Fundraiser for The CALL exceeds expectations
A fundraiser that was held Saturday to benefit The CALL of Union County exceeded the expectations of both The CALL Union County Coordinator Karen Hicks and organizer Kaila Emery.
“We were able to raise $1,554 today. Our goal was going to be $250,” Emery said while sitting in the office of the CALL Support Center on Euclid, where the fundraiser was held, as the event wrapped up Saturday afternoon.
“It’s massive,” Hicks added.
The CALL is a nonprofit operating throughout the state that works to recruit, train and support foster families. Emery, who owns the online boutique Steadfast Supply with her husband Joshua, has been doing her part to support The CALL’s mission all year.
In January, Emery and Hicks sat down together for an interview to talk about the nonprofit’s mission; Emery also announced that 20% of the shop’s profits would be donated to the CALL in a partnership she said she hopes to replicate with other nonprofits in the future.
On Saturday, local businesses including Steadfast Supply, All About Flowers, Oh How Sweet Cotton Candy, Tiffany’s Food Truck and Pure Bliss Salon gathered at the CALL Support Center for the fundraiser with promises to donate some of their proceeds from the event to the nonprofit.
Emery said all of the businesses ended up donating more of their proceeds than they’d initially said they would.
“It was definitely a success,” she said.
Hicks said three tours of the CALL Support Center were given during the fundraiser, as attendees were curious about its purpose.
The Support Center held its ribbon cutting in February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It houses the CALL Mall, where supplies for local foster families, like clothing, hygiene products, toiletries and toys, are stored, and can act as a home-like environment for families who have been temporarily separated by the Department of Human Services to meet.
“We were very blessed in 2020… God continued to provide, and we’re taking that with great responsibility to make some bold choices and bold moves this year,” Hicks said. “This is what you love about El Dorado. People show up and show out. It makes me proud.”
Several foster families attended the fundraiser as well, Hicks said. There were activities for children at the event, like a bouncy castle, and she said she was glad it was an opportunity for families to have some outdoor fun.
The United Way of Union County also had a presence at the fundraiser, and Hicks said four children were able to sign up for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which the organization administrates locally. Workers from the El Dorado-Union County Chamber of Commerce also stopped by with their families, she said.
“It’s just powerful that these organizations that I give to show up to give back here,” Hicks said. “It’s the power of El Dorado.”
To learn more about The CALL, visit thecallinarkansas.org/union or facebook.com/thecallinunioncounty. Visit steadfastsupplyandcompany.com to learn more about Steadfast Supply.