HOME, SWEET HOME
Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Build Black Communities Fund, the University District of Little Rock just got a big boost.
The University District Development Corporation (UDDC) is a nonprofit dedicated to improving and increasing affordable housing in the neighborhoods surrounding UA Little Rock. According to director Barrett Allen, funds will support the development and construction of seven new single-family housing units between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.
The grant is part of Facebook Inc.’s efforts to support Black communities and Black-led nonprofits. The Arkansas Community Foundation, in partnership with the Arkansas Black Philanthropy Collaborative, was tasked with parceling out those funds to 40 organizations in the Little Rock metro, of which the UDDC is one.
“This is a great example of partners working together to provide safe, decent and affordable homes for families to purchase in the University District,” Allen says.
GREAT GIFTS
► The Arkansas Children’s Foundation received a $1 million donation from Melanie and Edwin Wells supporting the CEO Strategic Initiatives Fund, which bolsters initiatives like statewide clinics and research.
► Thanks to supporters during the 2020-21 season, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra reported the most funds raised in a single fiscal year, far surpassing its goal and marking its 12th consecutive year in the black.
BIG MOVES
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to carry on the legacy of musical excellence that has been long established with the Arkansas Symphony Youth Orchestra.” —Gabriel Bruce, the new conductor and director of the ASYO
► Amy Jo Jenkins has joined the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s new Office of Clinical Trials Administration.
► Angelique Cooper, Nikkia Davidson, Sam Jones and Tracey Bratton all joined Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services.
► Gov. Asa Hutchinson appointed Philip Tappan to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
► The Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation added two new associates: Murray Britton and Michael Desalvo.