The Gift of Giving

Throughout the Jonesboro area, A-State students are volunteering their time, money and efforts to better the lives of others, and give back to a

community that has already done so much for them. In this special holiday edition of The Herald, we have compiled the stories of seven Northeast Ar-kansas nonprofit organizations and the students who help them. Helping Neighbors Food Pantry, the Salvation Army, Hispanic Community Ser-

vices, the 15:11 Project, Doing Dental Services for Northeast Arkansas, the Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity are among the many charita-ble organizations that epitomize the Gift of Giving and the holiday season.

Doing Dental Services for Northeast Arkansas

Habitat for HumanityHelping Neighbors

Food Pantry

The Salvation Army

The Humane Society

Hispanic CommunityServices, Inc.

The 15:11 Project

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Informing the campus and community since 1921

www.asuherald.comVolume 94, Issue 15 Monday, December 1, 2014

Special Edition

A typical holiday usually involves copious amounts of food. Whether gathered around a tree, a television or a kitchen table,

people gather to socialize and fill their stomachs with great tasting and probably unhealthy meals in celebration for our good fortune.

However, there are those who may not have access to a nutritious meal on any day of the year, much less a holiday.

This is where food pantries, such as Helping Neighbors, come into play.

Helping Neighbors is a food pantry that serves Craighead County residents. It is an interfaith organization run by twenty-four churches. The pantry is staffed and managed entirely by volunteers in the community.

The need-based service relies on donations from churches, mer-chants and individuals to provide food and supplies for the pantry to operate.

Since its start in 1995, the pantry has provided over 4.1 million pounds of food.

So far, the community has been helpful in keeping the pantry stocked. But with a slouching economy, more people are finding themselves in need of emergency food, providing a special challenge for food pantries during the winter months.

Luckily, the holiday season provides an extra incentive for orga-nizations to provide for those in need.

One such group was Phi Beta Lambda, the College of Business philanthropic organization.

Led by Phillip Tew, assistant professor of finance, the group de-cided to conclude the semester with a canned food drive to contrib-ute to Helping Neighbors. The overwhelming response to this food

drive brought out the best in A-State students.“It really started on a whim, to be honest,” Tew said, as PBL was

simply looking for another community service event to complete before the end of the year.

“We knew that the food pantries really need help in the winter season,” Rebecca Taylor, senior accounting major of Jonesboro and PBL secretary, said.

However, instead of holding the typical boxes in each classroom, PBL decided to add an extra incentive.

“It started as a friendly competition,” Taylor said. Whichever class donated the most cans would win donuts for their class, pro-vided by PBL.

“Our hope was to get about five hundred cans,” Said Dr. Tew. “I think a thousand would have been an incredible goal.”

The competition started out with a few cans each day, but quickly snowballed into much bigger amounts.

Many of the faculty chose to add their own incentives, including offering bonus points for students who brought in large amounts of food.

As the food drive was nearing its end, “students started coming in with much more than we expected,” Tew said. One student, who chose to remain anonymous, single-handedly donated seven hun-dred cans.

After the final count, they had raised over 5,000 cans for the pantry.

“I’m really surprised and overwhelmed to see the students and professors really getting into it,” Scott Lawrence, senior accounting major of Jonesboro and president of PBL, said.

After seeing the success of the PBL food drive, the biggest ques-tion is why the student response was so big.

“Some of them had the (desire) for the bonus points,” Taylor said. “But for a lot of them they just wanted to be a part of this.”

“The more people who are involved, the more students who want to join in,” Lawrence said. “Students seeing other students get in-volved encouraged others to chip in as well.”

Many classes even chose to forgo the incentive for donuts and bonus points, Taylor said, donating to classes where professors would match the number of cans collected.

Taylor attributes the success of the food drive to the goodwill of the students. “They’ve just got such big hearts here,” she said.

With multiple canned food drives happening throughout the holiday season, the response from the College of Business was as-tounding. “I think it such a huge accomplishment for such a small organization here at ASU,” he said.

Even though PBL’s food drive has come to a close, individuals and organizations can still donate to the pantry at any time. For more information, go to www.helpingneighbors-craighead.org.

