Anna’s Avenue – 5 ways to give back in Saline County

With school back in, fall quickly approaching, and the holiday season knocking at the door, some of us might be looking for either resources or opportunities to give back. 

In this article, I wanted to take a minute to look at the places in our county that are always giving back and see what opportunities there might be to volunteer or donate, as well as find out how COVID has been affecting their services to our community.

I sent out a short questionnaire to each of the following organizations. Please continue scrolling to find out a little more about them, and hopefully find the help, or opportunity to volunteer or donate, that you might be looking for!

• Alexander Outreach Center (AOC)
• Bryant Animal Control & Adoption Center (BACAC)
• Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Saline County, Inc
• Habitat for Humanity of Saline County
• Saline County Safe Haven

(There are many more places providing opportunities in Saline County, and this list may be Part 1 of 2  because I am still waiting on responses. That being said, if you don’t see one you might be looking for or know of one that should be included, please (definitely) comment)!

Not all of these places take volunteers. Please see each section for specific opportunities and contact information.

Alexander Outreach Center – Alexander

Interviewee: Kristi Harris, AOC Director

• In addition to the general mission of the Alexander Outreach Center, what events/goals is the organization working towards now?

Better inform the community about mental health, personal effectiveness, interpersonal connections, and to facilitate development of life skills in these areas. Provide information about mental illness or psychological distress toward creating a more empathic and supportive community. After pandemic is over: creating fun, educational, and enticing public events like “Back to School Bash” (volunteers provide food, school clothes and supplies for children in the at-risk community),  community yard sale run by citizens of Alexander with proceeds going back the Outreach Center for “scholarships”  to be given to at-risk youth once educational goals have been met. Bettering their community & involvement, helping them to become independent, mentoring. In short, meeting people’s needs right where they are.

• Is Alexander Outreach Center currently accepting volunteers? If so, how does one volunteer? Are there any volunteer opportunities specific to youth?

We LOVE our volunteers and welcome each and every one. We would love for outside youth to be involved by mentoring, tutoring or serving. We hope that in turn, the youth of the community will follow their lead and be a light for someone else. With the pandemic going on, youth can reach out to the community by dropping off encouraging notes (we will hand out with the meals), “cool” weekend snack bags or just praying for the community and how they can serve once we are back open to the public.  They can contact us via email [email protected] or call 501-590-8007.

• What ways can the community contribute or help with your mission? 

Pre COVID, volunteers would pick an evening to serve by bringing a meal for the people of the community, meet and hopefully form relationships. During the pandemic, we have been doing “to go” only meals (provided by our current volunteers) handed out the door to the citizens. The center also hands out “snack bags” on Friday to provide weekend snacks to the kids of the community. Because of this we go through lots of easy open, no cook snacks that need replenishing every couple of weeks. We could ALWAYS use cash donations to make sure the rent and utilities remain paid so we can continue serving the little community.

Bryant Animal Control & Adoption Center (BACAC) – Bryant

Interviewee: BACAC Representative

• In addition to the general mission of Bryant Animal Control, what events/goals is the shelter working towards now?

We are in the busiest time of the year for all animal shelters.  Because we also enforce the laws regarding animal care within the City limits, our officers (called Animal Control Officers) are busy investigating calls of animal bites, cruelty and neglect, and other regulations.  This is also a very busy time at the shelter, which we call “puppy and kitten season.”  This is the time of year when we receive the vast majority of the kittens and puppies for the calendar year. 

Part of our goal is to become a true “No-Kill Community.”  This goal consists of 2 parts: reduce the number of animals entering the shelter, and increase the number of animals that are successfully placed through the shelter.

The first part is reducing the number of animals that enter the shelter annually, so that we have more space and resources to place those that do need to come in.  Thus, we started SNIP, the Spay Neuter Incentive Program in 2011, and since that time we have had 482 animals come through the program and be spayed/neutered.  This has potentially kept an estimated 3,816 additional puppies and kittens from entering our shelter over the past 9 years. Not only has it saved money, time and resources for our community, it has allowed that many more animals to be served by our shelter in other ways.  This program, alone, has potentially saved the City of Bryant nearly $1.4 million dollars.

