1 5 YEARS
touching the lives of children in need
A Need
A Vision
A Reality
A Progress report for the Northwest
Arkansas Children’s Shelter, 1993-2008
Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter
is a private, non-profit residential facility that
provides emergency care; medical, dental and
vision care; education and counseling to children
who have been removed from their homes
because of family violence, physical and sexual
abuse, neglect and abandonment.
Table of Contents
From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Our Mission
To provide a safe and
nurturing atmosphere of
hope for children in crisis
and to sponsor programs
that encourage individual
growth and development.
A Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
A Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
A Reality
In 1993 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
In 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
What Difference Have We Made?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
You Make It Happen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Board of Directors and Executive Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
From the Director
We are pleased to present our first progress report for the Northwest
Arkansas Children’s Shelter, a facility with the charge to provide a safe and
nurturing atmosphere of hope for children in crisis.
What you will find on the ensuing pages is a historical blueprint; from our
inception and occupancy of a building in December of 1993, to our present. In
between, you will find many milestones and success stories reflective of the more
than 4,400 children we have cared for over the years.
I am also very fortunate to share with you that the Children’s Shelter was recently awarded a $13.5M
construction grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, Nevada, to build a new facility on an
81 acre tract of land the Shelter purchased in 2005. This new facility, located approximately two miles west
of our current location, will allow us to serve up to 72 children at one time – children we have been forced to
turn away in the past because we lacked the space.
To assist with the increased operational expenses of our new
facility, the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter embarked on
an aggressive $9M capital campaign in January of 2008. The money
raised during this campaign will go towards endowments, ensuring
the needs of all children will continue to be met. At the time of this
report, $5.7M has been raised towards our goal, and we anticipate
completing the campaign by the end of 2010.
I would like to thank you for taking an interest in our organization
and invite you to help make a difference in the life of a child.
1
Tim Nichols
2
Fifteen years ago, in December of
Before that time, children who needed
immediate care often had to travel as far
away as Little Rock to find an available
shelter or foster home.
The next day is spent with the boy hovering
between the caseworker’s office and the hallway
while the worker bargains and pleads for anyone in
Northwest Arkansas to give the kid a place to live.
For twenty-four hours this boy has suffered the
trauma of separation from parents, home and friends
– listening to the worker appealing to someone to
take him in – then starting to realize that nobody
wants him. He is shipped out of the area to the first
location that will take him, in Central Arkansas.
His parents can’t afford to drive down to see
their son, and his caseworker has no time to
pick him up for a visit with his family. What
are the chances that he is going to come out
of all this OK?
Gary Darling
Former foster parent and founding board
member of the Children’s Shelter (1991)
1 5 Years
A Need
1993, the realization of a dream was being
celebrated. Several years of planning and
hard work had finally culminated in the
opening of an emergency shelter for
children in Benton County, Arkansas.
Take this boy, separated from his parents in early
evening. Late that night the child’s caseworker,
already exhausted from battling similar situations all
day, takes the boy home with her and puts him on
the couch.
A Vision
Faced with the desperate need for emergency care for children in crisis situations, Juvenile
Court Judge Terry Crabtree and others in the community joined together in the early 1990’s
to find a solution. This group formed the original board of the Northwest Arkansas Children’s
Shelter and took the first steps toward establishing a local facility by appealing to the public for
financial support.
The United Ways of Bentonville, Bella Vista and Rogers were the first major investors in the
Shelter, providing funds and support even before the organization was incorporated or had a
base from which to work.
A property was soon purchased in
Vaughn, just west of Bentonville on
Highway 12, from the Benton County
Sunshine School, who had moved to a
new facility several months earlier.
1992
3
After rigorous efforts to obtain
funding and licensing, and months spent
cleaning, refurbishing and renovating
the buildings, the Northwest Arkansas
Children’s Shelter finally opened on
December 6, 1993, with five girls in
residence.
