The CALL in Southeast Arkansas announces the Grand Opening of their CALL Mall & Center on Thursday, October 26, 2023 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. The CALL’s center is located on the campus of one of The CALL’s church partners, Pauline Baptist Church, in the upstairs portion of their Childcare Center building.
The CALL’s space includes a “CALL Mall,” which provides boutique-style shopping of clothing, shoes, necessities, hygiene products, diapers, etc. for all children and youth in foster care in Southeast Arkansas. Stefanie Abbott, CALL Mall Coordinator, has created an uplifting shopping experience for children experiencing difficult times. The CALL Mall also includes furniture and “gear,” such as strollers and carseats, to be checked out by foster and adoptive families to meet the needs of the children in their care.
In addition to The CALL’s first physical office and meeting space, the center also provides a Therapeutic Resource Library for foster and adoptive families. The library contains therapeutic books related to foster care, adoption, loss, and other relevant social-emotional issues for children and caregivers. The library also includes therapeutic sensory tools to be checked out by foster and adoptive parents as they seek to meet the unique needs of children and youth in their care.
The Southeast Arkansas community is invited to come explore the CALL’s first physical space. Refreshments, doorprizes, and CALL merchandise will all be available during the event, and The CALL’s Leadership Team, representing three of the six counties served by The CALL in Southeast Arkansas, will be present, as well. The CALL in Southeast Arkansas is an affiliate of a statewide, non-profit organization that mobilizes local churches to serve local children and youth placed in foster care. The Southeast Arkansas affiliate is nearing a decade of ministry which has expanded over time to serve six counties: Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Desha, Drew, and Lincoln. The CALL provides a way for Christians to invite the mission field into their homes, to serve those most vulnerable in their communities. The CALL partners with the Division of Children and Family Services to recruit, train and support foster and adoptive families for children and teens in foster care. The CALL’s hope is to see a day where there are no children in Arkansas waiting for families, because what children and youth in foster care need most is a family to care for them as they heal from abuse or neglect.