http://www.ourhouseshelter.org/

www.ourhouseshelter.org 302 E Roosevelt Rd; Little Rock, AR

Look behind the scenes of NBC reporter Ann Curry’s visit to Our House.

Our House currently has 49 team members. Meet two of them in this issue.

newsletter design & all photos by Amanda Woods, an Our House VISTA, except pg 5, pg 9 top, pg 10 bottom, pg 16 by Grant Harrison; pg 6 by Georgia Mjartan © 2012

Look here for one-click access to every issue of our newsletter.

Bring your donations to help fill My Favorite Thrift Store’s new Jacksonville store.

Shop for unique items at My Favorite Thrift Store.

Want to help Our House for the winter holidays but don’t know how to get involved? Here are three programs for giving during the winter holidays or year-round.

By now, most of you reading this will know that Ann Curry produced a special segment about the working homeless featuring Our House for Rock Center with Brian Williams. The piece aired on November 29th. The full story, along with a web extra in which Ann Curry tours The Shelter and talks with me, is available online. If you haven’t already done so, I hope you’ll check it out. Many people have asked what it was like to meet Ann Curry and how this whole production came about. I thought I would share a little bit of that story here as well as some great behind-the-scenes shots that were taken while Ann and her fabulous crew were in town back in October shooting this story. In early October, I got a voice mail from NBC News Producer Tim Sandler. Ann was interested in doing a story that would highlight the new face of homelessness— people who have full time jobs and college degrees but

Georgia Mjartan

continued on pg 6

who find themselves homeless because of economic reasons, because of the great recession. Tim and I talked, and I told him about the many families and individuals we serve at Our House who fit that exact profile. Tim asked if I could take some photos of the families whose stories I had shared. I shot rough footage of two families in The Shelter telling their stories. A week later, I was in New York meeting with Tim and his boss one-on-one at 30 Rock. They had already found another family to profile, a family in Tennessee. For a moment, it seemed like this great opportunity for national exposure would pass us by. But Tim was moved by our resident Darlene’s story. He called the crew that was shooting in Tennessee and told them about the change of plans. They weren’t going back to New York. They were first coming to Arkansas. A five-person crew and a van full of equipment accom-panied Ann Curry -- two sound guys, two camera men, and Tim, our new friend and producer.

They transformed the kitchen of the Family House into interview central. Darlene came home to Our House after a full night of work at the VA Hospital, washed up for a moment, met with Justin, her case manager, and then went straight into a 2-hour interview with Ann. A group of Our House staff and board members, excited to see the production unfold, gathered quietly in the halls of the Family House to watch and listen as the interview took place. The intimacy of the interview that we witnessed moved us all. Ann was genuine, direct, and deeply touched by what Darlene had to say. Darlene was honest and strong. For two days, the crew explored life in The Shelter and the circumstances that had led Darlene and her three boys through our gates. I followed the team around as their local guide and assistant. We went to Central High and shot in the classrooms and hallways as the boys went to class. We visited the neighborhood where the family used to live in a beautiful home that they had owned before becoming homeless. We even let the

The day before the NBC program aired, Darlene & her sons moved into their new private room in the Family House.

camera crews capture that moment at 8 p.m. when the lights go out in the women and children’s dorm. At dinner time, Ann visited with our residents. Families asked her for photos, and she graciously obliged. A young couple who had just moved in told her their story. She listened intently. One month later, a group of us sat around at our board member Jan Alman’s house watching the story as it appeared on national TV. Someone said, “Does anyone have Darlene’s number?” We wanted to call her to congratulate her. I pulled my phone out, and on it was a text from Darlene’s son. It said, “this is Marisee. That was good. My mom was wonderful.” As exciting as it was to meet Ann Curry, to be on national TV, and to get this kind of exposure for Our House, that text is my highlight. Darlene’s teenage son was proud of her. So are we.