• A deserted facility, overgrown
with weeds and overtaken by
“critters”, was to become the new
home of the Northwest Arkansas
Children’s Shelter.
A Reality
99
1 3...
• Initially, the Shelter focused on
caring for children from Benton and
Washington counties, accepting
children from other counties if beds
n
here it all bega
W
were available. At opening, the
maximum capacity was 12 children,
with a girls’ wing only. A boys’ wing was added in May 1994, bringing total capacity to
24. During the first year of operation, 110 children were cared for at the Shelter.
Our emphasis will be on the physical care
and the emergency care. We also want to
go beyond that for counseling, but some of
those services may be contracted out.
Cathy Danko
Director of the Shelter prior to its opening
(1993)
• Residents rode the bus to attend public schools in Bentonville.
• Shelter staff included five full-time and five part-time employees. Jane Oliver
was named Executive Director in May 1993, and was the Director when the Shelter
opened later that year.
4
Fiscal Year 1994 Financial Highlights
(July 1, 1993 through June 30, 1994)
Revenues
Donations
State of Arkansas
($6 per child per day)
United Way
Other
$169,096
Total Revenue
Expenses
Program
Management & General
Total Expenses
25,888
35,036
7,143
$141,241
7,434
Allocation of Funds Received for Fiscal Year 1994
Program Needs
95%
Management
& General
5%
5
$237,163
$148,675
1994
2008...
6
The current facility has been completely renovated and includes:
a) An administration building with staff offices and a conference room
b) An emergency building with a kitchen, a dining room, staff offices
and 20 beds for children ages 5-17
c) An infant/preschool building which can accommodate 12 children ages
birth through five, and which contains a kitchen, a nursery, and a
separate playroom
d) A separate, fenced play area for toddlers and preschoolers
e) An education building with three classrooms, offices, and a recreation
room/library
f) A large warehouse, two storage buildings, and a maintenance shed
g) Landscaped grounds and a large parking area for staff, volunteers & visitors
N
orthwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter now serves children from all over the state of Arkansas and provides a full
range of programs and services for up to 32 children at a time. On average, the shelter cares for approximately 350
children each year. These children receive counseling from a full-time, on-site licensed
counselor; medical, dental and vision care, and
The services provided by
on-site education; and participate in an organized
the Northwest Arkansas
Children’s Shelter are
activities program. The growth and expansion
essential to the welfare of
of services that we have experienced over the
foster children throughout
past 15 years has enabled the Shelter to have a
the state of Arkansas.
positive impact on the lives of children, not only
Their emphasis on striving
to meet the needs of
in Northwest Arkansas, but in every part of the
each child placed there
state.
makes an already stressful
situation easier to handle.
NWACS has served children from the counties
highlighted in blue and has received requests to serve
children from the counties highlighted in yellow.
(Right) From a letter to
NWACS written by Barbara
Brooks and Kathy Lewis, former employees of the Department of
Human Services; and Melissa Myers, DCC Child Care Licensing
7
Education is provided on-site in a school program established in August,
1998. Three full-time, state-certified teachers, a Supplemental Education
Coordinator, and an Education Liaison make up the education staff. Small
student-to-teacher ratios in Shelter classrooms, combined with an understanding
of the crisis situations students are dealing with and the flexibility to work with
students at their current scholastic level, provide stability and an environment
where kids can learn without pressure. The results are dramatic!
Measurement tools in place show that children in the Shelter education
program make outstanding progress, with scores that far exceed expected
academic achievement for similar students in a public school setting.
In July 1999, a volunteer program was
Photo courtesy of The Morning News
established to help provide support for the
staff and extra one-on-one attention for residents.
Over 170 volunteers gave more than 6,000 hours in
2008 to help with child care, maintenance, education,
special projects, activities and fundraising.
I think that people who take the time to come here and volunteer
are some of God’s most precious angels. I really don’t know how
we would do what we do if it weren’t for our volunteers.
