The CALL needs your help by voting for them to receive a $25,000 grant from State Farm® to help improve their community. Starting August 18 at 12:00am ET, U.S. residents who are 18 and older with a valid email address can vote for their favorite cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com.
The CALL has until August 27 at 11:59pm ET to rally votes and anyone voting is allowed up to 10 votes per day. On September 29, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced at www.neighborhoodassist.com and a $25,000 grant will be awarded to each of the affiliated nonprofits.
The CALL started in 2007 after a group of concerned individuals came together to look for a way to provide for children in foster care. What started in one county, quickly spread to other counties. In 2010, The CALL became a statewide organization and is now active in 57 counties around Arkansas. The goal is to serve all 75 counties in the state, so that whenever and wherever a child comes into foster care, that child will find a welcoming foster home in their own community. The CALL just celebrated its 14th year of operation, helping meet the needs of children and youth in foster care throughout Arkansas. More than 23,000 children have been cared for by over 2,600 families recruited by The CALL. Over 1,800 children have been adopted into their forever family as a result. The CALL works closely with the Arkansas DCFS. Today, 60% of foster families statewide were recruited/trained by The CALL. Our services are provided at no cost to the state of Arkansas or families.
We need “more than enough” foster homes to provide the most appropriate home to meet the needs of children and youth in foster care who have experienced trauma. Currently, there are 4,899 children and youth in foster care in Arkansas, with only 1,560 homes available. When children enter care, over 55% cannot stay in their hometown. Many are already behind in school because of the circumstances resulting in their removal. Without enough homes in their local communities, they are forced to leave all that they know. More than enough homes would allow these children to stay in their local communities. Funds provided through this grant will provide training and support to foster and adoptive families, as well as the recruitment of additional families. This funding will also add support centers throughout Arkansas. These centers strengthen our partnership with the DCS, better engage the community to serve foster families, and offer space for clothing closet and visits with biological families.
Lauri Currier, Executive Director of The CALL, said, “The CALL is thrilled to be selected for the neighborhood assist grant program. We hope that our supporters and community members across the state will join us in voting for The CALL.”
Please visit: https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2039540to begin voting today!!!
State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions.
