Previous Partners
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.