The Faith Love and Hope Youth Corp. sponsored its 13th annual “NFL Weekend” fundraiser beginning with a golf tournament Friday morning with some 50 golfers in attendance.
Organizer Rose Warfield-McGill, executive director of the corporation, said the numbers were a bit down this year from last, but that the weather was perfect as always.
“We have been so blessed,” she said. “We have never been rained out in the 13 years that we have held this event.”
While Friday’s weather called for moderate temperatures and sunny skies, things have not been so bright for the organization this year, which closed its doors in January and lost its charitable 501 (c)(3) status as well.
For more than 10 years, Faith Love and Hope Youth Corp. served as an afterschool and summer program in Texarkana, Ark. It was a place where kids could go for mentoring and guidance rather than just hang out on the streets. And apparently all was fine until the organization was robbed.
“We had 13 heating and air conditioning units taken from the building. But we’re working to get our doors back open,” Warfield-McGill said with enthusiasm.
Still, Warfield-McGill said the organization needs more than just the cost of replacing the 13 heat and air units. It needs to restructure its board of directors and it needs money.
“We need about $40,000. We don’t just want to open the doors. We are looking for volunteers to help with the kids; volunteers to help with the cleaning; volunteers to help with the paperwork. We need people to be on our board of directors. We need people who have a passion for children,” she said.
“We see this as a positive because it gives us a chance to bring it to the next level,” she continued. “It gives us a chance to bring in some extra programs to serve the whole child, like more mentoring programs and those programs that address the spiritual needs of a lot of kids.”
The organization previously provided support for about 80 children a day.
Warfield-McGill said the center used to serve children aged five years old to 14 years old. But she said when the facility is able to reopen, she hopes to change that to include older children as well.
“We want to serve 15, 16, 17, and 18 year-old-children – those who are left behind the most – the ones who reallyneed someone. The ones who are looking for discipline. This will be somewhere down the road, but we’ve got to have people who are willing and able to help,” she said.
“It takes more than just me. It takes more than just me.”
On a daily basis, the facility will need at minimum four volunteers, Warfield-McGill said. But that does not mean that people have to volunteer four days a week. Far from it.
“I’d rather have a volunteer one day a week who is committed and will be there, than have them there every day and get burned out. These children need someone who will be there for them.”
The remainder of the NFL weekend, aptly named because Warfield-McGill’s son, Eric Warfield, used to play for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, will sponsor a whole host of events including:
- A celebrity banquet held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 20, at Arkansas High School with guest speaker George Baker who coached college football for 30 years and finished his career at Henderson State University. Tickets are $45 at the door.
- The Byron Williams Football Camp and the Cheer/Dance Camp will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 21, at Texas Middle School. The cost to attend is $30 in advance or $35 at the door.
- A Blues/dance show will be held downtown from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at Front Street Plaza. The cost to attend is $10 in advance or $15 at the gate.
Call Warfield-McGill at 903-244-8736 for more information.
