Nathan and Sarah Huggins 220 Mill Pond Road Conway, AR

Transcription

1 2018 annual report

2 history mission Community Connections is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children with developmental disabilities & their families. Many children with special needs live with little opportunity for extra-curricular activities outside of school, therapy, & doctor visits. Many parents of children with disabilities feel they lack the education and support needed to best help their child. Community Connections was founded in 2005 when Todd & Amy Denton (owners of Pediatrics Plus) and some of their staff saw that many children with disabilities did not have the opportunity to play sports and participate in the arts like their siblings & peers. Out of this need, they founded Community Connections. Community Connections mission is to provide quality extra-curricular activities for children with special needs and support for their families. In 2018 we served over 600 children and families through 19 programs offered in Conway, Little Rock, Russellville, & Sherwood. Our goal is to help families address various health, developmental, and social needs by offering comprehensive programs and services not currently available in our Arkansas community.

3 programs Community Connections programs are specifically designed to build self-esteem, improve social skills, increase physical activity, and provide a network for parents/family members that share similar circumstances. We are proud to partner with local businesses (libraries, studios, churches, schools) to offer activities out in the community and with low overhead. We also use community volunteers (civic clubs, high school/college athletic teams and clubs, local businesses) as buddies for our programs to help each child succeed in a positive environment. The majority of our programs are offered free of charge to children, as it is important to us to be a blessing and not a burden to the families we serve. Parents have many challenges raising a child with special needs. We love to provide a quality activity so that for an hour a week, parents can sit on the sidelines and watch their son/daughter experience the joy of being on a team and experiencing success without the pressure of judgment or finances. ACE Tennis ACTS Jr. Theatre Art Autism Resource Center of Arkansas Basketball First Tee Golf Martial Arts Music Rivals United Flag Football Showstoppers Cheerleading TOP Soccer Bowling Super Science Saturday Sports Camps Swim Film-making/Design Teen Game Group Super Science Saturday Conway Kids Triathlon

4 Todd and Amy Denton Vice President, President 121 Waterview Garden Lane Roland, AR David and Krista Tapp Secretary 2740 Collins Drive Conway, AR Carrie Gifford Treasurer 293 Sunshine Farms Bigelow, AR James and Terry Barnes 14 Sologne Circle Little Rock, AR Bentley and Sydney Blackmon #10 Edgehill Rd. Little Rock, AR Nathan and Sarah Huggins 220 Mill Pond Road Conway, AR Jacob and Gracie Lively 51 Wildwood Place Circle Little Rock, AR Matt and D Lisa Haas 7011 Westshore Ave. Benton, AR matthewdavidhaas@gmail.com netimpact2001@yahoo.com Brock and Christina Martin 13 Pinehurst Circle Little Rock, AR vrat@swbell.net bmartin@orioncapitalusa.com Eric and Amy Sweatt 3805 Newcastle Drive Conway, AR Eric.sweatt@briggsequipment.com Amy.sweatt@att.net Brandon and Brittany Huffman 32 Orle Circle Little Rock, AR Brandon@huffmandrywall.com Brittanyhuffman@live.com Rich and Vickie Robertson 995 Memory Lane Camden, AR Rich.roberstson@aerocareusa.com roberstonvicki@aerocareusa.com David and Katie Choate 7 Crestmont Drive Little Rock, AR Katie.choate@pediatricsplus.com davidechoate@outlook.com Brian and Cristina Frey 400 North Palm Street Little Rock, AR Cristinafrey18@gmail.com Brianfrey81@gmail.com Emeritus Board Members Steve Sr. & Claudia Strange PO Box 916 Conway, AR stevesr@conwaycorp.net board of directors The Community Connections board of directors is composed of area business leaders who have committed substantial financial donations to support our cause and organizational structure. The layout of Community Connections provides maximum benefit for participating children. Most salary and administrative expenses are covered by the financial contributions of the business board. This allows money received from donations, fundraising activities, and grant sources to go directly to support the programs for children with developmental disabilities. The board helps in vision casting, decision making, overseeing the operations of Community Connections.

5 ace tennis ACE Tennis (Amazing Children Empowered through Tennis) is a tennis program for children with diverse abilities. The program instills values such as confidence, focus, communication, independence, coordination, team work, and sportsmanship. It is designed primarily for children to have fun and develop skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. 76 children participated in ACE Tennis in This program grew 20 additional children from We partnered with Rebsamen Tennis Center, the Little Rock Racquet Club, and Hendrix College in Conway to offer the program. Our players were invited to play & be a part of the new Conway Tennis Center. olunteers from several local high school tennis teams came out to serve as buddies for our players.