Lori Watkins – Day Shift Supervisor
othy Peters
Volunteer Dor
I have watched children
from week to week make
incredible improvements in
academics, social skills, and
self confidence.
A child who was
struggling with basic math
one week will be doing
100% better the next
week.
Another child who
would barely speak one
week was chatty and
receptive the next week.
Students are made to feel
empowered and capable of
doing anything.
Sandy Mahoney
Education Volunteer
An infant/preschool program evaluates abilities, sets goals and measures results for each child up through
age five. Progress is documented and consistently shows that toddlers and preschoolers make significant
improvements in problem solving, personal & social skills, communication, and fine & gross motor skills during
their stay at the Children’s Shelter.
Current Shelter staff totals 62 employees, 41 full-time and 21 part-time, and includes direct care, administrative,
education, case management, cooks and maintenance. Executive Director Tim Nichols joined the Shelter in
December 2007, replacing long-time Director Jack Eaton.
His parents were drug users. He was one year
old and most of his life had been spent in a crib. He
was rarely held, talked to or taken outside. During
his first few days at the Shelter he sat quietly... not
laughing, smiling or crying. He showed no interest in
toys or in his caregivers.
A week passed. He was treated with patience
and love by the staff and volunteers. Soon he began
to smile, cry and respond when played with. Before
long he became one of our most cheerful toddlers
– enjoying games, smiling and laughing.
He even began to protest
the things he did not like!
Three year certification from the Commission on Accreditation
of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) was awarded in 2005, and again
in 2009, ensuring that the Child and Youth Services offered by the
Children’s Shelter are of the highest quality and meet rigid national
standards.
(Information on CARF International is available at www.carf.org.)
8
What Difference Have We Made?
Small steps... sometimes it’s all we can hope for. Like the 10 year-old boy who had to be shown how
to use a toothbrush.
Sometimes the changes are monumental. Like the 2 and 4 year-old brothers who learned to trust
enough to relax and enjoy bath time rather than screaming in terror at the sight of the tub of water – or
the 12 year-old girl who, in 45 days, progressed from reading on a kindergarten level to reading 2nd grade
books after the teacher explained to her that the reason she could not read was not that she was “stupid”,
but that she had never been taught.
Sometimes the change is quiet and deep...
He was 12 years old and had been at the Shelter for 30 days. He had been
so hurt by most of the adults in his life that he was unable to trust anyone. It
seemed that no matter what the staff tried to do for him, he would not let
anyone break through the wall he had built around himself. In spite of his
resistance and indifference, the staff persisted, trying to build a relationship and
let him know that there were adults who were worthy of trust. They never
saw a change.
After he left the Shelter, as the staff were cleaning his side of the room, they
discovered a letter he had written to his grandmother behind his bed.
“Dear Grandma,” it said. “I am at the shelter in Vaughn and for once in my
life, I am really happy.”
Because the Children’s Shelter is a temporary placement for children in crisis situations, it is rare that
9
we get to see the long-term impact the Shelter makes on a child’s life. Once in a while, however, we hear
from former residents who tell us how they feel about their time here.
Jennifer was a teenage girl who stayed at the Shelter several times with her sisters because of physical and sexual abuse. She
later came back to work at the Shelter as an employee because she wanted to “help kids who went through the same things I
went through.” She wrote a letter to former Director Jack Eaton when he left the Shelter, expressing her thanks. A portion of it
reads:
I just wanted to take a moment and express at least a little of the gratitude that I feel, but no matter what I say, I doubt that it will
truly show the impact the Shelter and you have had on my life... I will never forget the very first time that my sister and I came there to
stay. We were terrified and had no idea what was going to happen next, and since we arrived after dark, no idea where on earth we
were. You assured us it was going to be OK and it wasn’t our fault. This may sound strange, but there was a peace that came over me
that I had never felt before.
