New Records for Stamp Out Hunger

We had to share this great news today! The 2012 Stamp Out Hunger campaign broke a record today by bringing in 121,423 pounds of food to the Arkansas Food Bank this year. Last year, 93,664 pounds of food was collected. Gov. Mike Beebe announced the drive and encouraged participation, and mail carriers followed. The food donated to Stamp Out Hunger was collected by mail carriers on the second Saturday of May. This has been going on for twenty years! 

Totals, by post office location were:

Little Rock

Asher                         11,196

Baseline                       6,099

Brady                           7,667

Chenal                         6,638

Forest Park                  7,938

L.R. Main                     4,586

South Side                    6,143

West Side                   19,952

North Little Rock

Maumelle                    8,424

Pershing                     13,616

Park Hill                     11,694

Rose City                      3,486

Sherwood                   12,984

North Little Rock’s Clinton
Elementary School                   916

Grand Total             121,423

We here at Inviting Arkansas bet some of our readers played a part in these donations, so hats off to you! This is a great step in our community and something to be excited about!

Watch their video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj1JNLsK6QM&feature=plcp

About the Arkansas Foodbank

The Arkansas Foodbank is the largest food bank in Arkansas. Its warehouse in Little Rock and its branches in Warren and Caddo Valley, Ark., serve approximately 300 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other agencies that provide aid directly to hungry Arkansans. Last year the Foodbank distributed millions of pounds of food to agencies that help feed hungry people. For information on how you can fight hunger, visit arkansasfoodbank.org 

What’s Happening This Week

It’s summertime and time for fun! Here are a few events happening in the near future that will fill up the free time you have this forthcoming week.

For all you fashion folks out there, this Wednesday and Thursday, May 23rd and 24th, join fashion boutique B.Barnett for their St. Emile European Sportswear Trunk Show. It’s a fall and winter trunk show is being hosted at the B.Barnett store on 8201 Cantrell from 10:00a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

The 35th Riverfest celebration is just two days away! Starting May 25th and ending the 27th, you can see artists such as Neon Trees, Staind, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Third Eye Blind, Little Big Town, and Snoop Dogg. Avoid heavy traffic and all that walking by riding the Little Rock Shuttle. Details of pick up and drop offs are on Riverfest’s Facebook page. A round trip cost is $3, but if you bring a non-perishable food item you get $1 off. For tickets to Riverfest, head to Walgreen’s and buy a $20 discounted ticket that is good for three days for one person. If you wait to pay at the gate, they’re still only $30 a person.

The Little Rock Film Festival starts next Tuesday, May 29th and ends Sunday, June 3rd, and is hosted on the banks of the Arkansas River. This non-profit organization showcases international, narrative, documentary, and short films from around the world. Don’t miss these Arkansas premier films! For more information visit http://bit.ly/KjDDfh.

Calling all science-loving grown-ups! The Museum of Discovery is hosting an event on Wednesday, May 30th called Science After Dark. It is centered around a scientific discussion over wine and chocolate at the Museum of Discovery. Questions such as “Who made the first chocolate?” and “How is wine made?” can be answered if you are 21 years of age or older and have $5 for admission. This event lasts from 6:00 to 8:00p.m.

There you go guys and gals! We hope you have a great time at these events and make sure to look forward to our June issue being released Friday, June 1st. Happy happenings to you!

From the Grounds Up

Tickets are running out for Our House’s Dinner on the Grounds! Read more about the event and the organization it benefits in our newest Charity Close Up here.

This Just In

Along with a monetary donation, Mitchell Williams’ staff and attorneys will volunteer throughout the year with Reach Out and Read. This will include waiting-room readings at area clinics and helping collect and distribute books.

Mitchell Williams’ Take Time To Give program is the firm’s community service initiative that provides monetary and volunteer support to civic and charitable organizations throughout Arkansas and the region. The program has supported more than 200 organizations since its formal launch in 2004. In 2010, Mitchell Williams launched a new website, TakeTimeToGive.com, to help raise awareness of Arkansas’ many charitable organizations.

“We are thrilled to support Reach Out and Read Arkansas through our Take Time to Give program this year,” said Harry Hamlin, Mitchell Williams’ managing director. “Being read to as children is something many of us take for granted. Illiteracy is an intergenerational phenomenon affecting individuals, families, communities and regions. Reach Out and Read Arkansas is helping ensure that every Arkansas child enters kindergarten prepared with the skills needed to succeed.”

Doctors, nurse practitioners and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read’s evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups, by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally appropriate books to children. The program begins at the six-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Families served by Reach Out and Read are reading more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies and stronger language skills – leaving them better prepared to achieve their potential.

