UAPB 1975 class to meet
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Class of 1975 will hold its class meeting at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Colton’s Steakhouse Restaurant in White Hall. Members will discuss plans for commemorating the 50th class reunion of 2025. All interested class members are welcome to attend. Participants are responsible for paying for their meals, according to a news release.
Highway 229 to close for pipe replacement
Highway 229 just south of Moro Creek near Carthage will close from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to allow crews to replace a pipe. Highway 229 between Carthage and Leola will be open to local traffic only, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.
Signed detours will be in place. Traffic can use Highway 46 to Highway 9 to Highway 48 to navigate around the closure. Traffic will be controlled with the use of barrels, barricades and signage. Additional travel information can be found at IDriveArkansas.com or ARDOT.gov.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Rural Health Partnership becomes AmeriCorps site
The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership of Lake Village has become a new AmeriCorps Program site and is actively recruiting rural health corps members. Slots for health corps members are first come, first serve, and only 10 slots remain, according to a news release.
In the inaugural year, the local ARHP AmeriCorps Program (rural health corps) will recruit, train and mobilize 20 individuals to serve as AmeriCorps members at hospital and health center partners in rural Arkansas.
AmeriCorps members serving as trained community health workers will link rural patients with high need to health and health-social resources, support, and services. Interventions and support will be tailored to the individual needs of each patient served.
In August, the partnership was awarded a grant from Engage Arkansas. This funding supports the launch of the AmeriCorps Program while expanding local service engagement opportunities (typically for 18-24-year olds) across rural Arkansas.
The 2024-2025 Rural Health Corps will focus on:
1) Promoting the health and well being of rural Arkansas residents to achieve better outcomes and foster a more equitable health system,
2) Addressing social determinants of health needs in rural residents through assessment, navigation, enrollment and assistance services, advocacy, education, and care coordination.
“For decades, young people spanning the United States have served their communities while gaining valuable skills and experience through the AmeriCorps Program,” said Mellie Boagni, ARHP founder, president, and CEO. “We are thrilled to become an official AmeriCorps Program site and expand opportunities for young people to serve and actively engage in our rural Arkansas communities. We see this new program as a win-win for our rural young people, community members, and healthcare organizations alike.”
To apply as a rural health corps member, contact Danielle Gibson at danielle@arruralhealth.org or (337) 207-4543. Details: https://www.arruralhealth.org/.
Local drop-off sites set for Shoebox gifts
Volunteers will collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 18-25. More than 4,700 drop-off locations will open across the country in November, according to a news release.
The project partners with local churches across the globe to collect items for shoebox gifts to deliver for children in need.
Southeast Arkansas sites include:
mFamily Church Pine Bluff, 2309 S. Poplar St., Pine Bluff;
mSouth Side Missionary Baptist Church, 905 S. Lincoln Avenue, Star City;
mStuttgart First Baptist Church Activity Center, 2109 S. Columbus Street, Stuttgart;
mTrue Hope Church, 707 N. Main St., Sheridan.
“Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to children including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster. Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach another 12 million children in 2024 with the hope of Jesus,” according to a news release.
Shoebox packing is an activity for individuals, families and groups. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.
Participants can find their local drop-off locations nearest them at https://samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/?utm_source=OCC-ToolKit&utm_campaign=m_YOCC-PRRE&utm_content=OCC-Drop-off-locations.