of fresh produce including sweet potatoes, corn, apples, oranges, cantaloupe and more and makes them available at our distribution facility as well as distributing them through the Rural Delivery program.
Despite a difficult economic climate, individuals, companies, media outlets, volunteers and other supporters of the Arkansas Foodbank Network made valuable contributions of time and resources to the fight against hunger in 2008, and here are just a few examples of the generosity of Arkansans.
During the 9th Annual Summer Cereal Drive, a partnership between the Arkansas Foodbank Network and Today's THV, teams from schools, businesses, religious and civic organizations collected a record 162,848 breakfast items to feed hungry children and families! In May, local members of the National Association of Letter Carriers held their annual food drive and collected a remarkable 79,813 pounds of food. The students of Pulaski Academy gathered and donated 74,744 pounds of food during their annual food drive in November; this contribution was the second largest received by the Foodbank all year - just behind the Letter Carriers! The Arkansas Foodbank was fortunate to receive significant support from Kroger and Wal-Mart in 2008, and in July Skippy Peanut Butter donated 35,000 jars to the Foodbank - that's enough for half a million peanut butter sandwiches!
The Arkansas Foodbank Network is committed to the fight against hunger in our state. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities, please contact Kisha Bumpers, Development Coordinator, at (501) 565-8121, ext. 23 or kbumpers@arkansasfoodbank.org.
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CFC of Greater Arkansas
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The Combined Federal Campaign of Greater Arkansas raised $982,407 in its 2008 campaign. This was an increase of over $65,000 from last year! Thank you federal employees for your continued support!
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Caring Club Card
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Caring Club Cards are still available from United Way. With your annual donation of $120 or more, you will receive a Caring Club Card with discounts at over 60 local retailers. For a complete list of vendors or more information, contact Diane Kidwell at 501-376-4567. Campaign Associate Denver Day and Regional Development Director Diane Kidwell recently appeared on Today's THV with Tom Brannon to discuss the Caring Club Card. Here's a link to the video:
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Women of AT&T Give to SCAT
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Women of AT&T members in Little Rock, Arkansas (L-R: Brenda Allen, Donna Moore, Veronica Booth, and Lisa Lake) present a check for $756 raised in a fundraiser to JinJer James-Green representing the Senior Citizens Activity Today (SCAT) non-profit of Little Rock on November 5, 2008. |
Volunteer Opportunities
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| A.E.D.D. - They would like to add a "lean to" to their group home. They also need some rooms painted in some of their homes. If you are interested in this opportunity call Debbie Grooms at 666-0246. She will be able to give you more specifics.
Arkansas Foodbank Network - February through April of 2009, the Arkansas Foodbank Network will be participating in a hunger study to gather statistical information about hunger in our state and nation. We are in need of volunteers to help interview clients at our agencies across our 33 county service area. Most of the interviews will take place during the weekdays, but there will be some opportunity on weekends. If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Kisha Bumpers at 501-565-8121, ext. 23.
Women and Children First - The Task: We need hands and able bodies to help move donations from our overflowing storage room in the shelter to our new storage facility. Donations need to be sorted through and organized into the new space (our donations are new and few, but we still have too many). The project could take less than an afternoon (moving the items) or several days (sorting in-depth).
For more information contact Rebecca Stover at 376-3219 or e-mail rstover@wcfarkansas.org.
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Southwestern Energy Breakfast Campaign Supports Tri- County Area
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Southwestern Energy Company kicked off their regional employee campaign by hosting a breakfast at their Damascus facility this fall. SEECO, employs approximately 70 people at this facility who donate to Conway, Cleburne, and Van Buren Counties.
These areas were hard hit last year due to the tornados that destroyed so many homes and businesses. The Southwestern Energy philosophy is to" give back to the community" in which they live and work, and to encourage their employees to do likewise.
During this tough economy where many companies are cutting back, SEECO has not only made it possible for their employee's to give through payroll deduction; they also presented each county a check for $5,000 as they have done in years past.
