808 N Main Bentonville, AR 72712 www.nwahavenwood.org 479.273.1060 havenwood@cox-internet.com

March 2013 e:newsletter four

Jackie Schnedler,

Executive Director

havenwood@

cox-internet.com

Rachel Cox,

Director of

Development &

Marketing

Havenwood is a program of

Community Development

Corporation of Bentonville /

Bella Vista Inc. a 501c3

organization. Havenwood was

founded in 1993 and provides

transitional housing for single

parents and resources to help

break down the barriers each

family faces in order to move

from homelessness to self-

sufficiency.

Mission Statement: Havenwood's mission is to provide a safe,

stable, structured living environment while connecting single parent families with the

resources and guidance to overcome the obstacles in their lives and transform the

future of their family.

developmentdirector@

nwahavenwood.org

2

{Contents} {Pages 4-5} Letter from our Executive Director

{Pages 6-7} Angel Gala Recap

{Page 8} Cocktails for a Cause

{Page 9} Resident Accomplishments

{Pages 10-11} Physical Needs & Volunteer Opportunities

{Pages 12-13} Volunteer Highlight

{Page 14-15} Latest Happenings

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Thank you to all who came out to the 19th annual Angel Gala. Once again, this was our most successful year raising $56,000. It is because of community support that we are able to help transform lives and change the future for so many. We can count the lives that come through our program, the single parents and children, but we can not count the impact on those that come after, the cycles that are broken, or the lives that will be touched by the teachers, librarians, counselors, and other career fields that these parents and children pursue as they leave Havenwood. If you missed the Angel Gala, you missed a wonderful night – Kim Schneider, the Gravette Public Librarian a previous resident of Havenwood shared her journey to Havenwood and how it helped her learn about healthy relationships. She is now married to Dave Schneider who met her at her Habitat Home build. Her older son serves this country as a United States Marine and her younger son plays basketball and is a great student. Lives transformed.

letter from our executive director

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Our second speaker was a surprise to everyone, my daughter Christian Schnedler. When she asked me to speak, I initially told her no. She is fifteen years old, and never lived at Havenwood. Then after some thought I wondered what she had to say, after reading her speech, I had to say yes.

continued on next page…

Below is part of her speech: “According to the preliminary results from the 2013 Homeless Census, there are 2,429 homeless people on any given night in Northwest Arkansas. Women with children are one of the fastest growing segments of the homeless population in Northwest Arkansas. Thankfully we have the Havenwood program trying to make an impact on these numbers by reaching out to single parent families. Havenwood has helped many homeless single parent families, giving them a safe, stable, structured living environment, counseling, case management, and help transition them to be self-sufficient and to be permanently housed. My family was one of those families. The Homeless census report showed that 52% of the homeless in Northwest Arkansas are under the age of 17. There are 1,175 homeless children in Benton and Washington county schools right now. I am not that statistic. Its easy to think that these events don’t impact a young child, but even at a young age, children are impacted. According to Child Trends in a 2012 report Homeless children have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems. I am not that statistic. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, children who are homeless are twice as likely to go hungry as are children who are not homeless. I am not that statistic. Children without stable homes are more than twice as likely as others to repeat a school grade, be expelled or suspended, or drop out of high school. I am not that statistic. I don’t know what it is like to be a single parent. Unlike my siblings, I never had to be a homeless child. Havenwood helped break that cycle. Havenwood was there to help my mother get back on her feet, to empower her to get our lives back on a good track. Havenwood was able to prepare my mother to not be homeless, to provide a better future, and transform not only her life, but that of my siblings and my life. Thank you for supporting Havenwood to help change the future for me, and for the children who followed after me.” The Homeless census was done in January 2013, and is only an estimate of the actual problem. It is likely that someone you know, someone you work with, or that you see on a regular basis at the restaurant you frequent or child care center you take your children to is part of that statistic. Someone in your child’s class or daycare or at your church is homeless. They are your neighbors. Programs like Havenwood exist because there is a need. Programs like Havenwood make a bigger impact in the lives they touch because of community support – volunteers, community awareness, advocacy, and financial support. I encourage you to visit our website. See how individual lives are being changed. Explore volunteer opportunities and see how you can get involved. Look at our needs and see what you have around your house that can be used to help a single parent family. And donate, you can give online or mail in the pledge card you received at the Angel Gala. You never know if the life you impact through your giving, will be a life that touches yours.