Tie One On By the Numbers $128,032 Raised for Our House 355 People Attended 86 Artists Designed Aprons 512 Items Donated $13,150 Raised in Live Auction $18,507 Raised in Silent Auction 38 Committee Members

Sarah Gibson, Our House’s Development VISTA, makes final preparations on the day of the event.

by Grace Depper

In-Kind Donations VISTA

Are you looking for a way

to give to Our House for the

winter holidays? We’re

looking for people to get

involved with three of our

giving programs this winter

and throughout the year.

continued on pg 14

Over winter break, when

school is out, homeless

children have nowhere

to go during the day.

That’s why Our House

offers a winter break

program for school-age

homeless youth. Your

financial donation

makes this possible.

Cards are available to

those who contribute in

honor of a loved one,

friend, or colleague.

30 school-age children

individuals to large groups

$10 to $1,000

Whitney Wellborn

whitney@ourhouseshelter.org

501-374-7383 ext. 200

Who will you help with your gift?

What group sizes are needed for this type of gift?

(individuals, small groups, or large groups)

How much will you need to spend?

Who may you contact at Our House about this

way of giving?

Provide much needed

items to Our House

with a Holiday Drive.

The drives include

children’s craft items,

gift cards, paper

products, and more.

whole campus

large groups (20+ people)

about $10 per group member

Grace Depper

donate@ourhouseshelter.org

501-374-7383 ext. 214

Serve one of our 77,000

meals this year. Meal

servers can expect to

purchase ingredients

and prepare lunch or

dinner in The Shelter.

all shelter residents

small groups (5-10 people)

lunch $100; dinner $300

Latoya Shelton

connect@ourhouseshelter.org

501-374-7383 ext. 230

by Georgia Mjartan, Executive Director

For the second year in a row, Southwest Airlines has adopted Our House as its charitable partner. South-west employees have volunteered at Our House, and one even designed an apron for Tie One On! Southwest Airlines has donated 20 tickets to Our House, which we auction at our events and use for travel to confer-ences for staff members. The gift, valued at $8,000, is a great example of how a corporate partner’s donation of products or services is just as valuable to us as a monetary gift. Last year, Our House received over $780,000 in non-monetary in-kind donations. That’s almost as much as our total cash budget for the year!

My Favorite Thrift Store benefiting

Our House is proud to announce

the grand opening of a new thrift

store in Jacksonville. The grand

opening is scheduled for January

2013. We know that this is the

holiday season and schedules are

full, but we would like to ask

everyone please to find time to

donate items to fill the new store

for the grand opening.

We are sure that this location

will be as successful as the

North Little Rock and Little Rock

locations with your help.

For more information

concerning donation

drop-off locations &

pickups please contact

Kevin Carson

501-772-5139

109 N. Van Buren St. Little Rock 353-0642

4606 JFK Blvd. North Little Rock 246-5741

Pick-up is available for furniture donations.

Ty bear 99¢; baby sweater $2; snow globe $2.99; shirt (on Becky) $5

Jamal Williams VISTA Leader, Our House with his wife, Becky, & their son, Kaden

Ty bear 99¢; baby sweater $2; snow globe $2.99; shirt (on Becky) $5

benefitting Our House

My grandmother. She is 86 years old & still manages to run a successful little farm.

I processed photos at a small shop in Texas. We developed film for the police department, so we were the first to know about small town scandals.

I hang out with my wonderful family & awesome dog, Jake.

A ballerina.

Going to my dad’s soccer games. He was the best player, in my opinion.

I work with adult students looking to cultivate new life skills, pursue adult basic education, or boost their employability.

I love spending the holidays with our residents. Last year, the Learning Center students went caroling at a nursing home in North Little Rock. Several students realized that sometimes the best gift you can give is intangible.

I had one goal as a child: to be better than my older brother at anything & everything. When kids my age were learning to add, I was playing multiplication games with my dad & brother.

family married to Justin Allen Our House staff since February 2011

As an AmeriCorps VISTA, the success of my service year is measured by the impact I have in my role to the organization. Knowing my service plays a part in changing someone’s life for the better makes it easy for me to find something positive in my own life, because I’m doing it for a living!

My educational goal after my AmeriCorps service is to obtain a master’s degree in Management Information Systems.