On hand to accept these generous donations were: Delores Carroll with First Arkansas Bank & Trust, Cleburne County, Judge Jimmy Hart, and Dr. Thomas Flowers , of Conway County, and Diane Kidwell, Heart of Arkansas United Way accepting for Van Buren County. These dedicated people also serve on the United Way Board for each community represented.
Many thanks to Andy Miller ,Community Relations Director and George Sheffer, Facilities Manager of Southwestern Energy Company for your continued support of United Way. Your generosity is the best way to help your community "Live United".
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YWCA and Centers For Youth and Families, Inc. Merger
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After several months of planning, negotiations, and discussions the Bess Chisum Stephens YWCA officially merged with the Centers for Youth and Families, Inc. The effective date of the merger between the two nonprofit organizations took effect at 5:00 P.M. on December 15, 2008. The building and facility will now be known as "Bess Chisum Stephens Community Center". According to Doug Stadter, CEO for The Centers For Youth and Families, all staff and services that were in place before the merge will be maintained. Plans for the future are being made to begin offering more aquatic programs and other services to the Center's clients and to other community programs.
There has been a proliferation of nonprofit organizations during the past decade. A direct result of this growth has been increased competition for both philanthropic as well as funding from state and federal sources. The number of nonprofits far exceeds the number of funding sources that are available. Many nonprofit organizations are seeking to merge, partner, or collaborate with other similar nonprofits for a variety of reasons; save on operational and program cost, or be able to expand programs and services to better serve the community, or have access to additional types of funding sources or fund raising strategies are just a few considerations. At any rate, nonprofits are continually having to adapt and adjust to the changing economic conditions.
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Volunteer Center Training
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Do you need to build skills to manage your community organization more effectively?
Spring Workshops designed exclusively for that purpose are being offered by the Heart of Arkansas United Way Volunteer Center as part of their Management Assistance Program. Specific Courses will be; Media Relations with instruction by Kelli Reep, flywrite Communications, Grant Writing with instruction by Hayes Miller, Family Service Agency, and another one to be determined . If you are interested in attending one or all of the classes and would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact Jo Lynn Short at (501) 376-4567 or jshort@heartaruw.org. Classes are $20 for an all day training session and lunch is provided.
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2008 United Way Campaign
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The 2008-2009 traditional campaign months are slowly coming to a close. While the economic times were so uncertain during the last few months of 2008, there were a few companies and organizations who demonstrated their willingness to truly demonstrate what it means to LIVE UNITED.
One major player this year for the first time was Kroger Co. They challenged all of their stores in Arkansas to raise a total of $25,000 in their first campaign. Not only did they meet their goal, but the stores in Central Arkansas alone raised almost $26,000!
Another great success story was that of Southwest Power Pool. They have traditionally been successful supporters of United Way because they really get the employees involved and let them have fun during the campaign. This year they really went above and beyond the call of duty to raise over $78,000 which was an increase of $17,000 above the previous year.
Finally, the last group of employees that should be congratulated is the State of Arkansas Employees. For the first time ever state employees eclipsed the $190,000 mark for United Way, which is $3,000 over the previous record which was set in 2000. That means the $200,000 mark is well with reach for next year!
We want to thank all the companies, coordinators, and employees who participate in some way with the United Way campaign for all of their hard work and generous gifts for the 2008-2009 campaign. We look forward to working with all of you again next year.
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He who obtains has little. He who scatters has much.
Lao-Tzu
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| Arkansas Foodbank |
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Empty Bowls art auction and charity fundraiser: The 7th annual Empty Bowls Art Auction and Charity Fundraiser will be held on Thursday, March 19th from 6:00pm until 9:00pm. The event will be held at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Little Rock. Empty Bowls offers an evening of food and fun with food from some of Little Rock's finest restaurants. Restaurants include Capricio, So, Trio's and Lilly's Dim Sum, Then Some. An open wine and beer bar will be sponsored by Glazer's Distributors. A live and silent auction will give everyone an opportunity to bid on beautiful artwork by Arkansas artists. Empty Bowls is organized by Harvesters and the Arkansas Foodbank Network's young professionals group. They hope to raise $35,000 to feed hungry Arkansans through this year's event. For ticket and sponsorship information, or to donate art, contact Sarah Cowan at (501) 565-8121, ext. 15 or scwoan@arkansasfoodbank.org. .