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014PAGE 2A

A helping hand for the hungryPhi Beta Lambda food drive benefits Helping Neighbors Food Pantry

Sarah Thompson| Staff PhotographerMembers of Phi Beta Lambda conduct their final count of cans before taking them to the food pantry. The College of Business donated over 5,000 cans to the Helping Neighbors Food Pantry, an inter-faith organization that helps provide food to Craighead County residents.

RACHEL BJORNESTADOPINION EDITOR

Sarah Thompson| Staff PhotographerMembers of Phi Beta Lambda load up non-parishable food to be taken to the Helping Neighbors Food Pantry in Jonesboro.

Sarah Thompson| Staff PhotographerA student distributes cans to the Helping Neighbors Food Pantry. Faculty offered bonus points as an incentive to donate cans, which was one of the factors that lead to a large number of donations.

“I think it is such a huge accomplish-ment for such a small organization at ASU.”

-Scott Lawrence- PBL President

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014 PAGE 3A

ALLISON NICHOLS

NEWS EDITOR

Allison Nichols|News EditorA-State student Kelsey Richard picks out toys for a little boy registered with The Salvation Army Christmas Tree program.

Holiday Cheer

Allison Nichols|News EditorA-State student Alana Whatley shops for the Salvation Army Christmas Tree child she picked up off of the tree set up at the Walmart on Highland.

A-State students are getting involved during the holidays this year, and the Salvation Army of Jonesboro is a hot spot for volun-teering and services.

The Salvation Army is an organization whose objectives include the advancement of the Christian religion and education, the re-lief of poverty, and other charitable objects beneficial to society or the community of mankind as a whole, according to the Salvation Army website.

“The organization is more well known for it social services cover-ing food, clothing, utilities and shelter for people in need,” said Ma-jor Eugene Gesner, corps officer for The Salvation Army. “We also have our Christmas charities including the Christmas Red Kettles and Christmas Tree Children. All of the money we make goes right back into the social services,” he said.

The organization was launched in 1865 when Methodist min-ister William Booth left his church and went into the streets of London to deliver his message to the poor and homeless. He estab-lished the East London Christian Mission, according to the Salva-tion Army website.

Gesner said in 1878 the name was changed from The Christian Mission to The Salvation Army. “The Christian Mission’s annual report read it as a volunteer army, and Booth didn’t consider himself a volunteer. He felt compelled to do God’s work, so he changed ‘Volunteer’ to ‘Salvation.’”

The social service part of the organization began in the late 1870s when Booth saw a man sleeping under a bridge. Gesner said the minister rented an empty warehouse to house and feed the home-less. The Christmas services began with the Booth family cooking

dinner for the poor.Today, that tradition is carried on around the world. “We touch

more than 800 families every year,” said Debra Gesner, corps officer for the Salvation Army. “During Christmas time, we help a little more than 300 families. We provide meals for about 400 plus fami-lies, and we have a shelter in Jonesboro that houses 20 people.”

Debra Gesner said not everyone is eligible to receive the benefits of the program. Those interested must fill out paperwork to make sure they fit the qualifications to receive help from the Salvation Army.

Eugene Gesner said the holidays are the Army’s busiest time of year, and this is when the most volunteers attend and the most money is raised. “We see a lot of groups from A-State and the com-munity during these times because people love to bring gifts and donate to the kettles in front of select stores around town,” he said.

In 1893, the Red Christmas Kettle fundraiser began, and Eugene Gesner said it started with unemployed sailors. “An aspiring captain would put out kettles for people to donate money for Christmas programs for the unemployed sailors and their families. Now the money is applied for all of our services and lasts all year,” he said.

Debra Gesner said the kettles raised $106,000 last year, but this year they are hoping to raise $120,000. “We usually reach close to $200,000 including the kettle donations and gift donations. The money goes to provide the social services to the people,” she said.

Gesner said, “The Christmas Trees are also very popular. Families love to pick a child’s card off of the trees in the stores and buy them something special for Christmas. We receive a lot of toy donations, and it reaches a lot of families.”

Kelsey Richard, senior English major of Manila, is one of the many people who enjoy shopping for Salvation Army Christmas Tree children. “I love doing Christmas Tree children. I usually get one with my friends, and we will go shopping together to pick out cute pajamas or toys we think the children will like,” Richard said. “Its’ nice to be a part of giving a child a special Christmas.”

