Boxing Fundraiser Planned for the Fall to Benefit the Arkansas Rice Depot

New member and Catholic High Freshman, Patrick Serven, is already at work on his Start Something Project. He has adopted the Arkansas Rice Depot’s theme for the year, “Fight Hunger – Join the fight to end hunger in our state!”

Patrick, a sports enthusiast who is learning to box at StraightRight Boxing in Little Rock, is planning a black-tie, invitation only boxing event for later in the fall. He is working with Kevin Lightburn, a trainer and owner at StraightRight.

In addition to the boxing matches, he is planning to hold a silent auction at the event. The theme for the items will be sports related.

He is shown here with Tom Denniston at Fort Thompson in North Little Rock who donated a Remmington bullet board valued at $150, and with Joe Clark at Ozark Outdoor Supply who gave a $50 gift certificate.

The money raised at the event will be donated to Food For Kids, a Rice Depot Program that furnishes backpacks filled with a take-home, kid-friendly meal each day and on weekends for students who have no food at home. Arkansas has the highest number of children who face hunger daily in the U.S. The Depot currently feeds more than 28,000 Arkansas students in over 600 schools.

Patrick’s goal is to raise $2000 to adopt a NLR school and feed 40 kids for a year.

Any readers who know of sources of money or auction items are asked to contact council director Jan Scholl at 834-3784.

Council Members Help Kick Off United Way's Live United Campaign

Council members Mattie Thacker, Sydney Venable, Maha Madani, Alia Madani, Emma Purifoy and her mom Emma, helped kick off the 2010 United Way
Live United Campaign with a flash mob performance in the River Market on Saturday, August 21.

About 50 dancers of all ages entertained surprised River Market shoppers and helped send the message that "Underneath everything we are, everything we do, we are all people...connected, interdependent, united. And when we reach out a hand to one, we influence the condition of all....That's what it means to LIVE UNITED. It takes everyone in the community working together to create a brighter future." The campaign begins September 1st and money raised will fund area non-profits.

Council Members Help with Grand Opening of Family Housing at Our House

Members Mattie Thacker and Maha Madani held a benefit bake sale to earn money to buy bedding for the newly refurbished family housing building at Our House Shelter for the Working Homeless. Thirty bedspread were donated to furnish the twin beds that were donated by the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. The newly remodeled facility will house 13 homeless families and children - between 30 and 38 people on any given day. Families can live in the shelter for up to two years. During this time they must find full time employment and save 75% of their earnings. The children receive free child care. Parents receive workforce training and adult basic education. Mattie has worked with Our House for the last two years as a volunteer and as a fundraiser. She and Lydia Jou partnered earlier on a project called Loving Linens and presented Our House with 87 pairs of twin bedding for the single housing facility. They were recently honored for a grant they received from Scholastic Magazine for $2500 to pay for the children's field trips at the summer program.

Mattie and Maha served as greeters at the grand opening on August 9. They are pictured above with Our House Director, Georgia Mjarten.

Council Member Attends FBI Youth Academy

On August 12 Council member Grant Strobel attended the FBI Teen Academy hosted by Little Rock FBI’s Field Office Community Outreach Program. The academy is designed to promote an educational experience that will provide students with valuable leadership training and a greater understanding of the FBI.
The Teen Academy was comprised of top-notch students from a variety of high schools in the state of Arkansas. Any Arkansas school could nominate 2 individuals, but only 25 were selected statewide. Qualifications were for the participant to have completed their freshman year, have a GPA of 3.0, possess qualities of leadership, scholastic achievement and be good citizens. Nominees had to write an essay of 250 words expressing their interest in the program and how it will enhance their future.
Grant is a 10th grader at East Campus.

Council Travelers Return from Korea

Ten North Little Rock high school and college students and two adult chaperones represented North Little Rock as delegates to our Sister City Homestay Program in Uiwang City, South Korea, July 27-August 7, 2010. This is the 10th year for this highly successful program which alternates homestay exchange programs in the summer.
The delegates stayed in family homes arranged by the Uiwang City government officials just as they do when the South Koreans visit North Little Rock. They experienced many unique customs, foods, and social settings completely different from their own. They visited museums, an amusement park, the beach, the mountains, an archery range, temples, went to the DMZ, had cooking lessons, and took part in a talent show.