I love fitness & staying active. I’m very into my own personal health, but educating others on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle is also important to me.

As VISTA Leader, I work to increase the effectiveness of the VISTA project here at Our House. That involves supporting coordination of recruitment, orienting, & serving as a resource for all AmeriCorps members throughout their service term here at Our House.

My favorite thing about it is my son Kaden being a part of Little Learners. I have the luxury of my office being only a few steps away from where he is, but most importantly I know he’s in good hands. He has developed so much while being a part of Little Learners, & I know that’s because of the great & positive atmosphere that surrounds him!

hometown Battle Creek, Michigan education Graphic Design & Interactive Media BS, University of Dubuque, Iowa family I am the 4th of 6 children, & I have a son named Kaden Alexander Williams. Our House staff since July 2, 2012

ACCESS Life The students donated potted mums for our campus.

Amanda & Dr. Steve Chason The Chasons donated holiday items for the children.

God is Love Ministries This group donated 170 loaves of bread.

Mom’s Catering This company donated an early Thanksgiving feast for our residents.

e-Stem Public Charter School The school donated their Thanksgiving lunch to our shelter when classes were cancelled due to a broken water main.

Anna Parker & Benjamin Washington Anna & Benjamin tutor kids in Our Club.

e-Stem High School’s Lady Mets basketball team Andi McWilliams brought the team to provide lunch for the Little Learners.

Massage Envy & the Ledbetter family Volunteers from Massage Envy & Tina Ledbetter’s family brought our residents a pizza lunch with games and prizes.

The Container Store The store donated an entire renovation of the men’s donation closet, complete with organization products & professional installation.

Leah Walker Leah requested that her coworkers donated money for her birthday so she could purchase urgently needed items for The Shelter.

UniFirst Phillip Soileau & the UniFirst staff come weekly to help organize donations.

Sport Clips & Peter Govia from Smith & Smith Salon Volunteers from these two salons donated haircuts for our residents.

State of the Heart Counseling After-School Program Andrea Fresh brought this after-school group to rake leaves in our yard.

The Container Store remodeled the men’s donation room in The Shelter.

Lesa Holloway Sarah & Theodore Hood Jeff Horton Connie & Frank Jordan Michelle Kaemmerling Helen Benes Kaiser Lance King Sarah Kinser Melanie Knight Tricia Larson Shannon Legrand Vangie Lewis Jo Luck Derick Malone Kris McAbee Jennifer Milwee Cathy & Michael Moran Allen Myers Heather Newsam Marian & Charles Nichols M.J. Orellano Anne Parker Eric Peterson Terri Poposky Evelyn Rose Tracy Rothermel Bryan Rupar Guy Sallis Chris Schaffhauser Shirley J. Schuette Dr. Jerry Shue Gary Smith Marcia Smith Sam Smith Mike Spain

Individuals Twylla & Drew Alexander Sonya & Arthur Anderson Anonymous Jennifer Ashmore Amy & Hamlin Au Miranda Burchfield Baker Laurie Black Ann Butler Kristin Carr Carolyn & Dan Cashman Eugenia Channell David Choate Ann & Larry Coleman Sandra Collet Beth & Michael Coulson V.L. Cox Lisa & Stephen Dearasaugh Neal Dodson Jami Eaves Patti & Sam Esmail Rita Carr Fagan Rachel Ferguson Dawn Fisk Judy & Mark Fulton Tanya & Brian Giles David Godfrey Julianne Grundfest Rosemary Hallmark Kenneth W. Harp Keith Harvey Sierra Hawkins Julia & Lyle Heim

Pam St. Clair Bridget & Andrew Upchurch Ken Wagner R.A. Walker Paul Walter Cathianne Watkins Andrew Watt Angel & Drew Weber Hardy Winburn Jodi Woods C. & Y.W.T. Yeung Paul Yoder Congregations Cathedral of St. Andrew Church of the Immaculate Conception Lane Chapel CME Church Our Lady of Holy Souls Catholic Church St. Anne Catholic Church St. James United Methodist Church St. Luke’s Episcopal Church St. Paul CME Church Women of Christ Episcopal Church Government DHS - AmeriCorps City of Little Rock: Summer Youth Program HUD: Supportive Housing HUD: Transitions Pulaski County