National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive: On Saturday, May 9th please leave non-perishable food items by your mailbox for the NALC "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive. Last year's drive brought 79,813 pounds of food to the Arkansas Foodbank Network, and we hope to collect even more this year!
Today's THV Summer Cereal Drive: Join teams from central Arkansas schools, businesses, religious and civic organizations as we collect nutritious breakfast items in the 10th Annual Summer Cereal Drive. The School Drive will run from April 13 - 24 and the Business Drive will run from June 1 - 26. Drive details and registration information will be available at http://www.todaysthv.com in late spring. For more information, call the Arkansas Foodbank Network at (501) 565-8121.
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A.E.D.D.
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Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. (AEDD) is a non-profit organization that serves developmentally disabled children and adults. They are currently in the process of organizing an auxiliary.
The auxiliary's focus will be assisting with fundraising events and raising community awareness of AEDD and the services we offer. They understand many people work, have kids, or are involved in other extracurricular activities, but any amount of time and support you can offer would be great!
For more information contact Debbie Grooms at (501) 801-3646. |
Big Brothers Big Sisters
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The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arkansas Bowl for Kids' Sake Bowl-a-thon sponsored by Windstream is an annual fundraiser that takes place each year in the month of February. Whether you know how to bowl a game of 300 or can barely put your fingers in the right holes, anyone can participate in Bowl for Kids' Sake. The focus is not about bowling, but about raising money to help Big Brothers Big Sisters - Central Arkansas achieve its mission. We have dedicated volunteers who bowl year after year in order to ensure at-risk children have mentors. It takes many teams to help meet the Bowl for Kids' Sake goal of raising $120,000.
You can help and it's easy!!! Create a team and get 4 or 5 co-workers, family or friends to join. Ask each one to raise $100. We have a few tips on how to quickly and easily meet your team's goal.
1. Ask your employer to match your donations
2. Use your social network page to help raise funds (E-mail, Facebook, etc)
3. Break it down - ask 10 friends to each donate $10
4. Make it a team effort
5. Have fun
Bowl Dates are scheduled for the following days and times: Friday, February 6th, 13th or 20th at 4, 5, 6, or 7 p.m. and Saturday, February 21st at 1 p.m.
On-air personalities from The Edge, Tom FM, KSSN, and The Wolf will be on hand during the bowl-a-thon. Friday, February 6th at 7 p.m. is Church Night and JC Loves from Hallelujah 94.9 will be on hand to see which church team has the top score for the evening. The winning team will be presented a traveling trophy and be a guest on JC's noon show the following Monday.
Teams are forming now and please remember.... it's all for the kids! Contact Lakethia Glenn at lglenn@bbbsca.org or 374 - 6661. Registration is also available at bbbsca.org by clicking the Bowl for Kids' Sake link. |
Camp Aldersgate
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Come party under the stars and around the campfire! Aldersgate After Dark: Keeping the Campfires Burning is Saturday April 18th, 2009 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00. It will be held at the River Market Pavillions in downtown Little Rock. The evening will be filled with great food and drinks, live music, dancing and a live and silent auction. Tickets are $75 and dress is "campfire chic". For more information call 501-225-1444.
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City Year
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City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock will host "Camp City Year," a spring break day camp that runs from March 23-27, 2009. Camp City Year provides a safe, fun environment for K-5 students in the Little Rock and North Little Rock school districts. A nominal application charge will apply. For more information, contact Ben Linder, Program Director, at 501-707-1416 or blinder@cityyear.org.
