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Our House newsletter, May 2011
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www.ourhouseshelter.org 302 E Roosevelt Rd; Little Rock, AR 72206
4 In September 2010, the Our Club kids
started a new garden. This spring, they’re still
working in (and eating from) their own garden.
11 One of our VISTAs
talks about why she likes
serving at Our House.
10 Top Volunteer
Opportunities:
AmeriCorps VISTA
15 April donors
earns his Eagle rank by
providing transportation
to Our House residents.
14 A Bryant Boy Scout
13 Spring cleaning?
Unload items you no longer
need at My Favorite Thrift
Store’s Big Spring Clean.
12 Local artists and
UALR’s smART Show raise
money for Our House.
8 The Clinton School of
Public Service has deep
connections with Our
House.
All photos by Amanda Woods, an Our House VISTA, except:
page 9 photo by Georgia Mjartan, page 12 top right photo by Rebecca Scissors
16 Photo Album:
Easter in Little Learners
6 “I had never lived on my
own and did not know how
to take care of myself and
my children.” A single mom
uses Our House’s programs
to make a better life for her-
self and her kids.
Our Club spent last week learning
where our food comes from.
We started by visiting Damien at Dun-
bar Garden. We learned that bees are
the reason plants continue to grow all
over a garden. When bees eat from the
flowers, they spread seeds. We got
close to the bees, and they did not bite.
We learned that bees only bite when
their home is threatened. They buzzed
all around us. We also learned about
the role of chickens on a farm. They
eat and fertilize the farm so plants
can grow large. We learned that real
eggs are all colors, even green, and
that eggs from a farm are not white.
When we returned to our own garden,
we picked what we had been growing.
For the last several years, the
kids at Our House have grown
fruits and vegetables in their
own edible garden. Ben Goodwin,
Our House’s Grants Manager
and an organic farmer, spends
time each week educating the
Our Club kids in the garden.
This week we picked lettuce, cleaned
it, and made salads. It tasted delicious
with all those vegetables. Some of us
liked the salad even more than chips!
We love working in our garden every
Wednesday. We have been growing so
much we needed to add a whole
patch. We covered Ms. Katy in dirt,
and she was black from head to toe. It
was really fun.
Heifer also taught us about gardens
and communities during Garden
Week. They came to Our Club to talk
about the role that animals have in
impoverished countries. Now we are
hoping that Our Club’s garden can get
some chickens. Maybe we can have a
whole farm!
5
Portia Jordan arrived in our shelter
in fall 2010. At the time, she did not
have any clear goals or the ability to
live independently. She was trying
her best to take care of her 2-year-
old son, Tyrique, and her 8-month-old
daughter, Katelyn. Portia’s mother
helped sometimes by keeping the
children in the evening so Portia
could spend more time looking for a
job. After some hard work, she finally
found a job in an elementary school
By Ty Stacey, Shelter Manager
cafeteria. She was initially hired on a
temporary basis but was later hired
as a permanent employee.
Since Portia has been in our program,
she has paid all of her outstanding
bills and purchased a car. She has also
completed her 10-key WAGE certificate
and has taken a proactive stance to
overcome educational barriers. Re-
cently she became a mentee in Our
House’s Women at Work program.
Putting Her Life Back On Track
When I first came to Our House, I had never lived on my own and did
not know how to take care of myself and my children. Now, thanks to
this program, I feel like I can make good decisions and am able to live
on my own.
- Portia Jordan
7
Women at Work is a mentoring pro-
gram that helps female residents set
and accomplish short– and long–term
goals and improve self esteem. As a
mentee, Portia has worked very hard
setting goals and meeting them. Even
when her mentor is busy, Portia has
taken it upon herself to get the re-
sources she needs to reach her goals.
She has learned to manage the stress
of being a single mother and has
begun to build strong, healthy rela-
tionships with her children.
Portia has used every service Our
House offers. She is a great example
of what our program can do for those
who are willing to keep an open mind.
Throughout her journey, she has re-
mained open to suggestions and has
remained willing to try. That effort has
produced the beginning fruits of a
hopeful life.
Our House is very proud of Portia!
