Related Stories
Gerald Barnes
Ferncliff Camp
Johnnie Holcomb
Mary McLeod
New Horizons
Pfeifer Camp
Writer's Colony
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As we watched the gulf coast tragedy unfold on television, most of us considered what we could do to help our neighbors. Americans are responding more generously than ever before, and ARCF donors are no exception. ARCF President, Pat Lile announced the creation of a Katrina Relief Fund (for more information, see the letter from Pat Lile on our website). ARCF, in partnership with our donors, awarded over $7,000 from the Katrina Relief Fund. In addition to that fund, several donors have contributed to the effort in their own way. For example, just two days after the hurricane, The ARKAT Children in Need Endowment made a grant to the Dumas School District to buy clothing and necessities for the children of evacuees arriving in the Dumas area. |
| The Carlton Family Foundation Endowment gave a grant to The Walnut Church of Christ in Texarkana to support the relief efforts locally and in neighboring states. John Cannon, minister at Walnut Church, says church members worked with several other Texarkana area churches to send two tractor trailers of water, diapers, baby food, formula, tarps, cleaning supplies and more to sister churches in Picayune, Mississippi and Bogalusa Louisiana. Those churches, in turn, distributed the aid within their states. The churches are now studying the long term needs of evacuees and survivors to determine how best to use their resources and help get their neighbors on their feet. |
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The June Hoes Williams Fund made a grant to Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center. The Center opened its doors to a number of families. In addition, the camp was called upon after Hurricane Rita to house 55 Emergency Medical Technicians on their way to Texas from New York and Massachusetts. Ironically, long before either hurricane hit the coast, plans had been made for Ferncliff’s expansion, designating it as the Ferncliff Regional Disaster Assistance Center, in partnership with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service. The center served as a distribution point for disaster relief kits and coordination headquarters for volunteers enroute to the gulf coast region. |
| A Helena Health Foundation Endowment grant is helping to provide hurricane survivors with much needed medical assistance in Phillips County. Over 200 prescriptions as well as insulin syringes and other medical supplies have been provided to evacuees in Helena. For example, New Orleans evacuees, Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss Moore, formerly of New Orleans, were assisted by HHF. After leaving New Orleans with twenty-nine friends and family members, they found their way to The Church of the Living God in West Helena which provided shelter to the group. Mr. Moore said, “We have lost most of our belongings, but we are so grateful to organizations like the Helena Health Foundation. I am not in good health and can’t do without my medications. The best help has come from the local people.” |
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Over $80,000 has been awarded in ARCF grants to local and national disaster relief operations including the Red Cross, Salvation Army and local church shelters. The Alltel Charitable Fund, a fund which comes from both corporate and employee donations, has granted almost half a million dollars to help their displaced employees with relocation and other expenses.
If you would like to make a grant to the ARCF fund or otherwise assist with hurricane-related needs, we would be happy to help you. Please contact Donor Relations and Grants Coordinator, Margaret Birdsong at mbirdsong@arcf.org.
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Unloading disaster relief supplies from Walnut Church of Christ in Texarkana |
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Sorting relief supplies in Picayune MS |
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Ferncliff Camp volunteer gives a hug and a Hope In A Backpack to a young hurricane survivor |
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The Gerald W. Barnes Special Endowment Fund is one of our earliest funds, and Dr. Barnes is one of our favorite ARCF partners. After retiring from UALR in 70’s, Jerry established a fund to honor his late son, Raymond, a dancer of promise, with an award for a student of excellence in classic ballet. As Jerry’s fund has grown, he has added other awards for excellence in the arts. Awards are now made annually from the fund to students of excellence in woodwind (at the University of Tennessee), poetry (at the | University of Arkansas), classic ballet (at Ballet Academy in Little Rock) and pipe organ (at Lyon College.) He has made arrangements with ARCF for the Awards of Excellence to continue in perpetuity.