The second part of the goal, is to successfully place more animals either back into their original homes, or into new homes.  As you can imagine, there are more animals being born in the Southern United States than there are people to care for them.  We began new partnerships with several out of state animal shelters, and this year, increased the number of animals we transferred to other organizations where there are fewer puppies and kittens in need.  Through these partnerships, we have transported 143 animals to shelters and organizations where they have a greater chance of being successfully placed into new homes. 

     2a.   Is the shelter currently accepting volunteers?

Due to COVID-19, we are not currently allowing volunteers to work within the shelter.  However, we do have an active in-home foster program, and in September, we plan on rolling out a new “Doggy Day Out” program to allow individuals to volunteer to pick up a shelter dog, and take them on a field trip for a few hours, away from the shelter.  This program gives the dog a break from the hustle and bustle of shelter life, and some great one-on-one time with a human (or two.)  Studies have shown these field trips allow the dogs to return (even if temporarily) to a normal existence, and helps alleviate some of the stress-induced adverse behaviors commonly seen in dogs kept for longer periods of time in the shelter.  It is these adverse behaviors that make it more and more difficult to successfully place a dog that has been in the shelter for a long period of time (in shelter terms, a “long time” is more than 14 days.)  Two weeks seems such a short time period, but it takes just 14 days for a dog to acquire stress-induced behaviors that can take months or even years to overcome.  While the shelter isn’t intended to be stress-inducing, it just is, and while we do everything possible to make the animals in our care comfortable, it simply isn’t the same as if they were in a real home.

Anyone who is interested in fostering or participating in Doggy Day Out, can learn more at the Shelter’s Facebook page: facebook.com/BryantAnimalShelter. 

     2b.   Are there any volunteer opportunities specific to youth?  

At this time, there are not.  Because we also take in vicious animals, and our small staff makes it impossible for us to adequately supervise youth volunteers, we are unable to provide in-shelter volunteer opportunities at this time.  This does not, however, prohibit young people to host fundraisers and donation collection drives on their own.  In fact, we have partnerships with local youth organizations, such as the Girl Scouts of America, which provide both learning opportunities and helpful donation gathering events for children of all ages to learn more about the important work that we do, as well as the needs of animals in their communities. Many of our local youth have also hosted lemonade stands in their neighborhoods, and donated the proceeds to our shelter.  The transports I mentioned earlier have been paid for out of these donations!

3.   What ways can the community contribute or help with your mission? 

Monetary donations are one of the most important gifts that we can receive from the community.  Even a small donation of a single dollar can be placed with dozens of other donations to provide for the needs of the animals outside of our normal operating budget.  Each year, we receive hundreds of animals needing veterinary care.  Some of that vet care can cost hundreds of dollars, requiring the help of the community to pay those veterinary bills.  A single out of state transport can cost as much as $1,000.  An animal in need of a leg amputation due to a severe fracture or infection can require medical care upwards of $1,500.  So, as you can tell, money is the primary need for any animal shelter.  However, food, toys and treats for the dogs is also needed.  A full list of our Wish List, along with a link to purchase these items online is also available at our shelter’s Facebook page.

Anyone who has questions for the shelter can email us at [email protected], message us via Facebook or just give us a call at 501-943-0489.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Saline County, Inc – Benton

Interviewee: Lisa Breeding, Executive Director

• In addition to the general mission of CASA, what events/goals is the organization working towards now?

Our mission is to provide trained community volunteers to represent the best interest of abused, 

neglected and dependent children in court while seeking a safe, permanent home as soon as possible.

Currently, our goal is twofold: to increase community awareness of the positive impact CASA has on children we serve who are in foster care in Saline county. Second is to recruit new volunteer advocates. CASA of Saline County serves approximately 50-55% of all children who are in Saline County foster care. Statistically nationwide, children who are assigned a CASA advocate are less likely to re-enter the foster care system.  

• Is CASA currently accepting volunteers? If so, how does one volunteer? Are there any volunteer opportunities specific to youth?

We accept volunteer advocate applications year round. The minimum age to apply is 21 years old. The application process begins by contacting our office either by email [email protected] or by phone 501-794-6109.  

• What ways can the community contribute or help with your mission? 

Saline County individuals and business organizations have been gracious in the form of financial gifts and community support. The best way to help support our mission is to become a CASA Volunteer Advocate and be a voice for a child in need. 

