Press Release

Springdale, AR
September 22, 2005

Contact: Suzanne Ward - 479.361.4624
Jan Huneycutt Lightner - 479.361.4624

Springdale, AR — CommunityCare Foundation (CF) Board of Directors voted at a September 13 meeting to award up to $100,000 to local nonprofit agencies providing services to hurricane Katrina evacuees. The grants are designed to supplement budgets of local agencies strained by the arrival of people displaced by the natural disaster. CF Chairman Rick Parsons stated the boards desire to help in a substantive manner.

"Our entire board feels fortunate to help these organizations assume the extra role they have been called to play. We are very proud of the efforts these organizations have made to help people traumatized by Katrina and have no doubts this money will be put to immediate use," stated Parsons.

The six nonprofit agencies receiving grants are:

• Community Clinic at St. Francis House: $15,000 toward overall expenses.
  


• NWA Crisis Center: $20,000 for staff/volunteer mileage reimbursement and identification items.
  


• Ozark Food Bank: $5,000 toward food purchases.
  


• Ozark Guidance: $20,000 toward various expenses.
  


• Ozark Regional Transit: $10,000 for services to evacuees, particularly to take people to jobs.
  


• Siloam Springs Childrens Center: $8,500 for educational and transportation services for children.

Suzanne Ward, Executive Director of CommunityCare Foundation, agreed that extraordinary measures were needed.

"We all recognized that our nonprofit community was overwhelmed by the needs of this unexpected catastrophe. Our foundation realized that there was not a better use of our funds," stated Ward.

CommunityCare Foundation, a supporting organization to the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, was established through the sale of Northwest Health System in 1998. Since that time, CommunityCare Foundation has awarded more than $25 million dollars in grants throughout Benton and Washington counties.

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