Jerry recently moved from Batesville to Virginia, but we still delight in his jokes, quotes and wisdom by email even though he no longer drops by to share coffee, recite poetry to us (Edna St. Vincent Millay, a favorite) and regale us with tales of Little Rock in the 40’s. We have heard about his prized King Silvertone trombone - the one his dad mortgaged their home to buy when he was in the Little Rock High School concert band. Around that time, he discovered that he could bag groceries all day Saturday for 50 cents, or make the same pay for a few delightful hours playing at the many Little Rock dance clubs of the era. Eventually, he says, he found “riches” when he joined the Hilltop dance band in 1942 and played for $5.00 a night.
Jerry joined the Air Force, where he continued to play, and later, lived in New York where he jammed or performed with some of the best musicians of the time before (he says) he “settled down” to study and gain a doctorate in Psychology and begin teaching on the college level. We know Jerry, and we know he never settled down, though after his music and teaching career he limited himself to golf, French cooking, stained glass art, car repair, computers and “curmudgeonry”.
Jerry emailed recently that many things are “now beyond my physical limits, but we must stumble on with what we have.” From a Louis L’Amour novel, he quotes:
To die is not much, it is inevitable. What matters is the journey, what a man does along the way. Not that he succeeds or fails, but that he strives and lives with dignity and honor.
It is our distinct honor to work with donors like Jerry, who have found a way to honor and provide encouragement for young people who reach for excellence in arts as Jerry and his son, Raymond, did in their own young lives. Jerry Barnes has made his journey matter and has arranged for a part of that journey to continue. For good. For ever.
| Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center is an example of the power of vision and investment joining together in preservation to serve multiple generations, which is exactly what ARCF is about. The willingness to share the financial burden of preservation is often tied to fond memories or a love of place. William and Helon Williams had such a love and contributed much in their short lives so that Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center would be established. Following in their footsteps are ARCF donor funds that supported Ferncliff programs this year. These include the Ruth and Ben Lincoln Family Endowment, the June Hoes Williams Endowment, the Dub and Billie Ann Myers Endowment, and the Dolores F. and Thomas A. Bruce Endowment. |
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Grainger Williams, brother of William H. (Bill) Williams and uncle of our philanthropy partner, June Hoes Williams, shared some history of Ferncliff. In the 1920’s a group of Little Rock families bought 35 acres in Ferndale for summer cottages, and their children fished, swam and played all summer in the woods and hills surrounding the camp. In 1932, Bill Williams began a campaign among Presbyterian laymen to buy the land for a camp and conference center. Bill and his wife, Helon, had met and fallen in love at a Presbyterian young people’s camp before the Great Depression, and it was their dream to set aside this place so young people could have the same experience. Over time, the Williams bought 1250 acres surrounding the camp to protect the watershed. A recent visit to the camp revealed his wisdom as Little Rock has grown out to meet the land’s boundaries.
Ferncliff has been special to many generations of Arkansas children. Mrs. Ruth Lincoln set up a permanent endowment fund for the camp in 2002. Ms. Lincoln, who recently celebrated her 106th birthday, says she wanted to help the camp so other children could be inspired there to lead a good life as her children had been. June Hoes Williams, daughter of Bill Williams, has given much time and generous support from her ARCF fund to Ferncliff, her favorite cause, over the years as well.
Ferncliff responds to changing needs in each generation. In the 90’s the camp provided a series of special retreats for Jonesboro children after four students were killed there. Later, traumatized youth from Columbine High School joined the Jonesboro students, and still later, children came from such places as war-torn Croatia. The Myers and Bruce families supported new Ferncliff programs for underserved populations this year. Special camps for homeless children and children of mothers in prison were developed. A program also began to provide camperships for underprivileged Hispanic children.
For every generation, from the early Twentieth Century to the Twenty-first Century, Ferncliff has been a haven for children of all ages and backgrounds. When ARCF’s supporters invest in the future and preserve the past at Ferncliff, they follow in the footsteps of very generous givers: In leading the founding of Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center, Bill and Helon Williams and their family left a legacy that endures. For good. For ever. For Arkansas.
