Give Smart Blog

By Heather Larkin, President and CEO of Arkansas Community Foundation I am so proud of the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas “Top 100 Women of Impact” recognition at this year’s Power of the Purse event. I cannot believe that I have been around long enough to say: “I was there from the beginning!” It has allowed […]

When the March 31 tornado ripped through Wynne in March, Cross Bank employees there sprang into action. “I’ve never seen so many people come together to help someone they didn’t know,” said David Dowd, president and CEO of Cross Bank. “Volunteers from all over hit the ground to do whatever it took — from debris […]

By Kim Dishongh It’s been a year and a half since a tornado hit Trumann in Poinsett County. Though it’s no longer at the forefront of many people’s thoughts, the destruction is still being repaired. Terah Redman led volunteer efforts to help those directly affected by the storm immediately after its impact in December 2021, […]

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Report Six month after the tornadoes, Central Arkansas and Wynne still have families searching for permanent housing. 9,251 households applied for assistance following the March 31 tornados, according to FEMA’s most recent VOISE report (Voluntary Organization Information System for Engagement.) The biggest problem they faced? Where to live. Of those […]

by A.J. Gary As the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management Director, I have seen many areas of our state impacted by severe weather events. I have seen firsthand the difference in the speed of recovery based on the level to which a community is prepared for the event. While there is nothing we can do […]

Mayflower’s Decade of Resilience in the Face of Three Disasters By Adena J. White midst the chaos and challenges of a crisis lies an opportunity for growth. Over the course of a decade, the city of Mayflower was confronted with three catastrophes: an oil pipeline spill in March 2013, a devastating tornado in April 2014, […]

By Kim Dishongh Charlotte Jackson was at work when a tornado tore through her neighborhood on March 31, 2023. Her focus during the storm had been on the children in her care at a kindergarten through 8th grade school and on calming her daughter, across town at the high school she attends. In the aftermath, […]

Permanent housing remains a need for dozens of Wynne residents By Adena White More than five months after a deadly tornado tore through the city of Wynne, dedicated volunteers in the community continue to help residents rebuild their lives. Fred Strasser is a minister at the Wynne Church of Christ who is working to help […]

By Jessica Ford A VOAD Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG) is a collaborative effort that emerges after a disaster. It’s a who’s who of national and local organizations working together to provide disaster response and recovery services. VOAD stands for “Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.” Human, material, and financial resources flow into communities after a disaster, […]

Creating Incentives for families to apply for free and reduced lunches Arkansas Community Foundation recently made a grant to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance in response to a lower number of Free/Reduced School Meal forms being turned in across the state. Just because a family has qualified for free or reduced lunches doesn’t automatically mean […]