Page 7 - WWW-3RiversDec2014

Sunday, December 14, 2014 • An Advertising Supplement to the Three Rivers Edition of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette • What Women Want • 7SS
“Our goal
is to infiltrate and help these families get what they need, but also educate and, hopefully, turn something around that could be an endless cycle.
HEATHER GLENN
OF SEARCY
the reception area throughout the Christmas season. Because of this one small addition to the program, Glenn said, about 50 angels were adopted solely through those locations. Although bank involvement was something the Junior Auxiliary had tested the waters of in previous years, Glenn was the one who
made the successful move to include every bank. Glenn also had another idea up her sleeve that soon became a part of the program — corporate adoptions. With the knowledge that local companies are often interested in making a difference but do not always have time to put in the legwork, Glenn of- fered the opportunity for businesses to make mone- tary donations; then members will purchase the gifts. “It has been a great way to promote community in- volvement but not ask too much of everybody at this super busy time of year,” she said. “It is great for us because it doesn’t put a strain on our limited Angel Tree funds. We love to do the shopping part; it just allows us to give more children a better Christmas.” Because of these modifications to the project, Glenn said that by the end of last year’s season, a larger percentage of angels were adopted than in
previous years.
“Last year we adopted all of our angels out,” she
said. “That doesn’t happen every year. I can say that.” Of the angels adopted, Glenn said, one of the “hallmark family aspects” of the program is that every child who requests a bike to be under the Christmas
tree will receive one.
“Every child deserves to wake up on Christmas
morning and have a bike at least once in their life,” Glenn said. “If these kids move and they aren’t here next year, that might be the only bike that they get. They might move to a place that doesn’t have orga- nizations that take care of it like that. That is just something that we have deemed as a need.”
The group also hopes to provide empowerment to the families that benefit from the Angel Tree proj- ect. Each person who adopts an angel is asked to bring two rolls of wrapping paper. These are provid- ed to the parents so they can take an active roll in
heart of ANGEL TREE
The 2014 An-
gel Tree project
wrapped up this
week, and those
donations will
be distributed
to families in
need in the fol-
lowing days, but
there is still an
opportunity to
help provide a
merry Christ-
mas to area
children in the
upcoming year.
The Angel Tree
project is on-
ly one of the Junior Auxiliary of Searcy’s many projects. However, the funds for each project are determined by the outcome of the organization’s Charity Ball. During the event, patrons are treated to a meal and a fun evening, as well as the oppor- tunity to participate in live and silent auctions.
The funds raised from the event will help to determine the budget for the 2015 Angel Tree project. This year’s event will boast the theme “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and will be held March 7 at the Searcy Country Club.
In addition to raising money at the Charity Ball, the community can make donations of gifts throughout the year that can be safely stored for the next Angel Tree project.
For more information, the group can be found on Facebook listed as Junior Auxiliary of Searcy, Arkansas, and can be reached by email at junior. auxiliar y@yahoo.com.
PHOTO BY CHERYL WEAVER OF ZOË PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP
Heather Glenn, left, served as the Junior Auxiliary’s Angel Tree chairwoman for two years. This year, Molly Hale, right, took over the project and continued to utilize many of Glenn’s techniques. The women are shown with one of the trees that is on display where “angels” can be adopted. The trees were crafted by Stephen Ferren and decorated by students at the Sunshine School in Searcy.
personalizing the gifts, Glenn said.
“It helps to get them more excited about it so
that the next year, they’ll have more motivation to get involved,” she added. “Our goal is to infiltrate and help these families get what they need, but also educate and, hopefully, turn something around that could be an endless cycle.”
Although Glenn has handed the reins over to Hale, the 2014 Angel Tree chair, who has expanded the event to include even more visibility and reach, Glenn’s impact is still very much a part of the pro- gram as her years of active Junior Auxiliary mem- bership come to a close. After signing up for Junior Auxiliary, a member’s term is a total of six years.
“It is a lengthy commitment, but my time has been wonderfully spent, and I am emotionally mixed on
my term coming to a close,” Glenn said.
Once a Junior Auxiliary member’s active term comes to an end, the member is then considered a lifetime member. Boyd said Glenn has served as an example not only to the organization but also the community, even with maintaining a full-time job and having two children and a third on the way. “Heather is the kind of model woman in our com- munity that we should all strive to be,” Boyd said. “She has given her full five years to JA and never once faltered or asked to take a step back. She has had some setbacks, and she would have had every right to take a step back, but she never did. She has always put our group in the forefront of her thoughts, and we are a better organization for her
membership.”