And please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference!

Get the toolbar NOW! http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/civitan-services

Arkansas Volunteer Communities of the Year Announced

     Twelve communities have been selected to receive the 2009 Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year Award.  Chosen to receive recognition for their volunteer efforts were: Bella Vista, Benton, Brookland, Clarkridge, Clarksville, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Heber Springs, Lake City, Maumelle, Norfork and Van Buren.

     First-time recipients of the award are Benton, Brookland and Lake City.  Recipients of the award from previous years are: Bella Vista, Clarkridge, Clarksville, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Heber Springs, Maumelle, Norfork and Van Buren.

    The award presentations will take place at the Arkansas Municipal Leagues’ Winter Conference, which will be held January 13-15, 2010, in Little Rock.  A panel of citizens from across the state served on the selection committee.

     The Arkansas Volunteer Community of the Year Awards is sponsored by the Governor’s Office, the Arkansas Municipal League and the Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Volunteerism.  The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department provides signs announcing the Volunteer Community of the Year designation.  The signs are placed at prominent locations along highways of the winning cities.

     The Arkansas Department of Human Services Division of Volunteerism promotes and supports volunteerism in the private, nonprofit and governmental sectors as a means of enhancing the quality of life for all Arkansans.  Training and technical assistance for volunteer program management are available by calling (501) 682-7540 or (toll free) 1-800-482-5850.

 The tournament is open to all amateur anglers sixteen years and older and there should be two fishers per boat.  Entry fee is a tax deductible $100 donation to Civitan Services due September 14^th.  The first place team is guaranteed a $1,000 cash prize.  Cash and prizes will also be awarded to teams finishing second through fifth place but the total payout will be determined by the number of boat entries.  There will also be a cash prize for the biggest bass weighed in for the day. 

 To register for the tournament or to get a copy of the official rules, please contact the Civitan Center Monday through Friday.  Entries received after September 14^th, will be assessed a $25 late fee.  In the Sherwood area, visit Fish N Stuff for an application and to turn in registration fees.

 The Hook a Heart tournament will help raise funds for the preschool and adult programs at Civitan Services.  Civitan Services has always been a place of care, support, encouragement, learning and most importantly, love for people with developmental disabilities of all ages.  The commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of all the clients is deeply rooted in the hearts of all those who are a part of Civitan Services from therapists and teachers to assistants and volunteers.

 The 2009 Hook a Heart bass tournament is presented by Middlebrooks Electric and Glover’s Plumbing.  It is also sponsored by Arkansas Prosthetics & Pedorthics, Ron’s Body Shop, The Bug Man, Saline Memorial Hospital, Smith-Caldwell Drug Store, the Elder Law Firm of H. Todd Whatley and Saline County Shelter Insurance Agents Tom Morrow and Laryssa Calley.

 We are currently recruiting for the following positions. Background check and Drug Test are required for all positions.

 Preschool Instructor:   Experience working with children with Developmental Disability would be helpful but not required.

 Food Service:  Full Time position is in our cafeteria. Will be responsible for preparing meals for 100+ people, serving and cleaning. Experience preparing meals for large groups is required.  

 Part Time Store Clerk:  Part time position is at our upscale resale store in the Civitan Plaza in Bryant. Will be responsible for stocking store, assisting customers and operating cash register.

 Supported Living Provider:  Share your time and talents with someone with a developmental disability. Provide assistance with fundamental life skills such as cooking, shopping and communication. Experience with people with developmental disabilities is helpful. 

For more information, call 776-0691 or send resume or completed application to

Civitan Services

121 Cox Street      Benton, AR 72015

Or / steve@civitanservices.com

 Civitan Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer

BENTON, Ark—The fourth annual Antique Appraisal Fair to include live appraisals, silent auction, refreshments from an old-fashioned soda fountain and various arts & crafts booth sales will be held Saturday, August 22^nd, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, in the Christian Life Center of Benton’s First United Methodist Church.  The Benton Civitan Club is putting on the event as part of the club’s Circle of Friends fundraising program to benefit Civitan Services of Saline County.  Admission is free and each appraisal is $5.00 to be paid at the door. 

            Limited booth space is still available for any local artists or collectors wishing to display and sell their merchandise at the event. Vendors selling a variety of antiques, art, jewelry, home and garden accessories, collectables and handmade crafts all at great prices are welcome.  Interested parties should call the Civitan Center Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm at 776-0691.  Booth rental is due by August 7^th to be included in the program and the cost is $15 per booth.

            The event is designed for the whole family to enjoy and learn a little about the history of all the unique items hidden away in the attic.  Appraisers specializing in various items will be on-hand to provide approximate Arkansas sale values and some background information on the items.  Areas of appraisal include, but are not limited to, quilts, pottery, jewelry, furniture, photography and clocks.  General appraisers will also be available to look at items that do not fall into these categories.