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The Johnnie Holcomb Endowment for Support of Breast Cancer Patients made its first grants in the spring of 2004. Johnnie, a former ARCF Board Member, established her fund as a bequest to, in her words, “provide services that are not otherwise available to breast cancer patients and to facilitate patients obtaining such services.” Grants to qualified individuals are disbursed through the American Cancer Society.
In a statement at the time of Johnnie’s death in 2001, Governor Mike Huckabee memorialized her with these words, “She was loved and respected for her courageous battle against her own cancer, but even more for her willingness to fight the battle for all Arkansas women. Johnnie’s work will benefit future generations of Arkansas women.” |
The Governor’s words ring very true. Because she established a permanent endowment and designated it to the purpose to which she was dedicated in the last years of her life, Johnnie’s fund will continue to help Arkansas women fight the breast cancer battle until the victory is won.
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As Arkansas commemorates the 50th anniversary of Governor Winthrop Rockefeller’s arrival in our state, it is fitting that ARCF recognize the powerful effect of our oldest named endowment. Mary McLeod, one of WR’s most trusted employees, his friend and his advisor, was a staunch advocate for Arkansas’s youth and for quality education. This fund, established in March 1978 by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation in her honor, has more than doubled its original value while granting in excess of $85,000 to its beneficiary, Youth Home, Inc.
Among Ms. McLeod’s many other important advocacy roles, she served as Board President of Youth Home, Inc. and was named a life member of their Board. When the late Governor’s Foundation desired to honor her contributions to the state, they chose to designate Youth Home to receive her enduring legacy. They also chose the Arkansas Community Foundation, an organization she helped found, as the entity that could responsibly manage this permanent endowment and assure that the proceeds of the fund would be used as she would have desired-forever. |
Ms. McLeod was instrumental in many of WR’s charitable decisions, and he consulted her frequently. John Ward, author of a new book entitled Winthrop Rockefeller: Philanthropist; A Life Of Change, to be published in mid-April, describes her as being among the most important advisors WR ever had. Ward states further: “Mary McLeod’s significant influence on the philanthropy of Winthrop Rockefeller helped to shape his ideas, particularly in education, and [her] guidance led to the creation of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation.” What an appropriate way to remember Ms. McLeod and to celebrate her contributions in perpetuity: a fund that is “For Good. For Arkansas. For Ever”!
| ARCF’s New Horizons Scholarship Fund is the product of a public-private initiative to provide generous and prestigious four-year scholarships in computer technology and related fields. Winners receive up to $10,000 a year for four years of study in an Arkansas college. This scholarship is earmarked for participants of EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) Labs. The award includes a paid internship which allows the student to design and implement a service project in an Arkansas community. |
 | Donors and sponsors include Information Network of Arkansas, Alltel, SBC, Arkansas Departments of Higher Education and Economic Development, and Sells and Clark Advertising. Sponsors are motivated by a desire to build a better educated worker base for Arkansas’ future needs.
The story of the New Horizons fund would be incomplete without the story of the EAST Lab phenomenon. Tim Stephenson, a police officer turned teacher in Greenbrier, sought new ways to reach at-risk students in 1995. They began by using a computer to design a bridge across a creek behind the school – a bridge that remains today. From there, Stephenson helped provide students with the tools they needed, then he went on to encourage them to tackle real world problems using technology and working in teams. The kids responded well, and the word spread. EAST labs began to spring up all over Arkansas and then across the United States, where over 200 EAST labs are currently in existence.
Samples of projects completed in EAST labs include:
- Using Global Positioning Equipment to help firefighters decrease their response time
- Developing floor plans for schools to maximize space use
- Designing and building a telescope and hosting constellation parties for the community
- Designing interactive computer software to help preschoolers learn grammar
- Performing energy audits for public buildings
As Tim Stephenson said, “. . . When students build something themselves in their community, they contribute value to that community. It forever changes their self-image and self-esteem, and they see themselves as an asset, not a burden, which is key in the New Economy. Arkansas can be proud that it all began here. And with the New Horizons Scholarship, Arkansas can begin to build a better educated technological workforce one student at a time.”
