Top Honors
Women & Children First announced First Lady Susan Hutchinson will be honored as its Woman of the Year at the organization’s 15th annual gala in 2021. The virtual event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 6, to raise funds and bring awareness to WCF’s mission to provide “safety, strength and hope for all victims of family violence.”
Hutchinson has long been an advocate for victims of abuse and has used her time as first lady to shed light on the issue and those working for the cause throughout the state, often through Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas.
“Her leadership, compassion and commitment to addressing the issues faced by some of Arkansas’ most vulnerable citizens makes her a wonderful choice for Woman of the Year,” says Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s and WCF’s 2020 Woman of the Year. “Susan knows that we all benefit from the collective impact of mission-driven work like that of Child Advocacy Centers, Women & Children First and Arkansas Children’s.”
Giving Tuesday
Chances are, by the time you read this, the annual day of philanthropy known as Giving Tuesday will have come and gone. And although Dec. 1 may very well be in the rearview mirror, we encourage you to keep the spirit alive all month long. Find a cause you care about and you’ll certainly find fellow Arkansans working for the same cause who could certainly use your help. Give graciously where you’re able, friends.
Arkansas Love
The Walton Family Foundation launched its inaugural Community Support Grant Program this fall, which saw eight Little Rock nonprofits receiving grants totaling $200,000 to further education efforts in the area. Those nonprofits are:
- Ambitious Girls
- AR Kids Read
- Boys & Girls Club of Central Arkansas
- Central Arkansas Library System
- EducationCorps
- EAST Initiative
- Life Skills for Youth
- Our House
- Ozark Mission Project
- Xtraordinary Minds
Big Moves
- After suspending operations in the spring, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre is looking ahead with a new lineup for its board of directors for the 2020-21 fiscal year: Steve Strickland, Jan Alman, Tim Gauger, Randy Bynum, Dr. Philip James Deer III, Maya Goree, Melanie Hillard, Brandi Hinkle, Kevin Horn, Michelle Kaemmerling, Nikki Lovell, Michael Manning, Tom Small, Doris Washington and James H. Wilkins Jr.
- Le’Kita Brown, Khayyam Eddings, Cathy Mayton and Larry Middleton recently joined the Arkansas Arts Center board of trustees.