“I look forward to shopping for the children off of the Christmas trees every year,” said Alana Whatley, senior public relations major of Jacksonville. “I look back and realize how lucky I am to have had a family who could provide a nice Christmas for my siblings and me, so every year I try to save money up to help out a family in need to provide their children with those same special memories.”

Even though Christmas time brings in a large number in dona-tions, there are several other services and fundraisers to get involved in throughout the year. There are food drives, meal deliveries, cloth-ing drives and other services that help to provide for those in the program.

Eugene Gesner said, “A percentage of our overall annual dona-tions goes to our headquarters as a tithe because we are a Christian organization, and the government helps to pay our utilities and such for the shelter, the thrift store and The Salvation Army building, but most of the donations goes toward helping the people.”

Eugene Gesner said the program is always looking for volun-teers: “We love to see the students and people in the community to help their fellow people. We see a lot of students volunteer for A-State for meal delivers and kettles every year, but we are still in need of more volunteers,” he said. “The more people we can get to help, the more families we can touch and provide for.”

Allison Nichols|News EditorLeft: Alana Whatley picks out the toys for donation. Center: A-State stu-dent Alana Whatley donates clothing and toys to the Salvation Army of Jonesboro. She donated a two jackets, a pair of pajamas and two barbie dolls for the Christmas Tree children. Right: Kelsey Richard buys ninja turtle pajamas for her donation.

Christian charity marches on through donations and gift giving with the Salvation Army

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014PAGE 4A

Emily Alexander| Editor-In-ChiefA-State students and faculty partner with the Hispanic Community Services to do volunteer work. The group held an event Thursday, Nov. 20 at 6 p.m. in the College of Education show-casing the various projects its members had been working on.

The Hispanic Center in Jonesboro provides many volun-teer opportunities including helping children after school, translating Spanish or answering the phone.

According to their website, the organization depends heavily on volunteers. But despite all the work they do with Spanish speakers, Gina Gomez, Executive Director for the Hispanic Community Services Inc., said you don’t have to speak Spanish.

She said HCSI always needs students to come help with their afterschool program regardless of the student’s major.

“We focus on reading and comprehension because it is the area where a lot of our Hispanic children have more difficulty with,” Gomez said. “We are always looking for English speakers because a lot of the kids need help with

language and also their parents. We don’t work just with the kids. We work with the parents so they can communicate with the teachers.”

The free afterschool program is offered Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Gomez said if students do not want to work with families and language, they have several other jobs volunteers can do to help HCSI.

“We have a lot of other opportunities, depending on their area of expertise. If they are just interested in prac-ticing Spanish with adults or if they are willing to work on Marketing, we can have them working with brochures and marketing plans with the Hispanic Center,” Gomez said. “For the Hispanic Celebration in May, we had 60 to 70 vol-

unteers. We also have a Christmas Fundraiser and we also need help with that. If they just want to come and answer the phone or like to enter information into the computer, there are those opportunities.”

One of the easiest way students can get involved is by visiting the Multicultural Center in the third floor of the Student Union. The Multicultural Center coordinates sev-eral events with the Hispanic Center when they are in need of volunteers.

HCSI’s website said students can also get an internship through the AmeriCorps, which is their corporation for na-tional and community service.

To volunteer or register, contact Hispanic Community Services at (870) 931-1884 or info@jhcsi.org.

Volunteers get multicultural with Hispanic Community Services

JORGE QUIQUIVIXSTAFF WRITER

As the holiday season of turkey and gift-giving approach-es, many families are left without the blessings many people take for granted. Matt Shull, founder of the 15:11 Project, seeks to bridge the gap between people in need and those who want to help.

By finding and listing local needs in the Jonesboro area, the 15:11 Project, named for Deuteronomy 15:11, gives the privileged the opportunity to fulfill those needs. “We want-ed to create a secure place for people with needs to make their needs known, while at the same time providing a place for organizations and individuals to find those in their com-munity that they can reach out to,’’ Shull said.

Deuteronomy 15:11 reads, “There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need,”

according to the New Living Translation. The 15:11 Proj-ect strives to help community members fulfill this Biblical directive.

The organic nature of the 15:11 project allows it to avoid the pitfalls of some charities and nonprofits: fiscal corrup-tion. By letting third parties use their resources in a direct manner, the contributors are assured of where their funds are going.

