Helping Hands
From clubs to nonprofits, Texarkana full of ways to improve lives of others
Texarkana is a community full of caring people, many of which devote their time and money to a variety of civic organizations.
Those organizations use resources to make a difference in the lives of residents in this area through programs to promote character development for children and to feed the hungry and house the homeless. Nonprofits raise money for cancer or diabetic research, collect school supplies for children or provide children with backpacks full of food to prevent them from going hungry on the weekends or school holidays. There are programs to give those with disabilities the opportunity to work and earn money and self-confidence or respite programs to give caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients a much-needed break.
Often, groups set their sights on meeting a specific goal such as the Rotary Club did with building the Splash Pad at Spring Lake Park. That project, completed a couple of years ago, has given countless hours of free entertainment to children as they beat the heat of summer days splashing and playing in cool, clean water.
United Way of Greater Texarkana leads the way for Texarkana nonprofits. Its fundraising campaign yearly raises hundreds of thousands of dollars. Those dollars are granted to specific community programs focused on making a difference in the areas of education, income or health. The United Way encourages collaboration between nonprofit agencies to efficiently use resources and prevent duplication of services.
Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank is an example of a nonprofit whose services are integral to more than 100 partner agencies it works with. Food banks, soup kitchens and shelters are able to purchase food from Harvest Texarkana for pennies on the dollar, which enables those groups to feed more people and make a difference in the lives of many in this region.
Susan G. Komen Texarkana holds the most successful one-day fundraiser in Texarkana—Race for the Cure. Since the race began in Texarkana 16 years ago, more than $4.5 million dollars has been raised and donated to local programs focused on breast health education and diagnostic and treatment services. Texarkana is one of the smallest cities to hold Race for the Cure, but also one of the most successful, thanks to the dedicated volunteers who work countless hours to make the event a success.
There are multiple branches of the Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club that influence the community in ways big and small. Many of the grants given by these organizations trickle down into smaller efforts or programs that may otherwise be overlooked.
Animal welfare in Texarkana also has many supporters. Animals also hold a special place in the heart of this community. There are a variety of rescue groups working hard to ensure stray dogs and cats get a shot at finding a forever home. Texarkana Animal League is one of the area’s foremost agencies in animal welfare. With the help of several successful fundraisers, TAL funds vaccine programs at Animal Care and Adoption Center of Texarkana, Ark. It also has programs to help pet owners with the cost of having pets spayed or neutered.
Volunteers in this community can find a nonprofit or civic group to be involved with no matter what their cause. and it’s often been said by people new to Texarkana that that’ve never lived anywhere else as giving as the citizens here.
That’s something we can all be proud of.