So what is the Union County Violence Intervention Plan (VIP)?
It is a proactive countywide effort to provide intervention and prevention strategies through evidence-based programs. This year begins the second year of VIP implementation and each nonprofit listed below is working hard to ensure Union County is a healthy and safe community for years to come.
To make that happen, they need your help by becoming a volunteer. Please consider helping as little as one hour a week.
Boys & Girls Clubs of El Dorado
• Adopt a room and revamp at the Teen Center – individually, as a family, club or work group.
• Sign up to be an educational/motivational speaker at the Teen Center.
• Sign up to be an after-school or evening monitor.
• Help develop a parent volunteer group.
Contact: Larry Yarbrough at 870-863-8753
Cross Life Church
• Adult mentors to partner with individuals as they work through the process of recovery from addiction.
• Administrative assistance maintaining and organizing client records, data entry, organizing outreach events in the community and small fundraising events.
• Teachers for children’s classes during adult weekly meetings.
• Drivers to take clients to job interviews, doctor’s appointments, school, etc. or run errands and gather supplies for events and meetings.
• Van drivers to transport clients to and from for meetings.
• Volunteers to assist in creating resumes and finding jobs.
Contact: Matthew Wolfskill at 870-863-7626
The Eagle Foundation
• Mentor a child or teen at the Boys & Girls Club by joining one of our after-school EAGLE Teams.
• Tuesdays at BGC Youth Center 3:30-5:30 p.m.
• Thursdays at BGC Teen Center 4-6 p.m.
Contact: Jennifer Wylie at 870-310-5993 or Justin Geurin at 870-444-5102
Hannah Pregnancy Resource Center
• Become a female life skills trainer from a Biblical standpoint at the county jail once weekly.
• Become a life skills trainer in the parole office one hour a week.
• Assist with administrative tasks such as phones and scheduling one day a week in the Hannah office.
Contact: Jennifer Davis at 870-862-1317
The Salvation Army
• Servers at soup kitchen (Lunch 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Dinner 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
• Sorting and hanging clothes at the Family Store (9 a.m. – noon; 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.)
• Stocking and making food bags in the emergency food pantry (9 a.m. – noon; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
• Packing bags for senior citizens in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.
Contact: Elyshia Perdieu at 870-863-4830
South Arkansas Arts Center
• Help develop a parent volunteer group!
• Meet, greet and sign in students arriving after school any afternoon.
• Adopt the snack pantry – solicit donations from grocers and keep it stocked.
• Run the snack pantry and give out snacks.
• Help convert space into a holding area for kids arriving early or waiting on pick up.
• Work the holding area.
Contact: Laura Allen at 870-862-5474
Turning Point
• Administrative assistance sorting through donations, filling goody bags for children and making packets.
• Drivers to transport clients.
Contact: Danielle Monroe at 870-862-3672
Wyatt Baptist Church
• Mentoring opportunities for local churches to join area schools in small group settings one hour per week.
Contact: Vicki Harmon at 870-862-2619
The Union County Violence Intervention Plan (VIP) makes available a network of area supports, opportunities and activities focused on best practice strategies for a community committed to changing the odds for young people and families in need. The VIP can be viewed at sharefoundation.com or you can call Debbie Watts, SHARE Foundation VP of Community Impact at 870-881-9015 for more information.