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GLI Fellows
Current Fellows, 2010/2011
Burlsworth Brandon Burlsworth
Foundation - Harrison, Arkansas
Cycle Kids - Boston,
Massachusetts
Miracle League of Arkansas -
Little Rock, Arkansas
SAFE BASE
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Iola, Kansas
Villages Without Walls
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Dorchester, Massachusetts
American Red Cross
Arkansas Athletes Outreach
Arkansas Baptist Children’s Home
Arkansas Support Network
Bethany Christian Services
Camp Barnabas
Camp Harvest
Children’s Advocacy Center
Children’s Safety Center
Champs League
Community Clinic at St. Francis House
Kendrick Fincher
Memorial Foundation
KidCare
LifeSource International, Inc.
Northwest Arkansas Rape Crisis Inc.
Ozark Guidance
Pagnozzi Charities
Reality Check
Sister to Sister
The Elizabeth Richardson Center
The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas
The Yvonne Richardson Center
Watch Dogs
Youth Bridge
KidCare Provides Safe Learning Environment
Providing a safe place for kids to learn while they aren’t in school may be the main focus at KidCare but it isn’t the only one. Executive director Dale Wolf believes an important aspect of his work is connecting young people with the community.
“Many of our kids weren’t born in Springdale,” Wolf says. “It’s important for them to understand the history of Springdale so they can identify with the city they live in. We help them in the areas of community education, community service and character development.”
KidCare’s summer students spend their time learning the history of Springdale from field trips to lessons at the KidCare facilities in the Jones Center. They’ve gone as far as Tahlequah, OK, to study the Cherokee Indians who passed through the heart of Springdale while on the Trail of Tears.
“We connect our students with the community’s history, the community’s businesses and the city’s government,” Wolf says. “We show them how all the entities work together to improve the quality of life for all of us.”
Several projects also help KidCare students partner with the community. Wolf says, “We sack groceries for the Bread of Life at the Methodist Church, pick up litter at the park and rake leaves in the fall for Hospice patients.”
Opened in January of 2001, KidCare services 65 kids per year. To qualify a child’s parents (or parent) must be employed but still qualify for the school district’s lunch program. All funding is provided by foundations or individuals. There is no government funding and Wolf says nearly every dollar comes from Springdale.
“The most important thing we do is give the kids a sense of belonging,” Wolf says. “When you learn the history of the city in which you live, it’s not difficult to develop pride in your community.”
Arkansas Baptist Children’s Homes and
Family Ministries
The mission of Arkansas Baptist Children’s
Homes and Family Ministries (ABC Homes) is to ACCEPT, BELIEVE
IN and CARE for children and families in crisis. Beginning
as an orphanage in 1894, ABC Homes is now a statewide
ministry providing residential care to approximately 350
children annually in six locations including a children’s
home, a boys’ ranch, a maternity home for teenagers and
three emergency shelters. Additionally, seven counseling
sites provide further service to children and families.
Arkansas Support Network
At Arkansas Support Network, it is our belief
that every person has the right to live in a home and in the
community as an active and accepted member. Our intent is to
support the presence and participation of children and
adults with developmental disabilities in their homes and
communities.
Burlsworth Brandon Burlsworth
Foundation
Harrison, Arkansas
The foundation is the realization of a dream of Brandon
Burlsworth himself - the belief that every child is a gift,
with a mission is to support the physical and spiritual
needs of children that have limited opportunities. In 2007,
an exciting new program was announced. ‘The Eyes of a
Champion’ takes on the issue of eye care for the low-income,
uninsured children of Arkansas. Imagine a child not
interested in attending ballgames because they cannot see
action on the field clearly. Consider the frustration a
child must feel who cannot see the instructional visuals in
the classroom. Think of the loss to a child who never
experiences the wondrous natural details of Spring unfolding
all about them because they do not realize they cannot see
clearly! Partnering with Walmart/Sam's Optical Department,
The Burlsworth Foundation is exploring ways to expand ‘The
Eyes of a Champion’ services to every public school nurse in
Arkansas!
Camp Barnabas
Camp Barnabas provides life-changing
opportunities for people with special needs in a Christian
camp setting. Located one hour from northwest Arkansas, the
program serves over 1,300 campers each summer, offering
adapted activities that create a typical summer camp
experience regardless of the limitations normally
encountered by a person with medical, physical or
developmental challenges.
Community Clinic at St Francis House
Community Clinic at St. Francis House offers patients and
families quality medical and dental care in locations in
Washington and Benton Counties. Community Clinic health care
services include general family medicine, prenatal care,
pediatrics and dental care. The clinic offers a
pharmaceutical program and diabetic and nutrition
consultation.
