In 1950 a national association was formed to work with and meet the needs of developmentally disabled individuals. Eight years later, the local chapter was formed. The ARC for the River Valley provides a recreation program that includes picnics, parties, shows and sporting events such as bowling, softball and swimming.

The ARC is also available to individuals seeking information or services pertaining to any phase of developmental disability.

 Help is given in:

• Making referrals to appropriate agencies.
• Providing information.
• Establishing eligibility.
• Obtaining and completing forms.
• Understanding rights and benefits.
• Supporting and assisting with interviews and conferences

The Boys & Girls Club of Paris’ goal is to serve as many youth as possible in Paris and the surrounding areas. The Club also intends to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Club recognizes youth who excel in demonstrating these initiatives, by recognizing a “Member of the Month” and “Youth of the Year.” The Boys & Girls Club of Paris’ “2005 Youth of the Year,” placed runner-up in the state competition resulting in high recognition from her peers and state legislator’s and was awarded a $1000 scholarship. The Boys & Girls Club of Paris offers four scholarships a year to youth who volunteer at the Club, and who demonstrate positive character. The Club intends to meet the needs of the community, through programming developed from input of the youth, parents, and community.

The Boys & Girls Club of Paris is available to all boys and girls ages 6 – 18 and currently the Boys & Girls Club of Paris total membership is approximately seven hundred.   The after school programs consist of education, technology, recreation, arts, music, leadership, life skills, health, recreation, fitness, well-being, and more. Besides the after school program, the Club continually offers sports programs throughout the year including baseball/softball, track, golf, swim team, cheerleading, soccer, football, dance, and basketball. There are also plans for a possible boxing/wrestling program.

The Community Dental Clinic began operation in 1989 under the guidance of local community leaders and volunteer dentist who saw an enormous need for basic dental services for the poor of this area.  In August of 1997, Crawford-Sebastian Community Council, Inc. (C-SCDC) assumed administration and management of the Clinic.  Our goal was to help very low-income citizens, the working poor, elderly, disabled, homeless and the unemployed (Medicaid does not cover dental treatment for adults and none of this population has dental insurance).  Other than the Community Dental Clinic, there is no means of obtaining dental treatment in our immediate area.

The Clinic is located in an old dental office at 109 North 17th Street in downtown Fort Smith.  The Clinic is a ray of hope for those in dire need of dental treatment (most of who are abscessed and in paid).  We can only provide dental treatment for patients when a volunteer dentist or paid dentist is available.  We have Clinics on mornings when a dentist is available and the afternoons are spent taking new applications (155 new applicants since January 2005.) We also prepare the operatories and lab for the next clinic. We complete paperwork for funding sources, recruit more dentists, make appointments and look for more funding sources.

The Community Dental Clinic strives to serve all segments of the target population.  The average family income for employed patients is $7,690.00 while annual family income for the unemployed is $6,552.00.  Caucasian patients comprise 79% of patients seen at the clinic while Black, Indian, Hispanic, Asian, and other races equal 21%.  We continue to see steady number in the Hispanic population for 2005.  Minorities don't apply for services the way that Caucasian patients do, all of our programs are visible through the media but few apply for services. The office staff took a Spanish class in hopes of better communicating with these patients.

The need for dental treatment among the poor usually continues for a lifetime.  The Community Dental Clinic offers their only hope of receiving dental treatment.  This very poor population continues to grow.

The Crisis Center for Women is a non-profit organization seeking to provide advocacy and shelter to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  Our agency originated in 1979 as a mission of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), serving as a safe-haven for women and children fleeing family violence.  By 1994, our board decided to cease functioning as a YWCA chapter because it was felt that the demand for victim services warranted an agency solely dedicated to carrying out this purpose.  The name Crisis Center for Battered Women, Inc. was adopted.

Our new identity afforded opportunities to apply for and acquire federal funding through the Violence Against Women Act and other related sources.  Over the next several years we purchased additional facilities, and added staff to better meet the needs of domestic violence victims and victims of sexual assault in our community.  We changed our name once again in 1998 to the Crisis Center for Women, Inc. (CCW).  This change now more accurately reflected all services provided by the agency.

Today we operate out of four facilities in Fort Smith.  They consist of our main offices, shelter, a child-care facility, and an extended services and rape response center.  We are accomplishing our mission through three major programs, crisis intervention, transitional services, and awareness and prevention efforts.

