Hope Kiwanis Club Hears Program on The CALL

The Hope Kiwanis Club heard a program on The CALL Tuesday (6-3).  The CALL is a 501(c)(3) organization that works to recruit, train, and support local foster families.  There are about 1,300 active foster homes in Arkansas while there are 3,500 children in foster care.  There’s always a need for more foster homes.  Holli Boyette of The CALL noted the local organization shares space in the Chrisitan Charitable Clinic building on Main Street in downtown Hope.  There The CALL has an office and meeting space.  The organization has a monthly leadership meeting.  The space is also used to meet with potential foster families.  Behind the CCMC building, The CALL has “The CALL Mall”.  It offers free shopping for children and families impacted by foster care.  Boyette gave an example of what the “CALL Mall” has.  Recently a family took on an eight-month-old baby and Boyette provided a “bouncer”, baby food, formula, bottles, and other items.  These “get started” supplies helped the foster parent get a head start on fostering the child.  The CALL not only provides start-up items but provides “blessing baskets” for foster families.

The CALL hosted over two-dozen recruitment and awareness events to advocate for children in foster care and to recruit new foster families.  Boyette represents The CALL in Hempstead, Nevada, and Howard Counties.  She noted last year The CALL trained twenty-one new foster families with their regional partners.  This can conceivably impact favorably on hundreds of future foster children.  Right now, there about ten foster homes in Hope.

The CALL is 100% donor funded.  Boyette introduced Heath Bane who recently did a 14-mile run to raise funds for The CALL.  In October The CALL has “souper Sunday” to provide soup for sale to benefit the organization.

14 year-old Heath Bane gave details about a recent fundraiser he initiated for The CALL.  He said he was inspired in part because his sister Haley won a young leadership award at the Hope Chamber Banquet and also due to some information given by Gina Perkins.  Bane decided to hold a fundraiser by running 14 miles.  13 businesses and other friends and family donated.  He ran his 14 miles in 2 hours and 53 minutes.  The run raised $5,172 for The CALL.

If you’d like to learn more about The CALL or becoming a foster parent, contact Boyette at 501-607-8035.