Your Stories 
8 years ago, I graduated from Arkansas-Little Rock because I recieved a scholarship. So, I decided to give another student that same scholarship every year thereafter. My fundrasier is a Celebrity Bowling Bash and Silent Auction & I would love an Ipad to auction off. This year’s event July 16th, 3pm, at Millinnium Bowl in North Little Rock. Please visit TreDay.com for more info and thanks for taking time to give!
- Travis Rowan, Assitant Program Director at KIPR
The City of Hope Outreach is a non-profit Christian organization that serves the poor and under privileged in Conway, AR. The organization is funded by individuals and businesses desiring to make a difference for the glory of Jesus Christ. Through caring actions we are striving to make Conway a better place for everyone. Every other Saturday we have “King’s Club”. This is an event where the children can spend time with older followers of Christ, playing and learning about God and his plan for them. Then on weekdays we hold tutoring sessions for children to help support the importance of education in younger generations. At the City of Hope Outreach, we believe the children are the future and they should have a fair chance at succeeding in life regardless of their financial situation.
-Stephen Cunningham, The City of Hope Outreach
I joined the Junior League of Little Rock in November 1990 and am still involved today both as a sustainer and as a member of the Junior League of Little Rock’s Community Advisory Board.
The Junior League touches many people with their various projects and two of my favorite projects of the JLLR were the development of Riverfest and the purchase of the Women’s City Club.
Riverfest began as a project of the Junior League in 1978 and was held in Murray Park. It has grown from that tiny summer arts festival organized by JLLR volunteers to the major entertainment festival it is today. Over $1 million has been given to the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock from the proceeds of Riverfest to fund riverfront improvements and the economic impact of the festival is tremendous for Central Arkansas. The volunteer support of the Junior League during the first years of the festival helped this succesful event become what it is today.
The Junior League made an meaningful commitment to downtown Little Rock when they purchased the Women’s City Club in May 2001. The one hundred year old building, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, remains true to its original design. The buiilding is used for the league’s headquarters and community projects and the banquet halls and ballroom are available for rental and have hosted many weddings and receptions.
The Junior League has definitely made our community a better place to live, work and play!
- Susie Smith, Senior EVP, Metropolitan National Bank
This story is about my best friend and husband, TJ. He is a very humble man and does not demand or look for praise for all of the ways that he is involved in the betterment of our community; therefore, I would like to share for him.
It would makes sense for my husband, being 25 years old, to seek to better himself and his station in life; however, he has quite the opposite agenda. ON TOP of his full time job at BMW in Little Rock, he donates incredible amounts of time and energy to helping and serving others.
First, he volunteers at our church on multiple committees and has done countless hours of graphic design work for our church, including t-shirt designs, signs, fundraising boards, etc., at no charge. Beyond this, he plays guitar for the Sunday services and leads the youth praise band on Wednesday and Sunday nights. He also leads a prayer group on Tuesday night to pray for our church and our community. The pastors and leaders of the church know that they can count on TJ to always make himself available to do whatever is needed.
Along the same lines, TJ assists our youth pastor with all of the youth programs and takes time to personally invest in each teenager that comes through the door by spending time with them outside of church and making our home constantly available to them. He sees the incredible need and value of investing in our young people so that they can grow into productive, happy, and successful adults. I cannot count the number of hours that he has spent building relationships and mentoring the young people in our church and community in hopes that his efforts will positively impact their lives.
Next, TJ is always donating his time and talent to do free graphic design and other artwork for local nonprofit organizations such as Renewal Ranch and the Backs of Africa. He is always eager to help a worthy organization reach their goals, even if it means he receives nothing in return.
There are many other examples that I could give about how TJ serves his community; everything from delivering food to a needy family to helping an elderly woman pick up her fallen groceries in Kroger parking lot. He never ceases to amaze me with his selflessness. The greatest way that TJ contributes to our community is by being an example of a person who honestly puts others above himself every single day. Simply by being himself, he makes our community a better place and I feel very blessed to call him my husband.
- Brianna Virden, Wife
The Quapaw Quarter Association is the only nonprofit organization in the Greater Little Rock area dedicated to promoting historic preservation. People may not immediately understand all the benefits of historic preservation, but the QQA is working very hard to help Little Rock’s historic neighborhoods. A strong preservation ethic means vibrant, sustainable communities; and the QQA is an active advocate for neighborhood revitalization and downtown development. The QQA is currently working with area neighborhoods and community groups on a community branding project that will give these groups the tools they need to promote themselves. We are also designing a year-long education program that will help homeowners (and anyone else interested) understand their houses. We will address a wide variety of topics including window repair and weatherization, and will help homeowners find the resources and incentives they need to repair their homes.
- Rhea Roberts, Executive Director, Quapaw Quarter Association