The 15:11 Project puts the givers in direct contact with the receivers, at no cost to either party. Matt Shull remarked that many people struggle to help the needy due to miscom-munication. “More than once, we’ve experienced people who want to help others in need, but don’t know who to talk to or where to look. The 15:11 Project simply bridges the gap between those in need and those looking to help.”

Often times, an average person will assume philanthro-py requires money exceeding his or her abilities. However, most needs the 15:11 Project lists are not lofty endeavors. Many of them are merely helping a family to eat a tradition-al Thanksgiving dinner, or provide presents to a family that can’t afford Christmas.

Whether you’re a college student who will have a little extra spending money around the holidays or are someone who is struggling to even afford Ramen noodles, the 15:11 Project is a charity aimed to bring people together for good. ‘’We want to bring the two sides face-to-face,’’ are the sim-ple yet ambitious words from founder Shull.

To get involved with the 15:11 Project, volunteers or par-ticipants can visit one of their online resources, or download the app on Apple’s App Store.

Giving > Receiving15:11 Project seeks to connect donors with those in need

MITCHELL EATONSTAFF WRITER

Photos courtesy of Matt Shull, founder of the 15:11 ProjectLocal nonprofit organization the 15:11 project helps local fam-ilies and individuals in need by matching donors with those who are in need of help. Founder Matt Shull created the orga-nization based on the Bible verse Deuteronomy 15:11.

In the spirit of giving, there are few gifts better than the gift of good health.

Several A-State students have found a way to give back to their community year round with the local non-profit foundation Doing Dental Services for Northeast Arkansas.

Founded in 2010 by Jonesboro den-tist Dr. Todd Higginbotham, DDS 4 NEA began giving local uninsured res-idents the dental care they needed.

The program, which also seeks to educate area residents, found a home in the heart of many area dental care professionals.

Higginbotham’s Jonesboro office houses many of the program’s oper-ations, including dental exams and cleanings, as well as serving as a base for volunteers.

For any student, giving back to his or her community is important.

Seniors Alex Dozier and Savannah Lancaster find this to be especially true, as DDS 4 NEA has given them a way to contribute.

From putting together dental care packages for area schools to getting hands-on experience with the program, these driven students have found a way to make a difference for many in the northeast Arkansas area.

“I have been able to gain experience in the dental field that will help me in my professional journey,” said Lancaster, a pre-dental student and native of Sherwood.

“More importantly, I have been able to help serve others and make a difference in our community.”

Dozier, a Paragould native, cites a similar drive to serve the area in a meaningful way.“Through this work, I have developed a great passion for helping others,” he said.

Though both students found the program through their pre-den-tal studies at A-State, the real draw was the mission of DDS 4 NEA.

For many Northeast Arkansas residents, access to dental care is limited. According to dds4nea.com, 23 percent of adult Arkansans have lost six or more teeth due to decay or gum disease.

The foundation hopes to implement educational programs that promote proper dental hygiene practices among residents in order to reduce this percentage.

Their current key targets are children in the Jonesboro area. Ac-cording to Lancaster and Dozier, helping these area children brings great joy to their hearts.

“Helping children in and around the community is my favorite part of working with the program,” Lancaster said.

“We go to elementary schools in the surrounding areas where we provide free sealants to children that help prevent cavities.”

“I have a big heart for kids, and love to help promote good dental hygiene,” Dozier said.

However, according to Dozier, the organization does much more for the area.

DDS 4 NEA organizes several charitable events each year to provide funding for the program.

Earlier this year, the foundation hosted a prevention campaign called Miles for Smiles. Several dentists from Northeast Arkansas volunteered to screen children at local elementary schools and em-ployees at various factories throughout the region.

For those in need of sealants, dental hygienists were on site to provide them.

“In doing this, a great deal of cavities were prevented, which both improved oral health and prevented the uninsured from incurring immense dental expenses,” Dozier said.

For many residents, easier access to dental care means less strain on their wallets.

The program operates out of Higginbotham’s central Jonesboro office, and visits area schools and businesses throughout the year.

However, the foundation also provides those in need with a sense of confidence and reassurance that money should be not be a deter-rent when it comes to personal health and hygiene.

For Lancaster, volunteering with the program has been an eye opening experience.

“Some counties in Arkansas do not have a practicing dentist, and

therefore have to go elsewhere to access dental care,” she said.

