Arkansas Community Foundation leads organization’s largest gift to help homeless persons
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (May 3, 2021) – New Beginnings announced today it has received the largest gift in the organization’s history from Jane Hunt. The $1 million gift will help with the completion of the capital project, while providing critical financial support for sustained programming.
New Beginnings is a nonprofit located in Fayetteville, Arkansas that welcomes people experiencing long-term homelessness into a safe community supported by staff and volunteers where residents can access resources to care for their health and connect with long-term housing.
“New Beginnings is overjoyed and grateful to Jane Hunt for embracing the vision of this project and her extreme generosity in supporting New Beginnings. This gift allows us to complete construction and the initial capital campaign and shift our focus to ongoing, sustained programming support for the staff and services that will make the difference in our residents’ lives,” said Aaron J. Marshall, president of the Board of Directors of New Beginnings. Marshall continued, “Ms. Hunt has given us a considerable runway toward funding the program, and we invite others who want to make this kind of impact to join her in partnering with us in this difficult but necessary effort.”
The generous gift from Jane Hunt was organized with help from the team at Arkansas Community Foundation. The Community Foundation’s mission is to engage people, connect resources and inspire solutions to build community. Ms. Hunt is a founding member of the Foundation’s Philanthropy Club in Northwest Arkansas. The Club is made up of 44 women who are committed to learning about the needs of the community.
“I have been exploring the complex issue of homelessness in our community for several years. When I learned about the plans for the New Beginnings Bridge Housing program, I felt that for the first time there was a real solution that could truly work. I am happy to lend my support to the New Beginnings team’s efforts,” said Jane Hunt. “At our March Philanthropy Club meeting, we heard a presentation from New Beginnings Board Member and University of Arkansas Professor, Dr. Kevin Fitzpatrick, and Program Director Solomon Burchfield that ultimately inspired Jane’s gift,” said Jody Dilday, development director for Arkansas Community Foundation. Dilday continued “It is truly my pleasure to work with people like Jane to facilitate deeply rewarding philanthropic experiences.”
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About Arkansas Community Foundation
Arkansas Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fosters smart giving to improve communities. The Community Foundation offers tools to help Arkansans protect, grow and direct their charitable dollars as they learn more about community needs. By making grants and sharing knowledge, the Community Foundation supports charitable programs that work for Arkansas and partners to create new initiatives that address the gaps. Since 1976, the Community Foundation has provided more than $314 million in grants and partnered with thousands of Arkansans to help them improve our neighborhoods, our towns and our entire state.
Contributions to the Community Foundation, its funds and any of its 29 affiliates are fully tax deductible.
Additional information about Arkansas Community Foundation is available at www.arcf.org.
About New Beginnings
New Beginnings is a bridge housing community designed for unsheltered people who have experienced long-term homelessness in Northwest Arkansas. The complex is composed of twenty temporary shelters surrounding a shared building where kitchen, shower house, and laundry facilities are located. Residents will share in the governance and maintenance of the community with the support of a team of volunteers and staff, including an onsite social worker. In this safe, supportive living environment residents can begin to care for their health and connect with housing. As residents successfully move into appropriate permanent housing, space opens for new unsheltered people to enter. The 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report found that for “the fourth consecutive year, homelessness increased nationwide,” with 2020 marking, “the first time since data collection began that more individuals experiencing homelessness were unsheltered than were sheltered.” New Beginnings represents an innovative new program model which, in collaboration with other partners in Northwest Arkansas, can change that.
For more information visit https://newbeginningsnwa.org.