“We are so grateful to Mitchell Williams for providing these funds and for bringing awareness to our mission,” says Mica Strother, president of the Reach Out and Read Arkansas Board of Directors. “Key findings reveal that parents served by Reach Out and Read are up to four times more likely to read aloud to their children. Children served by Reach Out and Read show significant developmental gains in language and a six-month developmental edge over their peers in the preschool years. They also score higher on vocabulary tests and school readiness assessments.”

In Arkansas there are 27 Reach Out and Read Programs serving 40,372 children and distributing 61,320 books annually. Mitchell Williams’ donation of $25,000 will help the organization provide the full, five-year program to 500 children.
Along with the primary charity program, Mitchell Williams will continue its support of nonprofit missions throughout the state through the Take Time To Give website and its social media outlets – Facebook.com/TakeTimeToGive and Twitter.com/TakeTimeToGive. Nonprofits who are looking for monetary support are encouraged to submit an online application at TakeTimeToGive.com/requests. Organizations who would like to submit events and information to post on the website can send information to Holly Hiett at hhiett@mwlaw.com.

Looking Back : Our Fave Fashion Trends from 2011

Every month, Inviting Arkansas works with local retailers to give our readers the most up-to-date trends appearing in the fashion world. So we thought we’d take a look back at some of our favorite fashion trends from 2011.

1. The Maxi

Whether in skirt or dress form, ankle-skimming lengths were hugely popular in 2011 and aren’t losing steam as we roll into 2012. We all drooled over this maxi dress from Vesta’s that appeared in our June issue.

2. Sequins

Ahhhh, sequins. Little bits of happiness sewn onto shirts, skirts, dresses, purses and just about everything else. In 2011, sequins were so bright, we dedicated an entire fashion spread to shiny things alone. Seen here were two fully sequined looks from RK Collections and Faux Pas.

3. Capes

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s incredibly chic capes, come to save the day from the winter coat doldrums. For those of us who needed a break from parkas and peacoats, capes were in abundance this fall. We were particularly smitten with this option from Companions.

4. Faux Fur

For the second year in a row, fur vests were a huge trend. We DIED for this Rachel Zoe version from Barbara Jean. But this year, that trend branched out to include faux fur anything. So if you’ve been wanting to try a faux fur jacket, go ahead. You have the right to bear arms.

5. Brights

Whether it was neon accessories, colored denim or color blocking, bright hues were present from January till December in 2011. We featured some of our favorite hues back in March.

Those were a few of our favorites. Which trends do you hope to see continue into 2012 and which do you hope will disappear?

—-

All photos by Rett Peek.

All 2011 issues of Inviting Arkansas are available for viewing online here.

The Fun Happens December 3rd to Benefit Miracle League

The Miracle League is where kids with a variety of disabilities get to play baseball! You can help support this worthwhile program at the Major League Party on Saturday, December 3, at Dickey-Stephens Park.

At the event, you can enjoy live music by Arkansas’s favorite dance band, Tragikly White, and mix and mingle with food and beverages while you bid on silent and live auction items. Auction items include signed memorabilia items. The party starts at 6 p.m. and lasts until midnight. Round poker with minor and major league players starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100 per person.

Major league players expected at the party include Cliff Lee, Dustin Moseley, Travis Wood, Tommy Hunter, Scott Carroll, Slade Heathcott and more!

For more information or to make a donation to Miracle League, visit MiracleLeagueAR.com.

Gobble, Gobble and Go!

Before you gobble down some turkey and dressing, you can start your Thanksgiving day with a family-fun run at the Go!bbler Turkey Trot hosted by Go! Running. Start time is 8 and the course starts and ends at the running store in the Heights in Little Rock.

In many states across the nation, the Turkey Trot has grown into the undisputed way to begin Thanksgiving Day for thousands of runners. The Trot tradition extends through generations and participants who celebrate the holiday with family and friends. Now, Little Rock upholds the tradition with The Go!bbler.

The course, which offers a 3- to 8-mile loops, covers all aspects of running, including road, track, trails and a few other surprises! The only thing you have to bring to enter is a can of food or some other non-perishable food item. All collected foods will be given to food donation programs serving our community on Thanksgiving day.

The Go!bbler also will offer a T-shirt swap and refreshments. Instead of having new T-shirts made for the event, Go! Running will have a T-shirt swap, so bring an old race shirt with you if you want to participate and add to the mix of shirts.

Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without pie. Fittingly, prizes will be rewarded in the form of pies for some surprise categories.

For more information, call the store at 501.663.6800.

Wishful Thinking

Attorney and business man, Bryan Hosto, keeps a busy schedule but always makes time for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This year, he’s part of the committee for a brand new event, Farm Fresh Wishes, that hopes to be deliciously successful. Read more about Bryan’s work with Make-A-Wish in our Charity Close-Up here.

