SPOTLIGHT NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S SHELTER

Children’s Shelter star at Starlight Gala event

HIGHFILL - There’s no organization in the state that does what the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter does.

It’s the only shelter in a 300-mile radius that accepts abused, neglected and endangered newborn babies. Since opening in 1993, the shelter has cared for more than 6,700 children. It is the largest single-campus children’s emergency shelter in the state of Arkansas.

The shelter accepts girls from birth to age 17, and boys from birth to 12, the vast majority of whomare referred by the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Children can stay at the shelter for up to 45 days in a six-month period, before being returned to their family or placed in another foster-care setting.

“It fulfills a huge need for the children of our community,” says Emily Reynolds, a lawyer who is on the shelter’s board of directors. “These kids have been through experiences that, fortunately, most of us don’t ever have to have any idea about. They’ve been neglected, they’ve been abused, and the shelter provides an opportunity forthem to have a safe home, a place where they can begin to heal.”

The shelter provides a safe environment for children during times of emergency. It’s staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as children who come there frequently arrive in the middle of the night.

In April 2011, the shelter moved from its previous facility in Vaughn to its current location in Highfill, just southwest of Bentonville. The new location has room for 48 children, up from 32 at the previous one, and has the potentialto expand to 72.

When the new facility opened, all 24 of its bedrooms had blank walls. Volunteers have subsequently taken on the task of decorating them, and today every room is unique, with colorful walls and stylish, comfortable decor.

Reynolds stresses there are plenty of ways for people to get involved, everything from decorating additional spaces and rocking babies to team-building activities.

“You can come out and have a volunteer shift with the kids, you can get involved in committee work,” she says. “There [are] tons of opportunities.

“I’m going to be doing a Tuesday night shift with the kids, which I’m really excited about. I’m going to be in the teen wing, playing games, helping with homework.”

The new shelter offers a high level of security - all guests are buzzed into the lobby, and before being admitted further they must have their driver’s licensesscanned to ensure they do not have a criminal background - and it’s significantly larger than the former facility. It has an on-site school and counseling, and a wide range of activities for children, from a game room to a gymnasium.

Volunteers help provide the children with experiences that are common for most children, but often absent in their lives. Sometimes those are trips to McDonald’s or a movie theater. Other times it’s a visit to the doctor or dentist; children at the shelter made 1,100 such medical visits last year.

“These are things we take for granted, activities these kids have never done,” Reynolds says. “Many of these kids have never gone to the dentist.”

Reynolds began volunteering with the shelter a few years ago, working on different committees including the one for the shelter’s largest annual fundraiser, the Starlight Gala.

She joined the board in February, and has been involved with the planning of the 2013 Starlight Gala, which is at 6 p.m. Saturday at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. Galaplanners scored a major get when they landed popular country music act The Band Perry to perform during the event. The group has won numerous awards and is best known for its No. 1 hit “If I Die Young.”

The gala features live and silent auctions, including trips to France and Mexico and sports packages with theDallas Cowboys and the U.S. Open golf tournament. Last year’s Starlight Gala drew nearly 1,200 people and raised $435,000, figures that its planners hope to surpass in 2013.

Tickets to the gala are $200, or $2,000 for a table of 10.

“People can expect a great night of entertainment with The Band Perry appearing,which we’re really excited about,” Reynolds says. “There’s going to be really nice live and silent auction items and great food, a ‘country-themed chic’ menu. It’s going to be great night of fun for a great cause.” For more information about the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter, call (479) 795-2417 or visit nwacs.org.

Northwest Profile, Pages 33 on 04/21/2013

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