Christmas is an amazing, wonderful time for most of the children here in Northwest Arkansas. However, there are children that will not know the joys of Christmas if not for some people they will never meet. Northwest Arkansans are very philanthropic, big-hearted, and charitable.
Northwest Arkansas schools and churches do a great job of keeping up with the children of families in need. They have many resource lists available to connect families with providers for healthcare, hygiene, food, and other basic needs. Many of the schools and churches have created their own food pantries and clothes closets. However, they still need help making sure each child has something special at Christmas. Here’s a list of organizations where you and your family can volunteer and make donations. The best Christmas gifts are those that support organizations who take care of our community.
1. C.A.S.A (Court-appointed special advocates) This awesome organization provides professionally-trained volunteer advocates for children in foster care.
2. Big Brothers Big Sisters of NWA is an organization where you can help shape a child’s future by inviting a child to hang out with you in activities you are already enjoying like hiking, riding a bicycle, or kicking a soccer ball.
3. Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter provides a safe place for neglected, abandoned, and abused children.
4. The C.A.L.L has a goal that no child will wait for foster care in NWArk. They recruit, train, and support families who are interested and want to foster or adopt children.
5. Children’s House provides services and care for children under five years of age that have been abused or neglected. One service they provide includes a pre-school with therapy resources.
6. Peace at Home Shelter is an emergency shelter that helps abused women and their children. They have a 24-hour crisis line. They also have a very well-organized thrift store that you can support with household donations.
7. Loving Choices is a pregnancy crisis center for teens. They provide pre-natal care and counseling for those with an unplanned pregnancy. They also have a Mommy Store to assist with needs of mommy and baby.
8. Seven Hills Homeless Shelter assists families with children. These families make up 78% of the homeless population in NWArk. This organization is committed to fighting homelessness and poverty. They have transitional housing and training to help with employment.
9. Compassion House is a licensed residential home that serves pregnant teens and their babies.
10. Second Mile Ministries is a food pantry that also provides monetary help with medications, utility deposits and annually provides Christmas presents for their clients children.
11. Salvation Army Angel Tree serves Northwest Arkansas by setting up specific ways to provide gifts for children in need. The organization also serves homeless families, help with bills, clothing and hygiene needs and the Thrift Store is a great place to make household donations to support them all year-round.
12. Pagnozzi Charities is leveling the playing field for children in sports by providing equipment for those kids whose families cannot afford it. They also set up sponsorships for individual children or whole teams.
13. Tommy House is an emergency shelter for neglected, abused and abandoned children.
14. Potter’s House Giving Tree provides opportunities to sponsor a child in need and provide a gift from the child’s Christmas wish list.
15. Public schools Counseling Offices can provide you with the needs of a child in public school. See websites at Fayetteville Public Schools, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, and Bella Vista.
16. All area churches have wish lists available for children in need. Click HERE for a comprehensive list of all area churches.
17. Early Childhood Education scholarships at any of the NWArk preschools would assist a single parent with quality care and education for their preschooler. Check with your specific area public and private schools to find out how you can contribute to the Tuition Scholarship Fund.
18. Boys and Girls Clubs in Fayetteville and Bentonville.
19. Hogs for Hope for Arkansas Children’s Hospital is uniting the University of Arkansas with the community. ACH has many opportunities to help children and families at Christmas.
20. Jackson L. Graves Foundation provides assistance with long-term neonatal care and support for families.
21. Elizabeth Richardson Center provides services to developmentally delayed children from six weeks to five years of age in their Child Development Centers located in Farmington, Fayetteville, Huntsville, Springdale and Siloam Springs.
22. Equestrian Bridges is a therapy organization that uses horses as a tool to connect children and their families. They specialize in Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, and Mental Health Disorders.
23. The Sharing & Caring Community Christmas Tree is a program for providing gifts at Christmas to needy, under-privileged, abused, and neglected children. It is the goal of the program to provide basic needs to as many children as possible throughout the year and to provide clothing and toys at Christmas.
24. Children’s Safety Center for abused and neglected children. Children’s Christmas Train Ride ticket sales proceeds benefit this Center. You could set a new Christmas tradition of a memorable train ride for your own children while helping other kids as well!
25. 99 Balloons engages kids with special needs and offers families a night of care each month. This is a great support for families overwhelmed with the daily care of a child with special needs. This is one of my favorite organizations helping families in Northwest Arkansas.
As I said before, Northwest Arkansans are very generous! This list is by no means comprehensive. If you want to love a child at Christmas and can’t find the right organization you would like to support, please call me. I’d be so happy to help connect you to the one that is just right for your family to support.
If you live in Northwest Arkansas, I hope you learned about many organizations here that support families and children at Christmas and throughout the year. If there is one that is especially dear to your heart and is not on my list, PLEASE put a comment on this post and that we we can let everyone know! If you’re visiting or relocating to NWArk, I hope we have warmed your heart with this extensive list showing the Northwest Arkansans are loving and caring people! This is a great place to live! If you volunteer at any of these organizations, I’d love to see you Around Town. Post your pictures to Facebook or Instagram and tag me.
If you’re interested in buying or selling real estate in Northwest Arkansas, contact me, Jill Bell, for more information at [email protected].