Documentary about Our House Premiers May 10th at Clinton School
University of Arkansas Clinton School
of Public Service student Jack Lofton
will debut his documentary film This
is Our House on May 10th at 5 pm at
the Clinton School. The event is free
and open to the public. Jack embed-
ded himself at Our House—visiting on
nights and weekends—to capture an in-
side view of life in the shelter for the
working homeless. Jack’s film completes
his degree in Public Service and serves
as his capstone project, the last of three
By Georgia Mjartan, Executive Director
Jack is not the first Clinton School
student with a connection to Our
House. Joe Ballard, a graduate of the
2006 Masters Program, partnered
with Our House on his capstone
project as well. Joe’s project involved
identifying Our House’s existing needs
and writing a grant to meet those
needs in a lasting way. The successful
application resulted in Our House
receiving four AmeriCorps VISTA mem-
bers. AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers
In Service To America) has greatly
multiplied Our House’s impact. From
four members, Our House’s VISTA
site has now grown to 11 year-round
members and 15 summer associates.
VISTAs serve as full-time volunteers
in roles that would otherwise have to
be filled by staff members that Our
House could not afford on our limited
budget. For example, at Our House,
the person who coordinates all meal-
servers is a VISTA. The people who
plan children’s after-school and sum-
mer programs, coordinate fundraising
events, and recruit volunteers are
also VISTAs. VISTAs receive a living
stipend and education award for their
service. All costs associated with
VISTAs serving at Our House are paid
through this federal grant that Clinton
School student Joe Ballard wrote.
Four years into the program, the
value of the AmeriCorps VISTA grant
to Our House is over $500,000, and
the impact of the VISTAs is many
times greater than that.
Clinton School Partnership with Our House has Deep, Lasting Impact
8
Documentary about Our House Premiers May 10th at Clinton School
large projects involved in the two-year
Masters program. Jack has plans to
enter the 28-minute documentary into
film festival competitions, and Our
House will use the film to give new
residents and potential partners and
supporters a deeper understanding in-
to the comprehensive program that is
Our House. Jack Lofton, a concurrent
Clinton School and UALR Law School
student graduating in May is also the
Director of the Little Rock Film Festival.
The coordinator of AmeriCorps VISTA
members at Our House – a VISTA her-
self – has recently been accepted to
the Clinton School of Public Service.
Rebecca Scissors will complete her
year of service at Our House in July
and will begin studies at the Clinton
School in August. Rebecca has dedi-
cated many years to service, first
spending a year as a City Year Little
Rock member, then as a VISTA with the
SOAR Network, and now leading mem-
bers in service at Our House. Rebecca
recently completed an extensive
post-graduate course in volunteer
management through the Arkansas
Public Relations Consortium. She is
now a Certified Volunteer Manager.
Moksheda Thapa, a current Clinton
School student, served as a Summer
VISTA at Our House in 2010. During
her two months as a VISTA, Moksheda
helped develop a volunteer training
and orientation for people interested
in teaching or tutoring in the adult
education and workforce training
center at Our House. To participate
in one of the hour-long volunteer
trainings, offered monthly, email
9
Top Volunteer Opportunities
Serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA
Are you passionate about changing
the lives of hundreds of individuals
and families? Are you looking for a
way to give back to your community?
Our House’s AmeriCorps VISTAs work
with a team of dedicated profession-
als who provide hope to the working
homeless every day.
AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Ser-
vice To America) is a national service
program that connects educated,
motivated people with year-long ser-
vice opportunities that make lasting
improvements in local communities.
AmeriCorps VISTAs serve in capacity-
building roles to assist with program
development and implementation,
as opposed to direct client service.
The work of VISTAs strengthens the
host organization through outreach
and development.
Our House also has fifteen Ameri-
Corps VISTA Summer Associates
who work for two months with staff
and residents to expand our case
management, child care, and sum-
mer youth programs.
For more information about serving
as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Our House,
please contact Rebecca Scissors at
501-374-7383 ext. 229.
10
Why I Am A VISTA
By Amber Hood, Volunteer Relations VISTA
I’m not one for a typical job. I’m
much more for doing little things for
people because for me, that’s what
life is about. I like to drive home at
night thinking, ―you know, I did
something that helped someone
today.‖ After working in Texas and
abroad, I am quite content to be in
my hometown doing many little
things for great people and a great
organization. My favorite time here is
when I spend time with high school
students who come to serve the
residents. For many, it’s their first
time to volunteer. I love sharing the
mission of Our House with them as
well as engaging them in an open
discussion about poverty and home-
lessness in our community. I want
them to leave knowing what I know,
that these issues are serious ones
that affect our friends, neighbors, and
people of all ages and all walks of
life. I hope that when these students
leave our campus they understand
that their role as serving citizens of
Little Rock has only just begun.