“The foundation eliminates that obsta-cle.”

Like Lancaster, Dozier sees the pro-gram as an important component in Jonesboro’s healthcare environment.

“The DDS 4 NEA foundation is the only dental foundation that serves the northeastern area of Arkansas,” he said.

“I believe in and support the work they do. It is my opinion that they are making a great difference in our community.”

Northeast Arkansas currently has a 17 percent poverty rate.

For volunteers like Lancaster and Dozier, the overarching goal is the same: to raise awareness of the importance of dental hygiene.

According to the foundation’s website, DDS 4 NEA looks to promote the “continued vigilance and intervention in the area of oral health and serve to guide prevention and treatment efforts across the state.”

“So often we work for organizations that have a much broader focus,” Dozier said.

“And while I enjoy and am passionate about working with a few more geographically comprehensive organizations, I love knowing that the work I do for DDS 4 NEA helps the working poor in and around Jonesboro.”

Dozier plans to graduate this spring, but hopes to continue working with the program.

“As someone pursuing a career in dentistry, I take a great interest in the dental community as a whole. I plan to continue working with the foundation, and to one day lend a hand in another capaci-ty—as an oral healthcare provider,” he said.

Lancaster also plans to graduate this spring, has seen a signif-icant shift in her worldview since becoming a volunteer with the program.

Through this, she hopes to aid her future patients as a healthcare professional.

“The foundation has allowed me to become more aware of the difficulty to access dental care in Arkansas,” she said. “DDS4NEA has given me an opportunity to get more experience in the dental field, as well as help serve our community.”

Dozier encourages fellow A-State students who are curious about the program to get involved. Even as little as putting together dental hygiene care packages can make a difference for the program.

“Students can become involved by contacting Yalanda Merrell or myself. The foundation is always looking for an extra helping hand,” Dozier said.

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014PAGE 1B

EMMA WILLIAMSSTAFF WRITER

Charity events, free dental services provide smiles for families in Northeast Arkansas

Courtesy of DDS 4 NEADDS 4 NEA hosts several charity events throughout the year to sponsor their mission of providing free dental services for underpriviledged community members. . Racers at one such event prepare for a run at Craig-head Park.

A-State Students work with non-profit to provide dental care to NEA

Courtesy of DDS 4 NEADoing Dental Services for Northeast Arkansas is sponsored by the Higginbotham Family Dentistry. Volunteers from the dentist office and the community help provide free dental care for underserved Northeast Arkansas residents.

Jonesboro’s Humane Society is giving pets new chances at life and human love by rescuing, doctoring, feeding and rehoming hun-dreds of Northeast Arkansas’ neglected animals, all under the power of kind-hearted volunteers and selfless-minded donors.

For Executive Director Margaret Shepherd, the most important aspect of the shelter is, “We don’t do sad here.”

Sad was a real possibility for Chance, a pit bull mix who would have died had the Humane Society not stepped in for a big-hearted rescue.

Chance is one of the dozens of abused animals taken in by the Humane Society each year, and there was a spark in his eye that made him special. “With his extensive injuries, the thing to do would have been to put him to sleep. But I couldn’t make myself do it,” Shepherd said.

Weeks later, Chance is well enough to lean on his protector and rub his head on her face in gratitude.

“He’s precious,” the Executive Director said. Eventually, Chance will be adopted into a loving home. “They

always know when they’re going home. And it’s the coolest thing ever,” Shepherd said.

Animal rescue is just one of the services offered by the Humane Society of Northeast Arkansas. They also provide a low-cost spay and neuter clinic and a pet food pantry.

Spaying or neutering pets is an easy and cost-efficient way to keep the animal population down, according to Shepherd. The vet-erinarian who volunteers his services for the Society charges re-duced fees for the surgeries and supplies, which lowers the cost of a spay or neuter operation by as much as $150.

The newly opened pet food pantry allows families the means to supply their animals with food when money is tight.

“A lot of times people find it hard to justify spending $30 a month on dog or cat food when they can’t even afford to put food on their own table,” Shepherd said. Customers of the pet food pan-try can come by once a month to pick up a bag of dog or cat food, similar to the method in which a people food pantry works, accord-ing to Shepherd.