Our on-site advocates respond to our crisis-line around the clock providing immediate intervention services to victims.  In addition, we counsel individually with victims and their families and provide support groups.  The most vital component of this program is our shelter.  We stay at maximum capacity (15 persons) most of the time.  The Center offers the only on-site sexual assault response center in Arkansas, allowing victims of rape an immediate and private location where they can receive a rape exam.  

In addition, a community response team offers advocacy and follow-up information.  The team consists of certified sexual assault nurse examiners, local law enforcement officers and our rape crisis staff.

Because it takes so much more than short-term support and shelter to enable women to remain free from abuse, we offer transitional services to our clients.  Our transitional staff assists clients in obtaining housing, transportation, employment, education, childcare (on-site and off-site), legal aid, and other related services.  This program provides mentoring and life skill classes to survivors of domestic abuse.  We match each family with a volunteer mentor from the community to guide and encourage clients through the process of gaining financial and emotional independence.

Our awareness and prevention staff educates the community through presentations and events.  We teach a five-day violence prevention curriculum in over 31 area junior high and high schools each semester.  The center produces and distributes over 1200 newsletters each month.  We hold quarterly community task force meetings in five locations within our service area for the purpose of improving communication between professionals assisting victims and their families.  These connections are key in forming a cohesive, and networked support system for victims of violent crimes and their families.  Task force members consist of law enforcement officers, medical professionals, judges, educators, advocates, prosecution representatives, and local officials.  Through these and other national efforts, we work to improve awareness, response systems, and laws for the clients we serve.

In 2003, The Crisis Center for Women received a $2,687,097 capital grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to build a state-of-the-art model victim service center in Fort Smith.  However, the agency is required to raise an additional $806,126 match.  These funds will be set aside for the future operation and maintenance of the facility.

The design of our model facility moves away from the traditional battered women’s movement approach of keeping shelter clients safe by housing them in an undisclosed location.  Instead, we propose to offer a one-stop facility that offers an advanced security system ensuring only authorized individuals have access to the property.  The facility is a 21,451 square foot building that will encompass our administrative services, direct services, and shelter up to 30 persons at any given time, licensed child-care, rape response center, and training area.  Our selected building site has access to public transportation and is close to other service providers.  This property has already been purchased.

The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas became a reality November 1, 2005.  Tim Pschierer, the chapter's executive director, conceptualized the idea of having this great outreach program for youth the latter half of 2003 while working as an assistant golf professional at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.  Interested parties were invited to be on the board of directors and then the long formative process to full chapter status began.  Thanks to the Rogers Recreation Association, a non-profit organization, this future chapter of The First Tee was able to start raising money, raise awareness and raise the roof off Northwest Arkansas to get kids enrolled in the program.  After non-profit status was established in the fall of 2005, the All-Star Sports Arena in Springdale became the first official facility for The First Tee of NWA.  Just under 100 kids are already registered in the program.  The chapter has a goal to reach 400 participants by the end of 2006 and affiliate with existing golf courses in Benton and Washington counties.  Kids will have opportunities to practice, play golf, and learn valuable character traits like Honesty, Confidence and Perseverance through the Life Skills curriculum.

Fort Smith Express is a competitive soccer club dedicated to developing the skills of young players.  In the fall season of 2005 the organization added a U-10 girls soccer team to the league.  This was added to the already eight (8) soccer teams the organization currently had registered.  There are four (4) boys’ soccer teams and four (4) girls’ soccer teams.  The age groups are from U-10 through U-16.

The first season of soccer begins in August and goes through the end of November.  The second season begins in March and goes through the month of May.

Our teams participate in three (3) tournaments per season, with one of those tournaments being held in Fort Smith.  These teams travel to the Fayetteville area, Tulsa area, Little Rock and Conway, as well as Missouri and Kansas for tournament play. The teams, also, participate in “league play.”  These games take place on the weekends, in-between tournaments.

These soccer teams practice at the Ben Geren soccer fields.  They will usually practice three (3) to five (5) hours per week.  When the teams have league play on the weekends it is also considered practice time.

The coaches for Fort Smith Express are dedicated men and women that dedicate their time to teach children not only the game of soccer, but also the morals and values of winning and losing with grace and dignity and style.  It is a requirement for all head coaches to hold at least an “E” level-coaching license in soccer.  Our coaches are also dedicated to attending available classes to better their knowledge of the game and the rules/regulations of the game.

The Fort Smith Express Soccer Club allows a yearly fee of $350.00 to be paid by the season ($175 for the fall season, $175 for the spring season), monthly or by arrangement made with the club manager.  There are also limited scholarships available.  There are no fees charged for uniforms – All uniforms are provided by the Fort Smith Express Soccer Club.