Council members Tazonio Anderson, Connor Ratliff, Jessica Soule, Grant Stroble, and Grant DePoyster were delegates. They were accompanied by Grant's dad, Michael Stroble.

Lamanpalooza!

Fourteen NLR Council members volunteered at Laman Library's Lamanpalooza. The four hour event featured free food, drinks, entertainment - a flash mob appearance and Trout Fishing in America - and lots of games and prizes for the kids.

Pictured above are Luke Wallace and new member Sam Scott. Below are Justin Joyce and Kenderick Scorza.

Sister City Program Takes Wings

Ten North Little Rock high school and college students and two adult chaperones are representing North Little Rock as delegates to our Sister City Homestay Program in Uiwang City, South Korea, July 27-August 7, 2010. This is the 10th year for this highly successful program which alternates homestay exchange programs in the summer. Nine excited delegates left from Little Rock Airport this morning, and the remaining three will fly out in the morning (Wednesday). The delegates were all supposed to leave this morning, but were split up due to flight delays and overbooking of potential overseas flights.

The delegates will stay in family homes arranged by the Uiwang City government officials just as they do when the South Koreans visit North Little Rock. They will experience many unique customs, foods, and social settings completely different from their own.

The Sister City program started back in 1998 when Mayor Patrick Henry Hays began exploring the possibilities of starting a sister city relationship with Uiwang City at the urging of Grand Master H.U. Lee, founder of the American Taekwondo Association and North Little Rock Korean businessman Steve Im. The agreement was finalized in 2000, and includes a youth homestay program along with efforts pledged to build cultural understanding and to further strengthen intercultural and international knowledge and to expand our foreign partnerships. Economic development and investment opportunities are also goals of the program.

The delegates are traveling under a sister city agreement signed July, 1999, between Mayor Kang, of Uiwang City, South Korea, and Mayor Patrick Henry Hays of North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Several of the delegates were NLRMYC members this past school year. Delegates pictured are from left: Ian Kerr, Derick Dailey, Paula Storeygard , Elizabeth Harris, Connor Ratliff (MYC), Allison Storeygard, Tazonio Anderson (MYC), Jessica Soule (MYC), Mitchell Ratliff, Michael Strobel, and Grant Strobel (MYC). Not pictured: Grant DePoyster (MYC).

For more information about the program or information on starting a sister city program, contact Margaret Powell, Director of Community Relations and Sister City Program Director, 340-5305 or email at mpowell@northlittlerock.ar.gov.

Council Member Alex Tingquist Participates in PCYS's Internship Program

Council member Alex Tingquist is completing a public service internship this week with Our House Shelter for the Working Homeless. He hopes some day to be the director of a non-profit and his special interest is working with the homeless.

Alex worked with the kids in the shelter's Picture Perfect Summer Program. He mentored them daily and accompanied them on field trips.In addition to the two PCYS interns at this facility, there were Americorps workers.

This Friday, July 23rd, will mark the final day of employment for the sixty 16-18 year old students enrolled in this Pulaski County Youth Services Public Service Internship program.

The students have worked for the last six weeks at local government offices, nonprofit organizations, and health care offices in an effort to learn more about careers in public service.

In addition to their assigned work places, students have also participated in a lecture series. The lecture series aims to provide classroom style learning as an enhancement the students’ hands-on experience that they receive on-the-job. Some of the speakers from this year’s lecture series include: Nao Ueda of Audubon Arkansas, Anthony Lucas of Life CHAMPS, Kisha Bumpers of Arkansas Foodbank, and Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay.

Only 60 students were chosen out of the more than 130 students who applied. Participants were selected through a written application process followed by a series of interviews. Participants worked up to 28 hours per week at the rate of $7.25 per hour. Students were placed at various worksites throughout Pulaski County including the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Clinton Presidential Center, Our House, City Connections, Family Service Agency, and more.

Pulaski County Youth Services works to establish and strengthen the county-wide effort of mobilizing resources necessary to improve the quality of educational opportunities for youth in Pulaski County. This program was made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Justice.

