The Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission, in partnership with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, has announced the 2022 MLK Community Leaders Call to Action Program, which will take place today, Aug. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Victory Building Conference Room in Little Rock.
In gathering community leaders and organizations, The Commission will acquire their input on solutions to violence and present them with micro-grants in order to sustain and expand their efforts through the city and state, in efforts to curb violence and build communities.
“After receiving the grant from the Department of Human Services, we wanted to partner with these small community-based organizations to support their work which is already in progress. There is a saying, ‘no man is an island.’ We are better when we work together and help each other. We want to commend the organizations for the excellent work they are doing in the community. From mentorship and job fairs to after school programs, we want to sow into these programs to enable them to reach new audiences and sustain their outreach,” DuShun Scarbrough, Executive Director, said. “As community leaders it is important for us to stand together and help one another. These organizations, several are grassroots, are important to building communities and working with neighborhoods and families to address violence. Hopefully, we can set in motion a trend to support organizations that engage youth and work towards solutions.”
The ten awardees have partnerships with the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission and assist with promoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s principles of nonviolence – addressing communities that are more susceptible to violence, according to Scarbrough.
Grants will be awarded to the following organizations:
- The Pettus Helping Hand Foundation
- The Movement
- Restoration Dream Center
- Arkansas Stop the Violence
- BMM
- The Pulaski County OK Program
- Brandon House Cultural and Performing Arts Center
- Aviate Through Knowledge
- Thrasher’s Boys and Girls Club
- First Ward Living Grace Pantry
For more information about The Commission, click here.
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