On
Monday morning, May 1st, a special "Lillian Swartz Pearce Grant"
was presented to the Arkansas Dream Center of Cleburne County by Rotarian Jerry
Jackson of The Rotary Club of Heber Springs. Rotary's Special Grant
Committee had determined the Dream Center would be one of the local non-profit
organizations to receive a portion of funds recently bequeathed to the Rotary
Club through the Estate of Lillian Swartz Pearce.
Across the state, each
Arkansas Dream Center is started as a local mission outreach of a New Life
Church. They are currently financially
supported by multiple churches and have a volunteer base from churches across
the county. The goal of the local all-volunteer staff is to serve the
needy and help restore dreams by focusing on solving the moral decay, crime,
homelessness and poverty throughout Cleburne County. The Dream
Center facility, located at 817 Hwy. 110 East in Heber Springs, houses an
office, a main conference room, a private prayer room, classrooms, and a
food pantry.
During 2016 the center
provided food for more than 2,000 residents of Cleburne County which totaled
approximately 21,000 meals. Other programs such as
the DC Diner, the After-School Program, and the Food-For-Good Program
have blessed thousands of children, families and shut-ins within the
community. Coat drives, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, and their
annual Christmas Mall are among the special projects that help the Arkansas
Dream Center reach out and serve local residents who are less
fortunate. Classes are also offered on prayer, finances, resume
writing, sewing and Microsoft Office.
Co-directors Dave Hill and
Brenda Hill of the local Dream Center reported to Jackson that the generous
funds from the Rotary grant allowed the center to purchase a much needed
van. Shown with Rotarian Jerry Jackson, and the newly acquired
vehicle, are (front row, left to right) SarahAnn Gates and Diane
Winter of the Dream Center Advisory Board, and (back row, left to right) are
Advisory Board Members Larry Winter, Daniel Lightle, and Clyde Gates,
Co-directors Brenda Hill and Dave Hill, and Advisory Board Members Jessie Green
and Bob Bee. Further information on volunteering at, or making tax
deductible contributions to The Arkansas Dream Center of Cleburne County is
available on their website at www.ardreamcenter.tv or by calling 501-270-4008.
This article concludes the
Special Grant reports by The Rotary Club of Heber Springs. Through
numerous interviews with local non-profits, Rotary's Special Grant Committee
came to a better understanding of the financial needs and goals of Cleburne
County's service-oriented organizations, realizing these organizations can only
survive through the compassion and generosity of our local residents and
businesses. Regretfully, our funds could not assist each
organization interviewed, but through the generosity of the Lillian Pearce
family, the Rotary Club of Heber Springs was privileged to contribute to
the Breakin' Bread Soup Kitchen, the CALL of Cleburne County, the Freedom
Way Ministry, the Other Side Mission, and the Arkansas Dream Center of Cleburne
County.
