Shelter seeks help to add normalcy to children's lives

The Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter is a 48-bed facility which provides emergency shelter to children removed from homes where they are neglected or abused.
The Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter is a 48-bed facility which provides emergency shelter to children removed from homes where they are neglected or abused.

HIGHFILL -- With the holiday season just around the corner and Christmas shopping soon getting into full swing, it is a good time to remember those less fortunate, children who will not be spending the holidays with their families and may have never experienced what most would consider a normal Christmas -- including decorations, celebrations and gifts.

The Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter, located on Vaughn Road in Highfill, depends on community members to help restore normalcy and happiness to the lives of children who have been removed from homes due to severe neglect and abuse. And the shelter tries to meet the needs of children from Northwest Arkansas and across the state who are brought to the shelter.

According to Greg Russell, director of marketing for the private 501c3 organization which has been open since December of 1993 and in its new facility since April of 2011, the shelter contracts with the state and receives a certain amount per child placed there but depends on the community for 75 percent of its needs as it provides temporary shelter and care to children until they can be placed in other longer-term homes.

The shelter has 92 employees, with about half of those full time and half part time, Russell said. In addition, the shelter has about 225 volunteers who have had full background checks and spend time with the children and thousands who help with other special volunteer activities for the shelter.

And the shelter, which can house up to 48 children at its Highfill facility, is expecting to be full because the holiday season is often a time when child abuse occurs. The facility averages just under 40 children throughout much of the year, but that number usually climbs to near capacity at this time of year, Russell said.

Children enter the shelter when taken from homes because of neglect and abuse (physical or sexual), and they can stay there for up to 45 days, Russell said. Those who are not returned to their homes or to the homes of other family members are placed in foster homes.

And when children come to the facility, it is usually only with the clothes they are wearing, Russell said. The shelter must purchase clothing, school supplies, toiletries and everything else the child needs, he explained. Donations of new and gently used clothing, as well as gift cards so the children can be taken to purchase clothing, are a great help.

During that period of 45 days or less, it is important that children begin to know some normalcy in their lives and experience what it is to be loved and cared for, Russell explained. To meet that need, the Children's Shelter has rooms decorated with children's themes and colors, a school with classrooms for children of all ages, a large play facility for recreation indoors and out and staff on hand to watch over the children and meet their needs.

"Christmas is a big deal to us," said Russell. "So many of the kids in our facility have never experienced what we would consider a normal Christmas," he said, adding that the shelter tries to have 10 to 12 wrapped gifts for each child to open on Christmas morning.

The shelter takes in children from birth to 17 -- girls are accepted up to 17 and boys up to 12 and sometimes up to 14 if siblings are also taken in by the facility.

And with the holidays almost here, the shelter has released its wish list so that gifts may be provided to children at the shelter this Christmas. The 2014 Holiday Wish List follows. Monetary donations are also welcome. And those who wish to do more may contact the shelter about being a volunteer.

For more information, contact the shelter at 479-795-2417. Additional information and updated needs lists are posted on the shelter's website: nwacs.org.

2014 NWA Children's Shelter Holiday Wish List

The holidays are a difficult time for the children and youth in our care. Many are not able to return home to their families or a home environment during the holiday season. With your help, Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter's staff and volunteers can provide a warm and happy holiday season.

Gifts must be unwrapped because all gifts will need to be inspected by the staff to ensure that they are appropriate for the unique developmental age and sensitivities of each child. If gifts are wrapped, they will have to be unwrapped and re-wrapped.

Gift cards for Walmart, Old Navy, Target, Kohl's and Payless Shoes are recommended so needed and appropriate clothing items may be purchased for children at the shelter.

For those who choose to provide an actual gift item rather than a gift card, some age-appropriate suggestions are listed below.

Infant and Pre-school Wing (ages birth to 4): dress-up clothes for boys and girls; Super Hero toys (for children under the age of 3; Imaginext toys; riding toys.

Girls' Wing (ages 5 -12): Monster High Dolls; Disney Frozen toys; Hello Kitty toys; dress-up clothes and shoes; Barbie clothes; Disney Princess toys; Tinkerbell toys.

Boys' Wing (ages 5-12): dress-up clothes; Legos; remote control vehicles; Pokémon cards/toys; Spiderman toys; action figures; Beyblades; Star Wars toys.

Teen Wing (ages 13-17): art supplies and crafts kits (appropriate for an adult skill level); make-up kits; jewelry; PG-13 movies; perfume and body spray; hair straighteners; hair dryers; purses.

Gift ideas for multiple age groups:

Electronics: MP3 players (without cameras), digital cameras, Karaoke machines; CDs (must be edited versions) -- Any "Now That's What I Call Music" series, Taylor Swift, One Direction, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Country artists, etc.; movies released in 2014 (G, PG or PG-13 only); skateboards and scooters; science kits.

Donations may be delivered to Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter, 14100 Vaughn Road, Bentonville, AR 72712.

Holiday donation hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The shelter requests that all holiday gifts be delivered by Dec. 15. If more gifts are received than can be used this holiday season, gifts may be used to help celebrate birthdays or other special occasions throughout the year but they will be used to help the children at the shelter.

General News on 11/12/2014