by Trey Youngdahl
After being inactive for several years, Polk County is now welcoming back an Arkansas-based non-profit organization devoted to serving foster families.
The CALL is a faith-based non-profit organization that mobilizes area churches to serve local children and youth placed in foster care in the Christian community. The group started in 2007 in Pulaski County when a group of concerned citizens came together to look for a way to help provide for children in foster care in their area. They did so by working together with the Division of Children and Family Services. From there, the group spread to other counties in Arkansas. In 2010, the CALL became a statewide organization that is now active in 44 counties.
Families recruited by The CALL make up over half of all foster families in the state. Since 2007, these families have cared for over 10,000 children, and created forever families for over 800 children. The CALL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, funded by contributions from individual donors, churches, foundations and corporations. They provide their services to families and churches at no cost.
“I knew that if foster parents are going to either succeed or not succeed, it’s going to be from the support system that they have,” The CALL Program Coordinator Renee Hendrix said. “I want to be able to equip them and enable them to be able to do a job that is both hard and fulfilling.”
Hendrix, a Mena native, worked for the Department of Human Services before taking the role of program coordinator for The CALL. Additionally, she was also involved with child advocacy group Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for nearly a decade.
For Easter, The CALL is doing a program called “Egg My Yard.” Families who sign up for this program will have Easter eggs hidden in their yard, taking the work out of it for the families.
The group has also taken on hosting the Talimena Run, which was previously hosted by PCDC.
“I am very excited to bring this back to Polk County,” Hendrix said. “We’re honored to be able to take it over from PCDC and to bring it into a new era.”
To get involved with The CALL, contact (501) 813-6480, visit their office at 1311 B Hwy. 71 N, Mena, or email them at polkcounty@thecallinarkansas.org/.
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