Children’s center seeking donations

HOT SPRINGS — During the holiday season, the staff and volunteers at Ouachita Children’s Center work to ensure all the children at the center create positive memories.

The center “is very mindful and committed to providing as nice a Christmas for all our youth as possible. Many of our children have never really celebrated Christmas with gifts and giving, food and festivities to any extent, and we want them to experience that and take that pleasant experience with them when they leave us,” Executive Director Linda Ragsdale said.

Latoya Randle, director of resident services, said the center is in need of hams, turkeys, stuffing, yams, pies and other holiday meal staples to help create a traditional Christmas dinner. She said anyone who wants to contribute to those or any other meal at the center can call (501) 623-5591 or take donations to the center office.

Randle said staff members at Ouachita Children’s Center hope to take advantage of the time the children are out of school to take them on outings.

On Tuesday, the center residents visited Mid-America Science Museum, thanks to a scholarship from the museum, which provided five family packs of tickets to cover the visit.

On Wednesday, residents visited the Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer Village in Little Rock.

During the school break for Christmas, Ouachita Children’s Center staff members hope to take the residents on more trips. Costs associated with activities come out of the shelter’s funds, but monetary donations, movie passes, bowling or other activity certificates would allow them to do more, Randle said.

Ragsdale said if they could get funding, they would like to take the children to Garvan Woodland Gardens, to see The Nutcracker or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

A Christmas party for the residents will be held Dec. 18, and some recommended donations include CDs, movie tickets, leggings, games, cosmetics, gift cards and MP3 players. Randle said the children are ages 6 and up.

Volunteers are also needed to help decorate the outside of the center for Christmas and decorate trees inside. Replacement ornaments and decorations are also needed, Randle said.

“These kids are our hearts,” Randle said.