BENTONVILLE — Shauna Christensen had led a life marked by despair.
The single mother had a challenging childhood as the daughter of an alcoholic mom; Christensen herself became a mom while still in her teens. She recounted for a gala audience being homeless and living in her truck, making choices that landed her in trouble with the law and running away from her problems.
“I had lost all hope for myself,” she said of the timebefore a nonprofi t organization helped restore her faith.
A friend introduced Christensen to Havenwood, a transitional housing program for single parents and children.
The process for Havenwood residents requires them to set goals and work toward meeting them. For Christensen, that process was transformational.
“Moving into Havenwood was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life,” she said.
An initial step involved resolving her legal issues and committing to do communityservice. She also secured her driver’s license and moved toward obtaining her GED.
With assistance from the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County, she has begun classes at North-West Arkansas Community College. She plans to earn a degree in criminal justice, and she hopes to become a parole/ probation off cer.
Megan Rogers told gala guests that she had a good childhood that was different from Christensen’s, but she also made some poorlife choices in her teen years. She struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, describing herself at one point in her life as a “functioning alcoholic.”
“I was happy on the outside,” she said, but added, “I was dying on the inside.”
Another nonprofit organization, Loving Choices, eventually referred her to Havenwood. The agency’s work has made a difference in her life, too, she said.
Rogers and Christensen talked to 190 guests attending the Feb. 12 Angel Gala atDoubletree Guest Suites in Bentonville.
Shea Nabholz, director of development and marketing for Havenwood, said the event raised $43,000, up from $12,000 last year. Attendance more than doubled, too, up from 85 last year.
Stacey White, executive director, said the gala began 17 years ago when friends decided to organize a Valentine’s Day dinner to benefit the nonprofi t organization.
At the Feb. 12 event, White presented a special “ Angel”award to Susan Kennedy, one of those women, for her involvement and continued support. Kennedy is the person in charge of fundraising events among the members of a new Havenwood Advisory Board. Other members are Pat Creighton, chairman; Mike Mark, vice chairman; Mike Cook, secretary; Rich Davis, financial officer; Paul Wood, vendor sponsorship and recruitment.
Creighton spoke at the conclusion of the evening’s events, noting she and other advisory board members believe in the work of Havenwood and are dedicated to enabling the organization to have the full funding it needs to provide services to parents and children.
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“I was happy on the outside. I was dying on the inside.”
MEGAN ROGERS Havenwood resident
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HAVENWOOD
Our Town, Pages 2 on 02/20/2011