Open Avenues, Smokehouse Players, Be a Santa to a Senior

As we do every year, the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is asking area nonprofits what is on their Christmas wish lists — volunteers, iPads, paper towels or gift cards, whatever they need. We hope our readers will reach out and make the holidays merry for the organizations that do so much for our communities all year long.

This list will continue to run in the Our Town section through Jan. 2. To have your organization included, email Becca Martin-Brown, Features editor, at bmartin@nwadg.com.

Open Avenues

Address: 2202 N. 22nd St. in Rogers

Mission: We work to “open avenues” for people with disabilities through life and job skills training, on-site employment, community employment, job coaching and transportation programs.

Needs: Magic Erasers, paper towels, spray air fresheners, tissues, Depends (ladies’ size large), liquid laundry soap, plastic utensils (knives, forks, spoons), 1.2 cubic foot microwaves (white), HD wire cutters for thick cables, complete tool sets, four new iPads.

Website: openavenues.org

Contact information: Kelly Sampson, development director, (479) 636-5082 or volunteer@ openavenues.org

Smokehouse Players

Address: 16896 Lake Sequoyah Road in Fayetteville

Mission: Provide free barebones theater at the Ozark Mountain Smokehouse for the Northwest Arkansas community, while raising awareness about Magdalene Serenity House.

Needs: Our shows are free, but all donations received at the door on opening night of each new show go to Magdalene Serenity House. We need individuals or companies to contact us if they are willing to match those donations for one of the benefit performances. It will help us double or triple the amount we give to Magdalene Serenity House for each benefit.

Website: facebook.com/ SmokehousePlayers

Contact information: Terry Vaughan and Tim Gilster, co-founders, (479) 935-4219 or email smokehouseplayers@gmail.com.

Be a Santa to a Senior

Sponsor: Home Instead Senior Care

Address: Be a Santa to a Senior trees can be found at Avenir Memory Care at Fayetteville, 1967 W. Truckers Drive in Fayetteville; Concordia, 1 Concordia Drive, Bella Vista; Frisco Station Mall, 100 N. Dixieland Road in Rogers; and Home Instead Senior Care, 3291 S. Thompson St., A105, Springdale.

Mission: “The Be a Santa to a Senior program is all about including seniors in the joy of the holiday season,” said Mark Stanley, owner of the Home Instead Senior Care offices serving Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville and Bella Vista. “A simple gift shows them they are a loved and vital member of our community.” This is a for-profit business asking for gifts for its clients.

Needs: Visit one of the participating locations and look for the Be a Santa to a Senior tree on display through Dec. 10. Each tree

will be decorated with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and gift suggestions. Holiday shoppers can choose an ornament, buy the requested gift and return it to the store with the ornament attached. There’s no need to worry about wrapping; community volunteers and program partners will wrap and deliver the gifts to local seniors in time for the holidays.

Website: BeaSantatoaSenior.com

Contact information: (479) 936-9885.

Courtesy Photo Visit one of the participating locations and look for the Be a Santa to a Senior tree on display through Dec. 10. Each tree will be decorated with ornaments featuring seniors’ first names and gift suggestions.

File Photo Amber Hamblin of Pea Ridge laughs while inspecting used Walmart boxes to be reused or recycled at Open Avenues in Rogers. The nonprofit “works to ‘open avenues’ for people with disabilities through life and job skills training, on-site employment, community employment, job coaching and transportation programs.”