From Our House

To Yours May 2011

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.

Garden Club Week By The Kids of

Our Club

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

volunteer@ourhouseshelter.org.

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

vistaleader@ourhouseshelter.org or

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

Easter In Little Learners