For the first time ever, I was allowed to be a teenager. I didn’t have to constantly be “mom” to my sisters. And when
I needed to cry, you guys were always there to listen, even at 3:00 in the morning. Before coming to the Shelter, I never
knew that people, much less men, could be so kind and actually care about people.
Jennifer Shull
While statistics are important, the real measure of our success is seen every day – in the three
physically abused brothers who finally stopped cringing when staff approached, and instead began to eagerly
hold out their arms for hugs; and in the teenage girl who begins to overcome the sexual abuse dealt by her
father and learns to take pride in her appearance instead of neglecting herself in the hope that she will be
“left alone”.
These successes are noted and celebrated, but never taken for granted. Tomorrow will bring a different
mix of children and a new set of challenges.
r
d Membe
Emeritus BoarBrown
Stephania
“I want to thank you for spending time with me and all of the other children that are placed here
at the Shelter... The best thing that I love about it here is acceptance. No matter where any of us come
from, I know we are accepted here.”
(In a note from a teenage girl as she was getting ready to leave.)
10
You Make It Happen
11
The financial contributions we have received have
helped pay the bills, buy the groceries, maintain the
facilities, compensate the staff, and provide the education
and activities for more than 4,400 children over the past
15 years.
Barber &
Volunteer Pat g, Gabe
her therapy do
Donations of goods and products stock our warehouse
with food, clothing, diapers, medication, school supplies and
a wide variety of other items we use on a daily basis; and sponsorships and participation in our
fundraising events bring in much-needed revenue and increase awareness in the community
of the work being done at the Shelter.
Thank You for making the last 15 years
possible. Thousands of children’s lives
have been touched because of you!
Photo courtesy of NWA Photography
Thank You!
Although the staff of the Children’s Shelter are the ones who work daily with these children
to provide loving attention and positive encouragement, ultimately, it is the support of those
who care enough to give that makes it possible for them
to do so.
participates in
Tony Dunningn for a Child
Ru
the 2007
Fiscal Year 2008 Financial Highlights
(July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008)
Revenues
Donations
State of Arkansas
($80.26 per child per day)
United Way
Major Fundraisers
Bentonville Schools
Capital Campaign
Other
Total Revenue
Expenses
Program
Management & General
Fundraising
Net Investment Loss
CHANGE IN NET ASSETS
2008
$1,076,948
475,610
95,000
460,021
68,471
964,240 *
389,864
$1,865,671
174,667
53,628
93,324
Total Expenses
$1,342,864
*Capital Campaign donations received during 2008 are being held
in endowments, with interest earned used to help support annual
operating expenses.
$3,530,154
$2,187,290
Allocation of Funds Received for Fiscal Year 2008
Program
Needs
86%
Investment
Loss
4%
Fundraising
2%
12
Management
& General
8%
Board of Directors
Executive Leadership Team
David Atwood, President
Virginia Castleman, Vice-President
Victoria Bossler, Secretary
Kim Sawatzky, Treasurer
Tim Nichols, Executive Director
Shannon Campbell, Director of Operations
Renee Hutton, Director of Finance & Human Resources
Cheryl Ellis, Director of Marketing
Kenneth Green, Director of Information Technology
Scott Anderson
Emmy Brown
Joan Clifford
Susan Duke
Cindy Flynn
Marilyn Gottsponer
Seth Kaufman
Kim Lane
Steve Schotta
Jo Soderquist
David Stay
Scott Tassani
Charlie Waiwaiole
Board Members Emeritus
Stephania Brown
Gary Darling
Mack Luffman
Jane Oliver
George Panter
Don Siemens
Shelley Simmons
Edwin Sisk
Rob Strange
Welcome Board Officers-Elect for 2009
David Atwood, President
David Stay, Vice-President
Charlie Waiwaiole, Secretary
Kim Sawatzky, Treasurer
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Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter
7702 S.W. Regional Airport Blvd., • Bentonville, AR 72712
479-795-2417 • www.nwacs.org