“It gives them hope. Things are going to get better,” she said.Between 1,500 and 2,000 pets are helped each year by the Hu-

mane Society, according to Shepherd. Around 90 cats and dogs are housed in the shelter at any given time.

It takes around $250,000 to run a shelter this size for a year, Shepherd said, and it’s not always easy breaking even. Funding for the shelter is primarily limited to private donations, although Shep-herd has been successful in earning a few much-needed grants.

Volunteers drive much of the success of the Humane Society, and provide staffing for everything from feeding starving kittens to giving chubby puppies a little exercise. And on occasion, those volunteers meet a furry partner they just can’t part with.

Hundreds of injured cats and dogs are adopted out by the Hu-mane Society each year, resulting in heartwarming stories for both the animals and their new families.

Bennett, a five-month-old Chihuahua, found his home with Sandy Hodges of Harrisburg when Hodges met the puppy at NEA HS. Hodges fell in love with Bennett as she watched him recover from an amputation to heal a badly broken front leg.

“He’s special,” she said. “He’ll get to running and he’ll slide across the floor. He’s so friendly and curious. It’s like watching a baby grow up.”

According to Shepherd, adopting a pet is a decision similar to having a child. “You have to think about how it will affect your life-style for 15 years,” she said. “It’s a commitment.”

When a potential adopter comes to the shelter, they must fill out an application as well as answer questions to determine their eligibility for a pet.

“We try to engage them in conversation to see what kind of pet will fit into their lifestyle,” Shepherd said. “Don’t pick something just for the way it looks.”

The idea of adopting a pet into a forever home is epitomized with the organization Pets for Life, a nationwide division of the Humane Society of the United States encouraging safe spay and neuter practices, pet care education and mentorship.

Shepherd hopes to create a permanent partnership between NEA HS and Pets for Life to continue helping even more animals. She’s also excited about the one-year anniversary of the shelter’s partnership with PetSmart Charities, a nationwide organization that finds homes for over 400,000 pets a year.

“All of it is to make us better,” she said.A-State students are jumping aboard the animal-helping band-

wagon with class activities and independent volunteerism. In addi-tion, the few paid positions available allow students real-world ex-perience while providing interaction with some of the most loving creatures on earth.

“I love working here,” said Hunter Pettit, junior criminology ma-jor of Brookland and part-time employee of the Humane Society. “I like animals,” he said, with the dogs at the shelter being his favorite to play with.

Holly Mabie, wildlife ecology and management major of Jones-boro, said her favorite part of her job as Lead Kennel is the licks and kisses she receives from the animals. “If I could pay my bills in licks and kisses, I would,” she said.

The nontraditional junior said she wanted to work with animals, and the Humane Society was able to work around her school sched-ule. While she likes the dogs the best, she said the cats are “growing on her.”

Next semester, the Humane Society looks forward to creating a partnership with an accounting intern from A-State.

Before Shepherd took her position in 2011, Jonesboro’s Humane Society was in danger of closing its doors permanently. “There was a lack of funding, and animal disease was rampant,” Shepherd said. After a year of research and restructuring, the shelter was in much better condition to serve the community.

“In sheltering, you have to take your ego out of it,” she said. “I had to seek out people who could help me.”

With new hygiene and housing guidelines, the NEA Humane Society was able to stay open and continue doing what it does best: creating happy stories for animals and their humans.

“We try to make it fun and show how adopting is a good idea,” Shepherd said. “We show how it can enrich your life as well as the animal’s.”

“When animals go home with people, and you see that look on their faces, you just have to go, ‘Awwww,’” she concluded.

To contact the NEA Humane Society, visit www.neahs.org or call (870) 932-5185. Or, connect with them on social media by lik-ing Northeast Arkansas Humane Society on Facebook.

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014PAGE 2B

“Puppy-Dog Tales”

BETHANY GALLIMORE#LIFE EDITOR

Chelsea Hays| Photo EditorAbove: A Humane Society visitor holds Jacob, a one-year-old tabby, as the pair poses for a picture. Jacob found his forever home on Nov. 24. Bottom Left: Shelter volunteers load a black lab puppy into the transport van for PetSmart Charity’s Puppy Wagon, a national organization for the adopting of animals. Bottom Center: A volunteer prepares Lucky for her shots in the Humane Society’s surgery room. The volunteer later adopted the black-and-white cat. Bottom Right: A puppy enjoys the welcome arms of a volunteer before being loaded into PetSmart Charity’s Puppy Wagon, this van bound for Chicago.