Farm Fresh Wishes is the only event in Arkansas that pairs local chefs with local farmers to make local children’s wishes come true. Make-A-Wish has handpicked some of the state’s most talented chefs to prepare a seven course meal featuring Arkansas foods. The tasting menu will be served with wine pairings and beer. Proceeds from this event will go towards granting the wishes of area children with life threatening medical conditions. Thursday, September 22, 6:30 p.m., Clinton Presidential Library, $1,000 per table / $125 per ticket, 501-376-9474 for tickets.

Kaleidoscope Kids Auction Helps Grieving Children

Story and photos by Inviting’s Jillian McGehee

“People die. Relationships don’t.” The astute statement was made by Sarah Cowan, a volunteer with Kaleidoscope Grief Center. She and countless others give their time to the organization, which serves grieving children, teens and their families after the loss of a parent or loved one. Established in 1995 as in independent nonprofit organization, the Kaleidoscope Grief Center merged as a program of the Methodist Family Health Counseling Clinic in January 2009.

April Leslie was only 32 when she became a widow left to raise her 3-year-old daughter. April easily found a support group, but it consisted of mostly older adults. Upon learning of Kaleidoscope Grief Center, she immediately felt relief in knowing that her grieving daughter would get the help she needed.

April’s story is just one of many that come out of the grief center. To help produce more success stories, fundraisers like the Kaleidoscope Kids Auction are held. The event has outgrown the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and this year will take place at the Woman’s City Club (Junior League of Little Rock’s headquarters). Admission is only $75 per person or $125 per couple. The auction will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. All proceeds benefit the grief center and Methodist Family Health clinics around the state.

Chairing this year’s event is Sally Riggs, a dedicated volunteer.

Sally is married to Keith Riggs, whose grandfather was a Methodist pastor and served the Methodist Orphanage on Fillmore Street long ago. The orphanage was the cornerstone of today’s Methodist Family Health.

“I am a professional volunteer,” Sally says with a smile. “Whether it’s for church, school or the community, it makes me feel good. I like being involved and being hands-on. And everyone here at Methodist Family Health is so nice and easy to work with.”

Sally, a member of St. James United Methodist Church, commends all of the services that Kaleidoscope and Methodist Family provide, but she is especially fond of the Kids Club. “It’s a good source for children and teens to get together and have fun,” she says. “It’s not all about grieving and counseling. They can have fun too.”

Ashley Coldiron, executive director of the Methodist Family Health Foundation, says Sally is a “wonderful” board member for Methodist Family Health. “She’s totally dedicated and works quietly behind the scenes getting things done. Sally is the type of volunteer who will haul pizzas in her vehicle one weekend and chair a gala the next month. She is the type of volunteer every organization would like to clone!” 

The Kids Auction is a “fun time,” notes Sally, who will also be in charge of flower arrangements for the evening. In addition to a wine cork pull, more than 100 auction items will be up for grabs.

Highlights of the live auction include a Dominican Republic weeklong vacation in a villa at Punta Cana’s Campo de Camp Resort; high tea for 30 guests with tables set with English china; guided hunting trip with lodging at CrossHeirs Retreat Lodge; brunch for 14 at an E. Fay Jones-designed home; condominium in Destin, Fla., for a week; Walt Disney World trip complete with airfaire and hotel and four Park Hopper passes; and several pieces of art, including a James Hayes hand-blown glass bowl, Michael Black watercolor and Teresa Cates oil paintings.

Some of the silent auction items include a Michael Kors handbag, NFL tickets, many pieces of hand-made jewelry, and gift certificates to local restaurants and getaways.

For more information, email acoldiron@methodistfamily.org.

We’re wild for Wild Birds!

We are wild for these Eco-Tough recycled bird feeders from Wild Birds Unlimited! Stop in at Wild Birds in the Heights and mention their ad in Inviting Arkansas to receive 20% off one of their recycled feeders!

Wild Birds Unlimited : 1818 N Taylor St., Little Rock : 501.666.4210

Behind the scenes with P. Allen Smith.

On the day of our photo shoot with P. Allen Smith, the entire staff was like a group of excited children on the first day of school. We’d each been to Moss Mountain Farm, Allen’s garden home retreat, once before and were excited to return to the pastoral retreat. 

Though the house looks like an 1840s Greek Revival farmstead, it’s actually very green. You can read about Allen’s green philosophy in this month’s issue!

As we scouted the grounds for possible photo locations, we saw lambs and chickens running around the property.

The staff takes a moment to discuss our options.

Allen’s two acre garden grows a variety of organic fruits and vegetables. A small harvest was picked on the morning of our shoot for the basket Allen holds on the cover. 