11
UALR’s second annual smART Show,
co-sponsored by the Donaghey Schol-
ars Program Student Committee and
the Art Student Association, was a
huge success! The art show doubled
last year’s proceeds.
The gallery opened on April 15th at
the Donaghey Student Center and
featured work from twenty-five local
artists who donated original paint-
ings, drawings, photographs, pottery,
and jewelry. As the Ted Ludwig Trio
filled the hall with soft jazz, art
enthusiasts explored the gallery and
enjoyed a bite to eat.
In addition to the artwork sold, a
beautiful piece by Mia Hall, an
Applied Design professor at UALR,
was raffled. The mirror, encased in
an original carved wood frame, was
valued around $1,000.
We are grateful for the Art Student
Association’s continued support, and
we look forward to another excellent
art show next year.
By Manon Jacob, Development VISTA
smART Show Benefits Our House
12
This May 21st 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Our
House and our partner My Favorite
Thrift Store will be hosting a Big
Spring Clean multi-site drop off
event. Each year My Favorite Thrift
Store donates around $80,000 to
Our House, making up some 11% of
our income. My Favorite Thrift Store
and Our House are having the Big
Spring Clean to raise more donations
for our residents than ever before.
We specifically need furniture, home
décor, household items, clothing
accessories, and jewelry. Lemonade
and cookies will be provided at our
drop-off locations. At Our House, the
Big Spring Cleaning Event
By Jessica Suitor, In-Kind Donations VISTA
Our Club kids will have a lemonade
stand. A representative from our staff
will be there to talk about Our House
for those who have any questions
about our programs.
The drop-off locations in Little Rock
are Our House, 302 E. Roosevelt
Road; My Favorite Thrift Store, 109
N. Van Buren Street; and Fellowship
Bible Church, 1401 Kirk Road. Our
location in North Little Rock is My
Favorite Thrift Store, 4606 J.F.K.
Boulevard. All donations are tax de-
ductible. We hope to see you there!
13
Thank you for letting me donate all those bicycles to your
clients. Your organization was one of the only places in Little
Rock that took in bicycles for your members. Whenever I was
choosing who would benefit from my Eagle project, each
time I tried to call a shelter, they would always turn me down,
and in the end I thought of you guys. At that moment I re-
membered the good things that were said about you, so I
thought this would be the perfect place to donate these
bikes. After touring your campus, that convinced me even
more that your clients, both adults and children, needed
something, not only to help themselves in their daily lives
but also for enjoyment in hard times. Once again, thank you
so much for letting me sponsor your shelter, and I’m glad to
know that you’re putting those bikes to some good use.
Sincerely,
Eric Holsomback
Eagle Scout, Troop 22
Bryant, AR
Dear Our House,
14
Katrina Alewelt
Anonymous Donor
Anonymous Donor
Anonymous Donor
Amy and Hamlin Au
D. Kay Bank
Nancy and Robert Bendigo
Phyllis and Dale Colclasure
Dale and John Cook
Lisa and Stephen Dearasaugh
Pam and David Dostart
Travis Farrar
Stephanie and Jeff Fox
Tanya D. Giles
Sarah and Theodore Hood
Shelia Jackson
Jacqueline and Max Madden
Susan Miller
Janet and J.P. Morbeck
Cheryl Pride
Kristi Stroud
Bridget and Andrew Upchurch
Barbara and Robert Vogel
Amelia and Rev. Donn Walters
Rhonda Wenberg
Jodi Woods
Lawrence Young
Individuals
Cathedral Of St. Andrew
Christ the King Catholic Church
Church of the Immaculate
Conception
Immanuel Baptist
Park Hill Christian Church
LR Junior Departamental
UALR Student Committee Fund
10,000 Villages
CDI Contractors, LLC
AR Dept. of Human Services
AR Dept. of Workforce Services
AR Special Nutrition Program
Dept. of Housing and Urban Dev.
Pulaski County
United Way
Windgate Charitable Foundation
Organizations
Corporations
Congregations
Grants and Foundations
April Donors