Cycle Kids
Boston,
Massachusetts
Moved by her concern about the prevalence of type II
diabetes and heart disease in children, Julie Idlet founded
CYCLE Kids in 2004 to combat childhood obesity. The program
is an engaging health initiative capturing the interest of
kids and encouraging life long healthy choices! CYCLE Kids
teaches 4th and 5th grade students the skills and knowledge
they need to lead active, healthy lives. For some it is
their first chance to learn to ride a bike! For all, it is
the joy of feeling the wind in their faces during the school
day, and a new feeling of freedom, self-reliance, and
awareness of their bodies. By experiencing the joys of
riding a bike and engaging in healthy eating lessons,
students learn to adopt lasting behavioral changes and
better lifestyles. CYCLE Kids works toward a national
program that will significantly impact the daily health of
our children, lessen their vulnerability to type II
diabetes, and increase their life expectancy to that of
their parents and beyond! CYCLE Kids is expanding their
program on the northeast Coast.
The Elizabeth Richardson Center
Since 1963, the ERC has been providing
services to children and adults with disabilities. Today, we
serve over 125 preschool children and over 300 adults with
disabilities in 8 different facilities including preschools,
contract work at Richardson Industries, Richardson Staffing
for community job placement, vocational rehabilitation and
job coaching, as well as residential facilities and
community living options.
LifeSource International
LifeSource International was founded to serve
the underprivileged and socially at-risk families and
children of Northwest Arkansas. Our mission is to
strengthen families and build the community. We do this by
providing a hand-up where hunger is common, adult education
classes and Tutoring/Mentoring for children where illiteracy
is normal, and hope to our clients when it is in short
supply. LifeSource currently serves over 6,000 clients in
distress each year and provides social services at no charge
in six categories: Children programs (Kid's Life),
Professional Counseling for families and individuals, Food
and Clothes pantry, Adult Education classes, Medical Clinic
scheduling, and Senior Citizen programs.
Miracle League of Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Peggy McCall wants every parent to experience the
opportunity to cheer their child on in team play, and every
child to know the thrill of a victory won in concert with
their peers. She leads Miracle League of Arkansas toward
that goal. What is the Miracle League baseball program? A
specially designed program for children with disabilities
which allows children of all ages 4 years and up to play
America’s most beloved pastime. It provides an alternative
to the isolation from sports that many diagnosed children
and youth experience. The field includes special features
such as a synthetic turf to prevent injuries,
wheelchairs-accessible dugouts and a completely flat surface
to eliminate barriers to wheelchair bound and/or visually
impaired players. The mission of the league is to include
every child - no matter his or her special needs in the
game. After successfully constructing a field and
implementing a program in Little Rock, Miracle League of
Arkansas is guiding a second Arkansas community through
construction and programming with a goal to make a Miracle
League fields available to families across the state!
SAFE BASE
Iola, Kansas
As a single mom, Angela Henry responds with leadership
skills to the needs of children she sees in her economically
challenged community. SAFE BASE, located in one of the
poorest communities in Kansas, is recognized as much more
than just an after-school enrichment program. Serving more
than 1000 students, SAFE BASE provides children with: mental
health counseling; dental screenings and follow-up dental
treatment; vision assistance; school supplies; summer
programming; family-focused activities; and clothing and
other items for children in need. SAFE BASE is currently
seeking to expand their fitness program across the school
district and implement a school-based gardening program to
benefit the wider population of children who need these
resources. As SAFE BASE builds out services to a vulnerable
portion of their community, they also serve as a model for
other communities with similar demographics, meeting the
health and wellness needs of our kids!
The Yvonne Richardson Community Center
The Yvonne Richardson
Community Center was established in 1996. The YRCC is
managed by the Southeast Fayetteville Community Center Board
to revive the surrounding neighborhood. The Center’s mission
is to promote educational and recreational activities for
the multi-cultural population of Northwest Arkansas. The
YRCC completes this mission by the use of sports activities,
arts and crafts, and computerized academic learning for all
ages.
Villages Without Walls
Dorchester, Massachusetts
Talia Rivera knows what it takes to transform the gang
environment! Once a participant in gang activity, she made a
faith commitment to change her life and to change the lives
of the kids involved in senseless crime. Part employment
program, part community organizing effort, this violence
prevention intervention serves the highest risk population —
an entire cohort of one of Boston’s most established and
violent gangs — through a multi-layered approach that
aspires to reduce the influence of the gang in the
neighborhood and reduce risk factors for violent
victimization of and perpetration by its participants.
Villages Without Walls provides youthful offenders the
opportunity to convene the community around a shared
concern. It also creates an environment where community
members, police officers, and politicians can put into
action the philosophy of restorative justice.
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