            The club members are proud to bring back the silent auction again this year.  You can bid on a wide array of items donated by local merchants.  Some items include collectables, antique furniture, professional art lessons, sports equipment, dinner at local restaurants, hot air balloon rides and many more.  Also feel free to take a break at the old-fashioned soda fountain station and let the family enjoy some flavored sodas or hotdogs while you monitor your bids.

            Sponsors for this year’s event are: Smith-Caldwell Drug Store, Glover’s Plumbing, Middlebrooks Electric, Lander’s Auto, Yoakum, Lovell & Co. CPA and Saline County Shelter Insurance agents Tom Morrow and Laryssa Calley.

            All proceeds benefit the programs of Civitan Services of Saline County.  For 50 years, Civitan Services has been a place of care, support, encouragement, learning and most importantly love for people with developmental disabilities.  Civitan Services has a preschool and adult day program to help empower individuals to realize their dreams and achieve what they want most out of life.  Civitan Services is a not-for-profit community organization.

When I hear the word green, my immediate thought is actually a memory of a cute little rhyme my son and I used to recite in the car when he was just a little tyke and we would approach a traffic light… “…green below means go, Go, GO!”. I used this little rhyme to teach not just the colors red, green and yellow, but also to help him understand the concepts of stop and wait. Green was naturally his favorite because it meant, of course, go or proceed or his favorite, don’t stop.

As I think of how this applies to Civitan Services, I realize that everyone here is operating under a green light. In the past couple of months we have made a few changes. Some minor renovations have taken place and we have added new staff in order to continue meeting the needs of our consumers. Mariessa Bearden, formerly the Adult Services Director has been promoted to Associate Director. We have hired a new Adult Services Director, Mr. Jarriel Moore and are looking forward to him joining our team in the next few days. We have also added a new Personal Care Instructor in the Adult Department, Ms. Sarah Yates. In the Preschool, Ms. Jaylynn Chitwood is joining us for the summer and we have also added a new certified teacher, Ms. Brittany Calaway. So, as you can see, Civitan Services is definitely moving forward in our commitment to provide quality services for people with developmental disabilities.

My next thought usually revolves around what in the world it means to “go green” in the first place. If you look around you will no doubt notice lots of bumper stickers and posters encouraging everyone to save the planet or protect the environment in one way or another. At Civitan, we also believe that we have been called to use our resources wisely.

The operating practices of The Civitan Shoppe in Bryant provide many examples of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” process. We are able to reduce the amount of garbage going to landfills in several ways. For starters, we have bins set up in two different locations where metal items that can’t be sold at the Shoppe are placed. Everything from major appliances that no longer work to metal clothes hangers goes in these bins. A recycling company comes by to weigh and empty the containers and then they send us a check. We also partner with Charity Shoes and Clothing, a company out of Dallas, to take clothing and shoes that are not appropriate for resale. They take what is usable and send it to third world countries. Items that are too torn or stained for that project are forwarded to a textile recycling company and once again, we receive a check. Other items are sometimes pulled to fill a need here at the center, especially things like arts and crafts supplies that can be used in our classrooms. Finally, we also send items that do not fit our market to other community organizations that can benefit from them. For example, our Shoppe doesn’t sell much in the way of building supplies, but Habitat for Humanity does. So, not long ago we took several antique screen doors to them rather than taking them to the dump.

As you can see, at Civitan Services, being good stewards of our resources is not a trend, but a tradition. We want to invite you to help us improve our efforts in this area. While we try our best to make sure that people do not get duplicate mailings, sometimes we miss a few. Our current system will not check for duplicate addresses, only duplicate names. Therefore, we aren’t always able to catch it when more than one person from a household is on our mailing list or if someone is listed in multiple ways, such as “Mr. and Mrs. John Doe” and “John and Mary Doe.” If you are receiving more than one newsletter at your home, we would greatly appreciate you calling to let us know. The main number at the center is 501-776-0691.

Another way you can help is by sending us your e-mail address. In the next few months we hope to have everything set up to be able to e-mail our newsletters and informational brochures. If you would send an e-mail to Leigha@civitanservices.com with the word “address” in the subject line we will make the changes necessary to ensure you receive as much information as possible via e-mail. This will not only save a few trees, but also help us reduce printing and postage costs.

Thanks to all of you who support Civitan Services and our mission of helping people with developmental disabilities in Saline County. I hope that you are blessed by knowing that as you support Civitan you are also supporting your local community and even others around the globe who are in need.

Leah Henderson, Executive Director

Join the Facebook event page for the AAF too and help spread the word!

Join our Myspace Group “Civitan Services”

Become of our Facebook page “Civitan Services” or help by joining our cause “Civitan Services”

http://www.bentoncourier.com/content/view/174355/1/