For more information, see www.newhorizonsholarship.org.
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ARCF funds granted $6,500.00 to The Joseph Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp in 2004 - dollars that represent a priceless investment in Central Arkansas’ children. The camp, named for the late Joseph Pfeifer, a prominent businessman and long time supporter of the camp, has been a summer haven for Central Arkansas children for many years. Among successful camp alumni are Brooks Robinson, General Wesley Clark, Keith Jackson, and Derek Fisher.
Pfeifer Kiwanis Camp opened in 1929 with the assistance of The Downtown Kiwanis Club and The Little Rock Boys Club. | Though early buildings were constructed by depression-era WPA workers, the camp has updated and added new facilities. The 88 acre camp is home to lodge and cabin space for 100 campers, a conference center, Olympic sized pool, hiking trails and sports facilities. In addition to camping, there is a year-round Alternative Classroom Experience (ACE). The ACE program, supported by three school districts, is a five week home and school for at-risk children. The program is designed to motivate and guide young people to new ways of thinking and learning, giving them access to a brighter future. The camp stays in touch with graduates of the ACE program for three years after they complete the program.
Sanford Tollette, Camp Director since 1975, and his wife Binky live on site and serve as mentors and leaders to the children as well as supervisors for Americorps National Service volunteers. Sanford has a degree in early childhood education and is a former drum major. He says he is still a drum major – he just beats his drum for Pfeifer Camp.
In 2004, the camp received ARCF grants from the Dolores F. and Thomas A. Bruce Fund and The Pulaski County Endowment for Youth At Risk. For our donors who would like to make a difference in the life of a child, $250.00 will support one summer campership, and $1500.00 will provide one child the opportunity to attend the five week Alternative Classroom Experience. More information about Pfeifer Camp is on their website at www.pfeifercamp.com.
Founded in 1998 by authors and co-innkeepers Crescent Dragonwagon and Ned Shank as a writer’s retreat from the hubbub of the “outside” world, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in Eureka Springs is now attracting national attention and writers from all over the country. Acclaimed by publications such as Gourmet, Conde Nast Traveler, Bon Appetit, and The New York Times, the inn has also been featured on Good Morning America and CNN's On The Menu.
ARCF endowments have supported WCDH from the earliest days with grants for computer hardware and software as well as with scholarships and residence stipends for the authors. A five year grant from the Bridge Fund, established by an anonymous donor for the support Arkansas library technology as well as the teaching of Arkansas history, has named four Fellowship Winners to date: George West, Louise Freeman-Toole, Alison Moore, and Barbara Barnard. The one-month, all-expense paid fellowship includes a $1500 stipend and is awarded annually to a writer, librarian, teacher, or dramatist to create well-conceived, original, innovative material which brings the teaching of Arkansas history alive.
Other ARCF Funds that support the exciting work of WCDH include the Chamberlin Family Foundation, the Broadwater Family Foundation Fund, Louis and Elsie Freund and Ned Shank Memorial Endowment, and the Carroll County Community Foundation Grantmakers Endowment.
In addition to providing solace and inspiration to its resident authors, The Writers Colony reaches out to the local community as well as area tourists with “Poetluck” luncheons, opportunities for writers and the public to come together for good food and good, new literature. Authors read from their work and invite dialogue with their audience. Last year alone WCDH hosted 48 writers from multiple genres and sponsored 35 outreach programs. To say that the offerings provided by the Colony are myriad and varied is a virtual understatement. An example is provided by 2003 Bridge Fund Fellow Alison Moore who, in addition to working on her book about the Arkansas Orphan Train, taught a fiction-writing workshop and provided a musical/literary performance at a fall Poetluck.
Visit the Colony’s website at www.writerscolony.org to learn more about exciting opportunities sponsored by WCDH. Whether you are an aspiring writer or an avid consumer of inspired writing, The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow has something for you.
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