Staff Photo Nick Brothers
The Jones Family poses for a family photo together with the gifts they recieved through the Acts of Kindness program trough the Yvonne Richardson Community Center.
Racing out of the Yvonne Richardson Center with smiles from ear to ear, four children raced their brand new bicycles into the parking lot of the center on Dec. 20, the Saturday before Christmas. The colorful new bikes had been donated to them through a secret gift-giving operation that involved several people throughout Northwest Arkansas.
Among the children who received their new bikes, a total of 16 families were invited to the Richardson Center on Dec. 20 for a holiday surprise. Little did they know, they were a part of the center’s new community outreach program, Acts of Kindness.
“It’s supposed to be unexpected,” said Tenisha Gist, director of the Yvonne Richardson Center and organizer for the event. “The groups and organizations we worked with picked two deserving families they worked with and reported back as much information as they could about what they liked or needed. It took a wide range of teamwork.”
The charity gift program was a project in collaboration between Compassion Fayetteville and the Yvonne Richardson Community Center in hopes to increase community impact. The two organizations reached out to several businesses and groups in Northwest Arkansas for donations of gifts to give individuals and families a helping hand during the holidays. Each family identified was between the extremely low (Less than $11,000) to very low ($11,000-20,000) income brackets.
Some of the groups and businesses that participated in the program include 7 Hills, Boys and Girls Club, Arkansas Workforce Center, Department of Human Services, Adult and Community Education, Sephora, Himalayan Mountain Shop as well as several other donors who wished to remain anonymous.
“I really think this is heartwarming and unique,” said Pattie Williams, director of Compassion Fayetteville. “Instead of buying generic things, we are tailoring needs with gifts.”
Staff Photo Nick Brothers
Tenisha Gist, director of the Yvonne Richardson Community Center and who organized Acts of Kindness, gives a speech thanking all the donors and members of Compassion Fayetteville who helped make the event possible this year in the center’s gymnasium.
More than $5,000 was raised for gifts, and the gifts were personalized and given to each of the 16 families’ needs. The types of gifts included gift certificates for massages, new bunk beds, new warm clothes, toys, and new cookware.
“I’ve never seen such smiles before,” said Dian Williams, a leader of the Compassion Fayetteville steering team. “(Acts of Kindness) has been an amazing process. The families are so deserving and grateful. It’s gratifying. We’ve only been here for two years and and we are so impressed with this city. We love it here.”
Brittany Jones was one of the recipients of the presents along with the rest of her family.
“I think it’s really cool that people have the hearts to share with families that maybe are less fortunate,” she said.
Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan was also in attendance, and spoke a few words on behalf of the city and the program.
“These kinds of programs touch my heart,” he said. “It’s what I love about this city. There are consumer based governments where it’s ‘What can you do for me?’, but here it’s a partnership where we come together on how we can move it forward. We serve, rather than being served.”
Staff Photo Nick Brothers Pattie Williams, co-founder of Compassion Fayetteville, distributes donated gifts to her family she was given to seek gifts for.
In the past, the Richardson center used to host a Community Christmas Party where the center would give out Christmas gifts and hot meals to members of the community. Acts of Kindness was implemented as a way to focus attention on better impacting the individuals and families in need.
“I grew up where these kids were,” said Ed Williams, also a leader of the Compassion Fayetteville steering team. “My family used to be a part of these kinds of things so it feels good to now be able to give back for what we received.”
Built in memory of former Razorback Basketball Coach Nolan Richardson’ daughter, the Yvonne Richardson Community center was constructed when a group of citizens felt a need to provide a safe, structured environment in which people would be given the opportunity to benefit from positive programs and policies.