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Girl Scouts
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Thousands of Girl Scouts in the state will begin taking Girl Scout Cookie orders soon. The Girl Scout Cookie Program, an American tradition for nearly 90 years, kicks off on January 10 and will continue through mid March with booth sales beginning February 20.
This year customers can chose from eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies including one new selection, Dulce de Leche. The traditional favorites: Do-si-Dos, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Samaos, Sugar Free Chocolate Chips, Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Trefoils. All cookies contain zero grams of trans fat and cost $3.50 a box.
Girl Scout Cookies not only satisfy the sweet tooth, they also provide opportunities for girls to develop important life skills. The Cookie Program is the largest financial literacy and entrepreneurial program for girls in the country. Girl Scouts practice leadership and communication skills, learn to manage money, and gain confidence in reaching their personal goals, while also working with a team to reach troop goals.
"Each and every year I know we are training girls to achieve their dreams. Whatever their futures hold, we are equipping them with tools to achieve future success," says
Denise Stewart, president and CEO of Girl Scouts -Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. "You could be buying cookies from a future secretary of state or CEO of a Fortune 500 company. How many delicious products can you buy that offer character building, teamwork and leadership opportunities for the leaders of tomorrow?"
In addition to providing a valuable program experience, all proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program fund Girl Scout troops, camps, training and programs for more the than 18,000 girls and 6,800 volunteers served by the council. For more information on purchasing cookies contact the local Girl Scout office at (800) 632-6894 or visit www.girlscoutsdiamonds.org.
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Jacksonville Senior Center
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Jacksonville Senior Center's Fourteenth Annual Roast & Toast, honoring Joan Zumwalt, will be held Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. This year's theme is "Come Fly With Me". Mrs. Zumwalt serves on the Board of Directors at Pathfinder, Inc., Community Bank, Jacksonville Military Museum and Jacksonville Wastewater. The tickets are $35.00 or a table of 8 is $280.00. All proceeds are used to fund services such as meals on wheels, transportation, socialization and congregate meals for senior citizens in North Pulaski County.
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| Women and Children First
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Week
The U.S. Senate has designated February 2nd through 6th National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Week. Women & Children First recognizes the increasing prevalence of dating violence and will be focusing upcoming programming components and community awareness on prevention and education. Information will be distributed to high schools throughout the Metro area so that schools can support the mission of the week. If you are interested in facilitating activities during this week of awareness and would like more information, please contact Rebecca at 376-3219.
Woman of the Year 2009
On January 17th, Women and Children First honored Mille Ward as this year's Woman of the Year. Millie was chosen for her leadership and service to others. She is president and co-founder of Stone Ward, a full service advertising agency with offices in Little Rock and Chicago. Established 25 years ago, Stone Ward promotes a "building good" philosophy that promotes giving back to its community and supporting numerous charitable causes. This past year, Millie has successfully led efforts to raise awareness of domestic violence issues in Arkansas and showcase the exemplary work of Women and Children First.
The gala was presented by Verizon Wireless and held in the Peabody's Grand Ballroom. Wines were sponsored by Glazer's and the Martini Bar was sponsored by Vox Vodka. The evening featured emcees, Lisa Fischer and David Bazzel with entertainment provided by Jonathan Karrant and Lawrence Hamilton. Other in-kind sponsors included The Peabody Hotel, Tipton & Hurst, Stone Ward, Inviting Arkansas, Twin City Printing and 360 Filmworks.
Brick for Women
After a successful event last year, Rick Hood will be participating in another Brick for Women in 2009; a fundraising event for Women & Children First and The Women's Home in Houston. What is Brick for Women? As part of their training, tri-athletes often do a "brick" workout, which is a bike ride followed immediately with a short run. Inspired by friends and family in Houston and Little Rock, who do countless good works in the community, avid tri-athlete Rick Hood has designed his own "brick" to support women and children in need. Rick will leave Houston on March 8th and bike over 500 miles before participating in the annual Little Rock Marathon on March 18th. To advertise this event or to donate to his cause, please contact Rebecca at 376-3219. |
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