Group To Help Student

Injured Child Needs Accessible Van

FARMINGTON — A North Little Rock non- profit organization, called Arkansas METRO, is spearheading a campaign to purchase a wheelchair-accessible van for a Farmington student injured in an accident in September.

Tariq Campbell- Day, a first grader at Folsom Elementary, was airlifted to Arkansas Children's Hospital after a truck struck him near a bus stop on Double Springs Road. According to the police, the young boy ran out into the street in front of the vehicle while he was waiting for the school bus that morning.

Monday, Folsom principal Stephanie Pinkerton said Tariq is not able to walk but that he's making progress. The school is providing home-based services for the boy.

Donnie Copeland, founder and chairman of Arkansas METRO, said the family's need for a new vehicle came to him through a church in

Springdale. He said his organization works with churches to help people who are not members of specific churches but that it also becomes involved in other causes as well.

“In the process of working with churches, we'll run across a situation like Tariq and we feel compelled to put together a campaign to help the family,” Copeland said.

Copeland said the organization would like to purchase a used wheelchair accessible van with low mileage in good condition and probably will need to raise about $15,000 to $18,000 for the vehicle.

People can donate through the group's website, www. arkansasmetro.org, either by making a cash donation or by purchasing a METRO t-shirt or watch. Both cost $20 each.

Copeland said all proceeds from the purchases will go toward a van fund that METRO is calling “Tariq's Van Club.”

Copeland said the fund already has about $2,000 in it, including donations from several corporations.

“We're not a huge organization. We only have two employees and a budget of $40,000 to $50,000,” Copeland said. “This is a big undertaking for us.”

A pastor, Copeland founded the organization in July to help people break the cycle of poverty and to help those who are willing to help themselves. METRO stands for Mentoring, Educating, Training, Rehabilitating and Overcoming.

According to the METRO website, the group's goal is to become a central location where churches, businesses, civic organizations and others send people who need financial assistance. The organization's motto is “Give someone a fish and feed them for a day. Teach them to fish and feed them for a lifetime.”