Habitat for Humanity of Saline County – Benton

Interviewee: Stephanie Griffin, Executive Director

• In addition to the general mission of Habitat for Humanity, what events/goals is the organization working towards now in Saline County?  

We are currently in the process of completing two new homes for two young families that will be purchased from Habitat with a zero percent interest mortgage.  We also have plans to begin construction on two more homes this fall that should be completed by Spring of 2021.  As far as current and future fundraising opportunities, we currently have our “John On My Lawn” fundraiser circulating around Saline County (see our Facebook page) and we also have our Habitat Fore Humanity Golf Tournament scheduled for November 5th at Hurricane Country Club.  We have additional fundraisers still “in the works” for the remainder of this year so stay tuned!

• Is the organization currently accepting volunteers? If so, how does one volunteer? Are there any volunteer opportunities specific to youth?  

We took a break from accepting volunteers on our construction sites for a few months, but we will soon be needing volunteers again.  Due to added safety precautions necessary, we will require pre-registration for volunteers and have to limit our number of volunteers on site accordingly, but please check our website www.habitatsalinecounty.com for these opportunities in the near future. Our ReStore, on the other hand, accepts volunteers Tuesday-Saturday 9am-5pm and youth are encouraged to volunteer (with an adult if 14 and under). Please call our ReStore (501-315-0011) before showing up to volunteer.   

• What ways can the community contribute or help with your mission?

 We have several ongoing ways to help Habitat for Humanity of Saline County.  One is to shop, donate, or volunteer at our ReStore (122 S. Market St, downtown Benton).  We accept any item that goes to build or remodel a home, including furniture, fixtures, appliances, décor, clothing, and more.  Those items are sold at discount prices to the public with all proceedings going to help build another home for a qualified applicant of Saline County.  Another way to donate to Habitat is to join our Carpenter Club, which is simply making a pledge to donate $25 each time we “dedicate” a completed home.  A very easy way to give an ongoing donation is to join our Hope Builders, which is a monthly automatic draft from your bank account of $25 (more or less is ok too) to help further our mission. Check our website for more information and to sign up for these ways to donate www.habitatsalinecounty.com.

Saline County Safe Haven, Inc.

Interviewee: Terah Whitley, Shelter Services Director

• In addition to the general mission of Saline County Safe Haven, what events/goals is the organization working towards now?

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and it is also the month that we host our annual candlelight vigil remembering the victims that lost their life to domestic violence! In 2019, 51 (FIFTY-ONE) precious lives were taken by domestic violence! That is the highest number I’ve seen since becoming an advocate 8 years ago. Our number one goal is to decrease that number. Of course with COVID-19 it makes things a little difficult and we have to put the public’s safety first, but we do plan on having a vigil, it may just look different this year. We still have approvals to get and guidelines to set in order to follow all mandates to keep COVID-19 exposure down. We will announce on our Facebook page in the next week or so specifics for our upcoming vigil.

• Is Saline County Safe Haven currently accepting volunteers? If so, how does one volunteer? Are there any volunteer opportunities specific to youth?

Yes we are always accepting new volunteers! We couldn’t help as many people as we do without our “Safe Haven Angels,” which is what we call our volunteers because they are truly angels! If someone wants to volunteer they can call us at 501-315-7233 and speak to our volunteer coordinator, Jordyn Efird. Our volunteers receive onsite training and training from the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence. We work closely with youth programs and have a variety of volunteer and intern opportunities for youth. All of our volunteers choose how and when they want to donate time.

• What ways can the community contribute or help with your mission? 

We have such an amazing community! There are several different ways the community can help. We always need donations, we provide everything for our residents, such as household items, cleaning supplies, food, toiletries, clothing, school supplies, transportation, and so on. Someone fleeing a domestic violence situation might only be able to get out with the clothes on their back, so we try to provide everything when they come to the shelter. I always say, think of what it takes to run your household and multiply that by at least 10 and that is what it takes to run our shelter.  We try to provide the same services for our outreach clients, clients that aren’t in the shelter but still need support. Fundraiser’s are another way to support us, and then of course volunteering! We are so grateful to Saline county, the support we receive from the community  keeps us going!