The Fort Smith Express Soccer Club is dedicated to helping children learn to be the best they can be on and off the field.  We are extremely proud to be an encouraging part of Fort Smith.

History

Since the first troop meeting in March, 1912, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. has grown into an organization with more than 3.5 million members.  In Fort Smith, Arkansas, Girl Scouting first became available in 1928 when troops began organizing meetings under the auspices of the Fort Smith Association of Girl Scouts.  

 In 1948, local business people, Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Kelley donated the 13 ½ acre Burnham Woods property located within the city of Fort Smith to the Fort Smith Association for the permanent use of the Girl Scouts.  That same year, Kelley Cabin was constructed and, in 1949, girls began using it for troop activities. In 1950 an office was added to Kelley Cabin and in 1980, the present business office was built adjacent to Kelley Cabin.  The old office has been converted into a council shop where members may purchase uniforms, books, and other troop related materials.  In the 1960’s the council purchased 401 acres in a remote area near Booneville, Arkansas for use as a resident camp for girls.

In 1961, the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A reorganized councils according to new geographic boundaries. Today, the Girl Scout Council of Mount Magazine is one of 322 across the United States and serves girls living in 11 counties of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

The People We Serve

The Girl Scout program is open to all girls ages 5-17 who agree to abide by the Girl Scout Promise and Law.  Membership has four levels: Daisy - age 5-6 or grade K-1; Brownie - age 6-8 or grade 1-3; Junior -age 8-11 or grade 3-6, and the new Studio 2B program for girls ages 11-17.  Current council membership numbers over 2,600 girls and 1,025 adults.  Those 1,025 adults are dedicated volunteers who make it possible to deliver council services to the girls. 

The council employs a staff who direct program, membership, adult development, outdoor program/camp/property services, finance, fund development and public relations efforts on behalf of the volunteers and girls.

Mission

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Girl Scout Positioning Statement

Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls – ALL GIRLS, where, in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.  In partnership with committed adults, girls develop qualities that will serve them throughout their lives – like strong values, social conscience, and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Girl Scouts is Where Girls Grow Strong.

Harbor House, Inc. is a treatment facility that meets the needs of dependent men in the Fort Smith area.  Established in 1966, it is located in the historic Rosalie Tilles Children’s Home in Fort Smith.  This organization was founded to help individuals recover from alcoholism.  Through the years, thousands of clients have passed through its doors.  Many of them have recovered from their dependence and are functioning workers, family members and tax payers.

Harbor House utilizes individual, group and family counseling in conjunction with case management and a team-oriented approach to substance abuse treatment.  Staff members hold the following credentials:  Advanced Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors, and Counselors-in-Training, directly supervised by certified/licensed personnel.

Harbor House uses the 12-Step program of Recovery developed by Alcoholics Anonymous.  Over time, this has been accepted as the ‘gold standard” for immediate and long term recovery.  Harbor House develops truly individualized treatment plans for each client.  It is licensed by the office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention which is a division of the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

The Golden Rule Clothes Closet provides low-income families and victims of fires and natural disasters with clothing, furniture, and household items free of charge.

The agency is open each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 9-1 p.m.

Stepping Stone was organized in 1972 and began by providing services to six individuals with two staff members. Today Stepping Stone is no longer just a school, it has become a comprehensive service provider to people with developmental disabilities and their families, serving as model to other organizations in the state for how to reach and serve people. Stepping Stone is the parent organization for four programs:  the Therapeutic preschool; the Adult Development Center/Jobs Plus; Cedar Ridge, assisted living; and a Medicaid Waiver program. The Therapeutic preschool is the only full-time Therapeutic Preschool in Crawford County. We offer educational training, speech, physical, and occupational therapy, plus family case management and training.

What makes us special?

• Stepping Stone serves as a model to other organizations in the region for how to reach people with developmental disabilities.
• Stepping Stone provides services to people who desperately need our help but have not yet received funding from state or federal sources.
• Stepping Stone provides services to children who have been turned away from other institutions.
• Stepping Stone receives referrals from physicians all around our region.
• Stepping Stone is succeeding in raising the awareness in our region for people with developmental disabilities.
• In 30 years of operation Stepping Stone has always operated with a balanced budget.
• Stepping Stone transitions a large number of children to traditional public school classrooms that otherwise would not if their needs hadn't been met.
• Stepping Stone has a commitment to careful planning for how to continue to meet the fast growing needs of our region.