Christmas Card campaign to support The CALL

Meet Foster: The El Dorado News-Times Community Christmas Card mascot, Foster, needs your help! Donations may be made in person at the News-Times office or sent via mail to Community Christmas Card, c/o El Dorado News-Times, P.O. Box 192, El Dorado, AR 71731. See story for full details.
Meet Foster: The El Dorado News-Times Community Christmas Card mascot, Foster, needs your help! Donations may be made in person at the News-Times office or sent via mail to Community Christmas Card, c/o El Dorado News-Times, P.O. Box 192, El Dorado, AR 71731. See story for full details.

This holiday season, the El Dorado News-Times will begin its second annual Community Christmas Card and is collecting donations to support The CALL in Union County.

The Community Christmas Card is a tradition that started last year to raise money for a local group and give readers a chance to help a Union County-based nonprofit. In the first year, News-Times readers helped raise nearly $7,000 for the Union County Animal Protection Society to help animals in need of a home.

Every contributor who donates at least $2 to help The CALL between now and Dec. 21 will have their name printed in the Community Christmas Card, which will publish in the Christmas Eve edition of the News-Times.

“Few things tug at our heartstrings as much as the care and well being of children. Unfortunately we live in a society that, in some cases, leaves children in situations that are unhealthy or downright dangerous for them,” said News-Times General Manager Ronnie Bell. “That’s when The CALL of Union County can step in and in many cases change the future of a child for the better. Yet, they lack all of the resources needed to be as effective as they would like.”

The CALL in Union County launched as a local affiliate of The CALL in Arkansas in 2011, and works with local church congregations to educate, equip and encourage them to serve foster children locally. The nonprofit organization also provides monthly support groups, maintains a CALL Mall where families may shop and remains a constant liaison between families and the Arkansas Department of Human Services process.

Karen Langston, coordinator for The CALL in Union County, said they see about 70 foster children on average in Union County, but that number has been far surpassed in 2017.

The organization operates with a small staff and budget. Langston said they have only one paid employee, operate out of donated office space and have a handful of volunteers, as well as campfire groups that work to help foster children and families and a child care team to take care of children during the monthly support groups.

“Operating on a very small annual budget of $3,000, they have worked wonders, though they are dependent entirely on private donations for their existence,” Bell said. “So, money is one thing they could use more of, but the other resource is perhaps even more valuable — willing foster parents who can make a difference in the lives of children who really need support.”

Langston said The CALL hopes to see at least one family from every church in the state open their home as a foster home, noting that if that happened, there would be no waiting children.

“The need for foster families, adoptive families and key volunteers will continue to grow in Union County,” Langston said.

Bell said the News-Times is honored to have named The CALL as this year’s recipient of the Community Christmas Card and encouraged all to join the cause.

“I encourage everyone to help this worthy organization continue to help provide for the needs of children in need of the most essential elements of life — care, concern, security, provision, and yes, love too,” Bell said. “Please join us this year in that quest.”

Readers are welcome to make donations to the Community Christmas Card. All funds received will be given to The CALL.

Be a part of the Community Christmas Card

Checks for the Community Christmas Card should be made out to The CALL/Community Christmas Card.

Donations may be made in person at the News-Times office or sent via mail to Community Christmas Card, c/o El Dorado News-Times, P.O. Box 912, El Dorado, AR.

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