Kathy Webb and Carl Vogelpohl don’t always see eye to eye, but when it comes to lending a helping hand to their fellow Arkansans, these two are on the same team.
Webb and Vogelpohl first joined forces to co-chair the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas annual Power of the Purse event, and now are speaking out on the importance of Giving Tuesday, the international day devoted to philanthropy, on Nov. 28.
“After Thanksgiving, we have all of these dedicated days of shopping,” Webb says. “Giving Tuesday reminds people about the good things nonprofits do, and hopefully puts people in a spirit for giving not just to their friends and family, but to all of the wonderful causes in the community that make it a good place to live.”
Part of what makes this community a good place to live is the high number of local nonprofits serving both Little Rock and Arkansas, something Vogelpohl credits to the Southern character of the state.
“It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” he says. “I think there’s great pride in the community, and with that pride comes a desire to get involved. With Giving Tuesday, there’s a general spirit that people want to be involved and want to help, and this gives them a focus, a specific day to do that.”
And while it’s easy to play off the campiness of different personalities coming together for a common cause, there’s a deep-seated truth in this solidarity.
“I really think it’s important, particularly in this environment, for folks who are not necessarily alike or not aligned with each other politically to show that we’re stronger and we’re better when we come together,” Webb says.
“That’s part of why Little Rock has such a strong and vibrant philanthropic community,” Vogelpohl adds. “We might disagree on a particular issue or solution to a problem, but there are also many, many places where we have common ground, and we can work together on that.”
For more information on how to get involved, visit GivingTuesday.org.