EcoFab Fundraiser and Yoga Classes in Little Rock Area

My friend ,Karin Bara, with the 10/20 Project contacted me about a fundraiser this weekend that will benefit their non-profit.  Among the many projects they take on, during the winter months the 10/20 Project donates coats from their annual coat drive for us to deliver to our local women's shelters.  You can read about our participation last winter here.  If you are going to be out and about this weekend, please stop by EcoFab and make a purchase!

Bara is also wanting to notify the public of her yoga classes she will be teaching at Blue Yoga Nyla in North Little Rock.  Being the giving person that she is, she has also opted to teach yoga to the Our House Shelter in Little Rock to their residents FREE of charge.  Please find below a story that Our House allowed me to publish about one of their residents who overcame an abusive relationship.

Amanda from Our House with her daughter, Alynnea.  Photo provided by  Our House.  

Amanda Simpson and her 1-year-old daughter Alynnea have lived at the Our House Shelter for one year. Amanda’s story of how she came to Our House is unfortunately not a unique one; she got out of an abusive relationship with her daughter's father, moved into a battered women’s shelter, and eventually ended up at the Our House Shelter. She was first a resident in the dorms, sharing a room with forty other women, while trying to figure out how to be a new, young mother.

One month ago things changed for the better for Amanda and Alynnea with the opening of the Family Housing unit on the Our House campus. The Family Housing Unit, which has 14 units in two buildings, has allowed Amanda to gain more independence and prepare for the real world. She is able to go grocery shopping for her family on her own and get a sense of what it will be like to live in an apartment in the real world.

"It definitely puts more structure into your life and prepares you for the real world," Amanda says. All residents do their own chores and share responsibility for the common kitchen and living room.

The most important aspect of the family housing for Amanda is being able to get the much needed quality time with her daughter, thanks to the private family rooms.

"I can see a change in my daughter’s attitude already. Our bond has gotten stronger since we have been on our own. I have been able to take what I’ve learned from the parenting classes taught here and apply it at home without other women interfering with how I parent," Amanda says.

She looks forward to the day she moves out and has aspirations of becoming a surgical technician, but for now she is just taking it one day at a time, enjoying her new apartment in the family housing unit and rebuilding her life with Alynnea.

"The family housing unit has inspired me a lot; it’s made me more independent and has given me good structure in my life. I would recommend it for any young homeless mothers."

Go support Karin Bara and get your yoga on!

After publishing this post, Jessica from Our House informed me of an additional event happening in conjunction with My Favorite Thrift Store to benefit residents of the shelter.  

Come check out "My Favorite Thrift Store."

Five locations to drop off your items for this amazing cause!  If you are in the Central Arkansas area, please choose one of these locations to bequeath your "spring cleaning" items for worthy recipients.  We can all do something. 

Drop off your loot or pick up a little something for yourself.

Jessica from Our House added this:

May 21st, from 10am to 2pm, Our House, in partnership with our thrift store, My Favorite Thrift Store, will be collecting items with a multi-site donation drop off event.  All donations will be used to benefit Our House.  My Favorite Thrift Store raises funds for Our House programs providing over $80,000 to Our House each year.  We are specifically looking for furniture, household items, home décor, jewelry, and clothing accessories.  At the Our House location, the children who live at the shelter, will be selling baked goods to support their program.  I have attached a flyer for more information about this event.  If you would like to help Our House by bringing your donations, that would be great!