- Jackie Schnedler

letter from our executive director

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Angel Gala 2013

Photos courtesy of 3W Magazine and Matthew Harp

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THURSDAY,

APRIL 25

5:30-7:30 @

Aloft in Rogers

Cocktails for a

Networking,

Drinks, Giveaways,

and Raffles

No cover charge, but

donations are appreciated.

Proceeds benefit

Havenwood

10% of Sales

Questions… developmentdirector@nwahavenwood.org

www.nwahavenwood.org 8

2013 has already been a busy year. We have fourteen single parent families living at Havenwood. We have three mom's attending college,

three working on their GED, and twelve working in the community.

We have already had seven families move out. Six of those families are working full time in the community making livable wages. Four of the families that left are now in their own rental home and one purchased

her home. One of our mom's realized that she needed to focus more on recovery and left for treatment.

Resident Accomplishments

We hope you caught our story in NWA Newspapers highlighting Tristen's

accomplishments in our program as she prepares to move into her own housing.

Full story can be read by clicking here.

Want to help make our residents’

birthdays special? Join our Birthday Volunteer Team!

Special thanks to Steve Fineberg & Associates for providing cakes each

month! For more information, email Rachel at developmentdirector@nwahavenwood.org

Current Physical Needs

Laundry detergent

Paper towels

Trash bags

Toilet paper

Cleaning supplies

If you are able to donate any of these items, please call 479.273.1060 or drop them off at our

office at 808 N Main in Bentonville. 10

Thank you to Delta Sigma

Theta Sorority for naming

Havenwood your Community

Service Award Winner for 2013!

Want to keep up with our volunteer

opportunities?

We have a new volunteer portal that allows you to search

and sign up for opportunities online.

Click here to be directed to our volunteer site

VOLUNTEERS

NEEDED TO

HELP ON

TUESDAY

NIGHTS WITH

CHILDCARE!

{Volunteer Highlight}

For the past eight years, Grace Point Church has poured hundreds of hours into the youngest residents of Havenwood, providing unconditional love, guidance, direction, and engagement on a weekly basis. They have developed a relationship with these children that sometimes have opened doors, that even at a very young age, show Havenwood where additional support and resources are needed to truly break the cycle that keeps families from being self-sufficient.

For the past three years, one person in this group, Sarah Toto, has also been a ring leader in pulling in more people to help, raising the standard of expectations, and adding additional fun activities for the children like allowing them to “shop” for Christmas presents for their mom. This year Sarah was recognized at our annual Angel Gala with the John Foss Founder Award.

Sarah Toto,

Grace Point Church

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{2013 Angel Awards} The 2013 Angel Awards were presented at this

year’s Angel Gala to our Room Makeover

Sponsors! We are so grateful for their support!

All Saints Episcopal Church

BOMA of NWA

First United Methodist Church - Bentonville

Ranch at Pinnacle Point

Arvest Edge

First United Methodist Church - Rogers

Connolly

Beau Terre Office Park

Central State Manufacturing, Inc.

White Wave Foods

Walmart Energy Division

Walmart Shared Global Services Division

**We have only ONE area left for adoption. For details,

please email havenwood@cox-internet.com

Thank you for volunteering!

The Walmart Apparel Team came in to sort donations, and ended up also playing Santa sorting donations that came in for Christmas and delivering to the apartments.

Walmart ISD surprised Kami, Lylee and Collin with a Christmas tree and presents. When they came home from work they were surprised by the blessing.

The Junior League SOS team provided a dinner for the residents - 5 ingredient recipes and a craft with the children.

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Diageo held a Christmas party for our residents and brought Santa and toys!

The Martinez Family led a Christmas activity for Havenwood to teach residents about the cultural differences in celebrating holidays.

Bentonville High School’s FFA and the Bella Vista Community Church brought goodies for our residents.

www.nwahavenwood.org

479.273.1060