(Picture - Nerd day!)

http://www.ourhouseshelter.org/

www.co.pulaski.ar.us/ourclub1.shtm

A Personal Anti-Bias Creed

My Personal

Anti-Bias Creed

I will respectfully disagree, stand up for those who are alone, be kind to people of all religions, cultures, and nationalities. I will show my opinion in a calm, but passionate way. I will never give up on what I believe is right. I will be an example of what I preach, strive to turn people away from bias, discrimination, or any other prejudicial act. I will always try to bring someone's attention to their own bias and hope that they would do the same for me. I will love everyone in the world, although I will not conform to some of their biased ways. I will not be afraid to stand up to my friends, strangers, or even my family members . I will not back down, no matter how much I am persecuted or taunted. I will do my very best to eliminate hatred, violence, prejudice, bias and discrimination in the world.

by a NLR Mayor's Youth Council member who attended "A Testimony to Tolerance" Institute

9 Council Members Attend Tolerance and Diversity Institute

On July 19, Nine members of the Council attended an Institute on Tolerance and Diversity sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System and the Racial and Cultural Diversity Commission of the City of Little Rock. The program "Testimony to Tolerance" included discussion on prejudice and persecution led by Erica Ivy the Language Arts teacher at McClellan High School, creating ones own anti-bias creed by Sheree Crites of the Arkansas Department of Education, and Understanding the Muslim faith by Rizan Mohsin.

Each attendee received a certificate of attendance and two DVD's - Giving Voice - Today's Kids Get Real About Bias and The Last Days, Steven Spielberg's 1998 Academy Award winner for Best Documentary Feature on the Holocaust.

Attendees were Patrick Serven, Mattie Thacker, Eric Bentley, Grant DePoyster, Amber Alley, Hunter Foster, Justin Joyce, Brisa Bartczak, and KaLia Prewitt.

Picture 1 - KaLia Prewitt writing her personal anti-bias creed.

Picture 2 - Amber Alley and Rizan Mohsin demonstrating how Muslims discipline their children. Picture 3 - Mattie Thacker and Patrick Serven listening to Sheree Crites of the Arkansas Department of Education.

Council Member Mattie Thacker and Our House Selected by Scholastic Magazine for Video

Council Member Mattie Thacker and Lydia Jou's Start Something Project was chosen from over 600 entries to win a grant of $2500 from Scholastic Magazine's Be Big in Your Neighborhood contest. Mattie and Lydia Jou have raised over $6000 for the shelter for the working homeless. A film crew interviewed Mattie and showed her interacting with the children from O.H. at Wild River Country. Lydia, who is out of the country for the summer, should recieve equal credit for the hard work in raising the money through bake sales and car washes.

Their grant pays for summer field trips like the one to Wild River for the children at the shelter.
The video will be featured on the Website for Scholastic Magazine along with 3 other grant winners.

In top photo Shadow Box Film Crew, Ganelle Grimm from Our House, Mattie, and Maha Madani council member.

In bottom photo - Mattie putting on her mic.

A Cause for Paws Dog Wash a Success!

A Cause for Paws organizers Justin Klucher, Maha Madani and Madison Foster helped the Pulaski County Humane Society make their dog wash a success on Saturday, June 26, at the First Methodist Church in North Little Rock. The five hour event netted more than $1000 for the organization.

The Council members donated $200, pet toys, cat litter, towels and blankets, chewies, and shampoo.

The three members have collected $180 for CARE for Animals at the Paws on the Pavement event in May, collected $200 for cancer research for animals, and have received over $300 in donations for spaying and neutering.

Dog washes will be held again the 4th Saturday of July and August from 9:00 to 2:00. A donation of $15 will get your dog squeeky clean!

Pictured with the members and their donation is Sandra Jackson of the Humane Society.

North Little Rock Mayor's Youth Council Accepting Applications for '10-'11

Are you a teen who loves public service? Consider membership in the North Little Rock Mayor's Youth Council. Learn how to network, how to bring about change in your community, and make new friends through the NLRMYC.

The Council is now accepting applications for the coming school year's membership. Members must be in the 9th - 12th grade next year and be recommended by an adult in their school. Members must either live in NLR or attend a NLR school.

The Council meets the first Tuesday and Thursday of each month. Members are required to attend one of those meetings. Missing two meetings in a row results in loss of membership. Members are also required to serve four hours per month from the monthly calendar.

If you are interested in serving, please contact Director Jan Scholl at nlrmyc@aol.com for an application.