Humane Society creates happy stories for Jonesboro pets

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014 PAGE 3B

Labor and Lumber:

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro places a hammer in the hands of a volunteer and allows them to build a new home and a new world for another person. By building houses, Habitat isn’t just giving people a place to live: it is changing the community and the lives of volunteers for good.

Every home built is the product of a team of volunteers and a professional contractor.

“Volunteers are essential to Habitat For Humanity of Greater Jonesboro because we are an all-volunteer organization,” said Mindi McAplin, junior sociology major of Memphis and president of the A-State chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

Volunteer, Megan Gray, sophomore double major in early child-hood education and Spanish of Bryant, said “My favorite moment was at the last (building project). The woman who we are building the house for was there, and she was helping in every way she could. It was so encouraging to see how she loved helping.

“She was constantly saying ‘thank you’ to each of us for all the work we were doing. She grabbed a hammer herself and started nailing up the siding on the house and it just made me smile be-cause she was so grateful for all of our help,” Gray said.

One lady that the organization recently helped was Mia Moore, who received a Habitat house in August 2014.

“My dream has always been to have a safe place for my children to lay their heads at night,” Moore said. “Now I can thank God they have that.”

According to the website for Jonesboro’s Habitat, the

house Moore received is located in the old West End area of Jones-boro. It was originally going to be condemned, and was scheduled for demolition. Habitat for Humanity took the house and made the decision to rehabilitate it so the house could retain its historical status and similar style to the houses nearby. Restoring a house has its difficulties, however, and there were a few hiccups along the way – including difficulties with funding and finding the correct pieces for the house.

“The board of directors was so helpful when I had issues happen along the way. We turned obstacles into possibilities. The support they offered was overwhelming,” said homeowner Mia Moore

In order to optimally accommodate Moore’s family, the floor plan was redesigned from one bedroom and one bathroom to two bedrooms and two baths by Interiors By Design LLC. In addition, the exterior was given a fresh coat of paint.

By the end of August, Moore gained a home freshly restored and redesigned, as well as a fresh outlook on life. This was all thanks to those who volunteered.

“Habitat opens doors for folks that normally cannot afford to buy a house under regular financial terms, and that person is me. I thank God for the day I applied for a Habitat house,” Moore said. “It was the start of a whole new life for my family.”

To volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, all one needs is a de-sire to help people, according to Michael Sullivan, Director for the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro.

There is also an affiliation of Habitat on the A-State cam-

pus as well. McAplin said the university branch provides volunteers, awareness and funds to the Jonesboro affiliate.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro was established in 1992. Since then, the organization has built fifteen houses with-in the Jonesboro area. As of right now, Habitat is working on two houses with future families already in mind. Volunteers hope to finish these houses by summer of 2015. They are also working on finishing the building of their new Jonesboro headquarters, which they hope to finish by the fall of 2015.

“Habitat for Humanity of Greater Jonesboro provides a ‘hands up’ not a ‘hand out’ to local members of our community,” McA-plin said. “Homeowners do in fact buy their homes, but for a zero percent interest rate, making them affordable to families who have lower than normal incomes. Our mission is to provide affordable housing for everyone so we can better the lives of citizens and en-hance the community.”

In light of the holidays, students are working with Habitat homeowners and helping build the Habitat for Humanity float for the Christmas parade to help finish out the year.

To help volunteer you can contact the A-State chapter by email-ing astatehabitatforhumanity@gmail.com or by checking out the Greater Jonesboro Habitat website at jonesborohabitat.com.

You can also donate by going to http://share.habitat.org/habi-tat-for-humanity-of-greater-jonesboro.

Prequalifications for recieving a Habitat House can be found at jonesborohabitat.com/apply.

CHELSEA HAYS & CHARMAINE FOSTERPHOTO EDITOR & STAFF WRITER

Britney Young | Staff PhotographerNumerous students from Arkansas State University volunteer their time to help build a home for Gloria Johnson of Jonesboro through the Habitat for Humanities organization. The students built the posts on the porch and applied siding and insulation to the home as well.

Habitat for Humanity builds homes and changes lives

MONDAY, DEC. 01, 2014 PAGE 4B

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