Organizations Bailey Foundation Central AR AACN Chapter Heart of Arkansas United Way VFW Post 1316 Corporations Iberia Bank GE Foundation Capital Sol Alman Company Debi Barnes Bonnie & Robert Fincher Amanda Hughes Munro Foundation

Individuals Twylla & Drew Alexander Anonymous Neal J. Beaton Judith Booker Christine & Jeffery Gardner Tanya & Brian Giles Sarah & Theodore Hood David McCreery M.J. Orellano Evelyn Rose Bridget & Andrew Upchurch

Congregations Cathedral of St. Andrew Christ the King Catholic Church Church of the Immaculate Conception New Challenges Sunday School Class Park Hill Christian Church St. Anne Catholic Church St. James United Methodist Church Government AR Special Nutrition Program City of Little Rock: CDBG City of Little Rock: Summer Youth Program DHS - AmeriCorps HUD: Supportive Housing HUD: Transitions Pulaski County Treasurer Organizations Dustin McDaniel for Governor Inc. Heartland Renaissance Fund Heart of Arkansas United Way White Bluff Golf Committee Capital Anita Anthony Davis Margaret Koone Ottenheimer Brothers Foundation Vestcom

Individuals Dorothy S. Aldridge Twylla & Drew Alexander Anonymous Amy & Hamlin Au Miranda Burchfield Baker Michael Brown Diane Cartwright Kathy Cooper & Wm. Christopher Lisa & Stephen Dearasaugh Jami Eaves Patti Ferguson Nikolai Fisken Stephanie & Jeff Fox Kristi & Dr. Jon Fuller Judy & Mark Fulton Tanya & Brian Giles Rosemary Hallmark Janet Hedges Julia & Lyle Heim Sarah & Theodore Hood Susan Hunter Trudy & Jerry Jacobson Lance King Lisa & Paul Lawson Barbara Lee Derick Malone Katie McKnight Marsha & Ronald Meyers Cathy & Michael Moran Janet & J.P. Morbeck M.J. Orellano

Evelyn Rose Guy Sallis Chris Schaffhauser Robyn & Jason Stewart Jeffrey Trowbridge Bridget & Andrew Upchurch Angel & Drew Weber Hardy Winburn Congregations Cathedral of St. Andrew Christ the King Catholic Church Church of the Immaculate Conception St. Anne Catholic Church St. James United Methodist Church St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Unitarian Universalist Church Organizations AR Adjusters Assn. Boston Foundation Downtown Partnership Dunbar Class of 1950 Heart of Arkansas United Way Marion & Miriam Rose Charitable Trust May & Stanley Smith Charitable Trust Ward/Lamps Charitable Fund

Corporations Integrated Healthcare Quy’s Salon & Spa, Inc. Capital Sydney Alman Miranda & Phillip Baker Katherine & Tracy Baltz Summer Bartczak Bethy Kay Bell Carla & David Greenway Carol & Ralph Hamner Allan Horne Nancy & Estel Jeffery Kim & George Knollmeyer Joanne & Frank Kriehn James Maddox Alicia & Matt McAlister Kenneth McNeil Stephanie & John Meincke Frances & Mary Craig Myers Hildegard & Jerome Sherman Laura & Jay Shue

Meredith & Graham Catlett

Rick Fleetwood

Valerie & Jonathan

Shively

Christie & Steve Bardwell

Debi Barnes

Mary Robin Casteel

Fairytale Floral

HF Scruggs Co.

Scotty & Ed Shively

Elizabeth & Chad Smith

Robyn & Dr. Jason Stewart

Laura Lamps & Paul Ward

Law Offices of C. Michael White

All issues of Our House’s newsletter are viewable on issuu.com or by clicking a cover on these two pages. An index of articles from our newsletter’s first year is in the May 2012 issue.

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