NORTH LITTLE ROCK (Nov. 19) – Children and adults warmed by jackets and gloves grabbed sandpaper and paint brushes Saturday morning as part of Arkansas’ inaugural Family Volunteer Day, which celebrates the power of families working together to make a meaningful difference in their communities.
The group spruced up tables in a pavilion at the Eugene J. Towbin Veteran’s Healthcare Center in North Little Rock, sorted donations and visited veterans in the hospital.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Communication and Community Engagement and local U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs staff sponsored the event in conjunction with a national effort spearheaded by Points of Light and generationOn.
Michael Dobbs, Chief of Volunteer Services for the Central Arkansas Veteran’s Administration Healthcare System, donned a huge smile as he watched volunteers stain tables with their children.
“It’s important that everyone gets out and be a part of the community, it’s a way to give back. It also shows the importance of our veterans,” Dobbs said. “As a veteran, it’s great to see people come out and support us. It’s a great feeling to see that people are taking time out to support our veterans.”
DHS Volunteer Program Coordinator Ezell Breedlove was delighted by both the turnout of about 40 people and camaraderie among the volunteers.
“Anytime you can get people to come together to help veterans, it’s a really good thing,” he said. “Veterans give so much of themselves, this was just a small token of our appreciation; showing them that we support the work that they do.”
Dobbs explained that volunteering to aid veterans can be more than just an annual act of generosity. There’s always plenty of work for Arkansans who want to find a way to say thank you to individuals who have protected the liberties of this nation.
“There are many volunteer opportunities for the Central Arkansas VA Healthcare System,” he says. “You can drive golf carts, participate in a veteran’s history project, people can also help out as ambassadors with information. Just give us a call at (501) 257-3288 or donate. Or visit us online at http://www.littlerock.va.gov/giving/index.asp . We also support needs for veterans such as hygiene items or socks, t-shirts, underwear.”
Handmade greeting cards are often a much appreciated gift for the veterans. The creating of cards for veterans is an easy project to do with groups of all sizes, at school, home, work, or with church or civic groups.
