Turning Point of South Arkansas, a domestic violence education, prevention and intervention organization based in El Dorado, was the recipient Thursday of a hefty donation of supplies for its shelter, where women and children survivors of DV are housed.
Local chemical company Chemours was the benefactor of the supplies. Eric Smith, a quality analyst at the company, organized the supply drive, which started on March 23.
A member of the United Way of Union County Board, Smith said Turning Point is his liaison agency, and in talking with staff members at the nonprofit, he learned about their need for household materials at the DV shelter.
"I pushed it to Chemours to try to fulfill that need," he said.
Smith said it's his goal to continue organizing regular opportunities for charitable giving at Chemours. Last year, a canned food drive for the Salvation Army garnered approximately 400 pounds of food.
"It took the entire back of my truck – the bed and the cab – to carry all that," Smith said.
On Thursday, Smith, along with Chris Harris and Nichole Nelson, who work, respectively, in logistics and public relations at Chemours, unloaded two vehicles' worth of laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper and disinfectant spray at Turning Point's administrative office in the Cadence Bank building downtown.
"We did not expect so much. It's the first time that they've done this," said Turning Point Executive Director Jennifer Davis. "We live in such a giving community and times like this just remind me of the type of community that we live in."
Davis said Turning Point is always in need of household essentials like the ones Chemours employees donated through the company drive. Having a safe place to go, where one's material needs can be met, is the first step to making survivors of domestic violence begin to feel secure again, she said.
"And then, we work with our survivors to fulfill their needs in as many possible ways that we can. Our ultimate step is to move them through to help them regain their independence," she said. "But the very first step to make them feel safe is to provide safe shelter and material needs."
Turning Point's shelter can house up to 14 women and children, and it has reached maximum capacity twice this year already.
"We have a house full of women and children; we have teenagers over there right now, so you can just imagine the amount of paper goods that we go through," Davis said. "It is a continual need."
Another often-overlooked essential the nonprofit can always use more of are feminine hygiene products, like tampons and menstrual pads, Davis said.
But the shelter isn't Turning Point's only focus. In addition to providing a safe haven for domestic violence survivors, the nonprofit also provides education to local students about safe dating and consent, along with acting as a resource center for domestic violence survivors who have safe shelter but need other resources.
"We are aware that there are people that are facing domestic violence that may not want to stay in a shelter, may not have to stay at a shelter. We want them to know about us, so they can come in and we can say, 'hey, what do you need?'" Davis said. "We want them to be able to come here and get the help they need."
Turning Point works with DV survivors to regain their footing after leaving a violent household, through providing resources covering everything from therapy and other health services to transportation access to job searching to housing.
According to the Arkansas Judiciary, 36% of adults in Arkansas have been victims of intimate partner violence during their lifetimes. Davis said in 2022, 45 Arkansans – 25 women, 14 men and six children – lost their lives to domestic violence.
"The numbers show us that this is a very real problem, and it effects health, it affects the economy, it affects mental health," she said. "So many women, children and men don't have a support network."
Davis said she hopes the partnership between Turning Point and Chemours can continue into the future. The nonprofit is always accepting donations, she said.
Those interested in learning more about the services Turning Point provides or donating to the nonprofit can contact the administrative office at 870-862-3672 or visit 101 W. Main St., Suite 300 Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Domestic violence survivors may call Turning Point's 24-hour hotline at 870-862-0929 for assistance, or visit endallviolence.org.
Chris Harris, who works in logistics at Chemours, carries toilet paper and paper towels donated through a company supply drive to the administrative office of Turning Point of South Arkansas on Thursday afternoon. (Caitlan Butler/News-Times)
From left, Jennifer Davis and Lilli Revels of Turning Point, Eric Smith and Nichole Nelson of Chemours, and Monique Aaron and Alexis Walden of Turning Point, stand with paper goods collected through a supply drive at Chemours. The supplies were donated to Turning Point for use in the nonprofit's domestic violence shelter. (Caitlan Butler/News-Times)