The chickens we used for the cover shoot were Black Laced Wyandottes, one of the rare heritage breeds that Allen protects through his Heritage Poultry Conservancy.

The chickens were amazingly calm sitting next to Allen!

On the grounds, rainwater is harvested into a tank that’s hidden under the yard and used to irrigate the flower beds and and gardens.

If you are interested in seeing the garden home for yourself, visit http://www.pallensmith.com/tours/ for more info!

(All images by Kari Gillenwater)

Spread Some Magic

As many girls do, I too dreamed of being a princess while playing dress-up in any high heels I could find. My favorite was Cinderella. One of my first story assignments after coming to work for Inviting Arkansas was the Cinderella Ball. I was intrigued.

The fall event benefits Safe Places, a nonprofit organization that helps children and families throughout Arkansas. It focuses on providing free services to combat child abuse, sexual assault and violence, among other things. Safe Places gets young ladies involved through the Cinderella Leadership Program, and the Cinderella Ball is the culminating event to celebrate the girls’ accomplishments. The nonprofit uses the fairy tale to counsel and teach children who have been hurt how to break the cycle of violence and create their own happy endings. While the event doesn’t take place until October, they need your help now.

Safe Places is seeking sponsorships for the enchanted evening of dining, dancing and a touch of stardust. See how you can help by calling Safe Places at 501.690.1151.

— By IA’s Jillian McGehee

After the Party

By IA’s Jillian McGehee

It’s nice to slow down in the summer, but I’m always keeping a lookout for special events that benefit a good cause. After all, people don’t stop needing assistance when the party’s over. Organized events such as seated dinners and silent auctions take place less in the summer. However, there’s always a way you can lend a hand, even when the party frock takes a breather in the closet.

Make a phone call to an organization like Arkansas Foodbank or Our House Shelter, and you could be on your way down a philanthropic path. Or, as subjects of many of my features stories explain, think about what interests you. Chances are you’ll find a nonprofit organization or business dedicated to your interests. For example, if you love literature, Reach Out and Read might be a good fit.

Need a little inspiration as you consider your philanthropy niche? I suggest you take a look through this month’s issue. I dare you not to become inspired as you discover how people like Georgia and Dominik Mjartan made their American dreams a reality while also giving back.

Philanthropy Talk

We were lounging poolside the other day and couldn’t help overhearing a conversation. As avid observers of people, we often find ourselves listening to others around us. At the neighborhood pool, three men were standing in the water two feet from the top of our lounge chairs. And they were talking loudly, so naturally, it was hard to resist listening to what they were saying.

The men appeared to be in their late 30s-mid 40s. They all had brought their children to the pool for the afternoon, and appeared to be married judging by the left-hand rings. They must have given their wives a break for the afternoon.

While their kids splashed around and took turns doing tricks off the diving board, the men stood waist-deep in the water sipping cold beverages and talking about life. They candidly discussed typical male things. You know, things like beer, baseball, blondes, barbecue and business dealings. Our ears perked up when one man mentioned the Heart Ball, which is the signature fundraiser for the American Heart Association.

This black-tie event is one of the biggest on Little Rock’s social scene. We were impressed that one of these dads had brought the Heart Ball to their discussion circle in the first place.

Hearing these men talk about a charity event reminded us of an inner-office writing assignment at work. We each were asked to define our target market, and someone included men in her answer. A common belief is that only women are interested in reading about people and parties centered on philanthropy.

In our line of work, we see men, young and old, graciously involved in the community. At Inviting Arkansas, we feature men in our pages just as much as
women, and based on feedback we receive, men enjoy seeing themselves and their male counterparts.

Take Ivan Hudson and Will Whiting, for example. We recently wrote a story about them as co-chairs of a new group for young professionals. As if they aren’t busy enough, Ivan and Will have enhanced their leadership roles on the board of directors for Just Communities of Arkansas. The ambitious men agreed to serve as leaders of the Change Agents, which is an auxiliary group of JCA. By day, Ivan works as the diversity business enterprise manager for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery, and Will is vice president for public policy at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce. Their lists of community involvement go on and on, from Big Brothers/Big Sisters to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. Whether it be men or women, it’s impressive at how they balance their careers with volunteer work.

Ivan and Will are just two men in this giving community. To be sure, there are many more dedicated to making a difference. We could name more, but then we would feel obligated to name them all, which is a good problem! It means Little Rock and the surrounding areas are filled with men doing extraordinary things. You’ll see them on party pages in social magazines flanked by their wives or friends and read about them in feature stories. It was so refreshing to see these gentlemen in the pool put aside talk of beer and baseball and turn their attention to philanthropy!