6 acts jr. theatre ACTS Jr. (Acting Creates Therapeutic Success) is a unique, creative program designed to integrate children ages 7-17 with and without disabilities together through the use of performing arts. The system utilized in ACTS Jr. is progressive in nature and focuses on the process rather than the product of creating a dramatic performance. The storyline and details of the play are created by the children & sessions build on one another so that children acquire new confidence & skills throughout the semester. ACTS Jr. has touched the lives of numerous children and families in Central Arkansas since Celebrated 12th year of offering ACTS Jr. in central Arkansas. Weekly sessions were held at Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock, 2nd Baptist Church in Conway, and Russellville First Assembly in Russellville. 90 children participated in ACTS Jr. and showcased their work in final performances at the end of the spring & fall semesters.

7 art Community Connections offers art classes for children ages The program allows kids to explore their creativity in a positive, encouraging environment, while simultaneously allowing them to explore their senses in new and exciting ways. Kids get a chance to socialize with one another, and everyone gets a chance to view and compliment the works of others at the end of class. Over 100 children participated in art between Conway, Little Rock, Russellville & Sherwood. Offered a Summer Ceramics program in Conway. Classes were offered at Fellowship Bible Church in Conway and Pediatrics Plus in Sherwood, Russellville, and Little Rock. Kids showcased their work in a special final art show in Conway & Russellville.

8 autism resource center The Autism Resource Center of Arkansas is dedicated to serving children and young adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their families, caregivers, and the professionals who work with them. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in 65 children in Arkansas are diagnosed with an ASD. Our mission is to empower these children and those surrounding them with information they can use to maximize their potential. Highlights from 2017 include: Added a new educational/support video that is posted on the Community Connections website for worldwide, 24/7 access. 18 children, ages 8-15, participated in our 5 day summer Camp Connect. Young adults met for monthly social outings including bowling, dinner, & game days. The group grew by 10 individuals in Purchased new books for the autism resource library.

9 basketball Community Connections basketball offered fall programs in Conway, Little Rock, and Russellville. Through doing drills, learning skills, and scrimmaging, many kids who would otherwise be unable were able to experience the game of basketball. 107 children participated in basketball in Conway, Little Rock, and Russellville, which is 17 more children than in We partnered with Hoop Life Gym, First Baptist Church in Conway, and First Baptist Church in Russellville for offer the program in their gyms. Each child learned ball handling, shooting techniques, and received a jersey. Players concluded the season with a final game at halftime of a University of Central Arkansas basketball game.

10 first tee golf Community Connections partners with The First Tee of Central Arkansas to provide a golf program for children ages 7-17 with special needs. The purpose of the golf program is to teach our kids the game of golf in a positive, encouraging environment. The golfers spend time each day in the classroom learning the rules and etiquette of golf then take their skills onto the course to put the learning into action. All of our golfers are taught by the instructors at The First Tee. Offered golf in Conway at Centennial Valley Country Club with the help of the Conway High School men s golf team. Offered summer golf clinics at the First Tee in Little Rock. Eighteen kids learned character building lessons and basics in a classroom setting and then skills on the course and putting green.

11 martial arts The Community Connections Martial Arts program focuses on fostering discipline, integrity, ability to follow directions and building confidence- with encouraging instructors praising kids for every effort and attempt. The Martial Arts program was held on the 2nd Saturday of every month in Conway and the last Saturday of the month in Russellville for children ages Offered the Martial Arts program in partnership with Grand Master Han s in Conway and Martial Arts America in Russellville. This program grew to 56 children who participated in Martial Arts. Typically developing children/teenagers who take typical martial arts assisted our kids with special needs on the Saturday clinics.

12 music The Community Connections music program seeks to promote the benefits of music in children with special needs in expressing themselves and gaining confidence. The children are introduced and enriched with ideas like- music can be everywhere, music can help me learn; music can help me communicate; and music can help me create. 40 children participated in summer Music clinics in Conway, Little Rock, & Russellville. We connected children who were more advanced/musically talented to private lessons.

13 rufl football The Rivals United Flag Football League was started by a group of committed football fans from Rivals.com who wanted to ensure all children, including kids with disabilities, would have the opportunity to play the game. Players, ages 7-17, get a chance to play quarterback, kicker, offense, and defense. The program is designed to ensure each child experiences success and being part of a team. RUFL is run by coaches and volunteers who encourage and assist the players. Kids receive official jerseys for being part of a RUFL team. Partnered with a Sports Exercise class at the University of Central Arkansas who served as consistent volunteer buddies for both Conway & Little Rock leagues. 40 children participated in RUFL at Vestal Park in Little Rock and UCA in Conway. Final game was held on the stripes at the UCA Football Stadium prior to a Bears game. Players then tailgated and were featured on the field during the player tunnel run-through.

14 cheerleading Cheerleading is offered through Community Connections for children with special needs ages The program gives girls and boys the opportunity to cheer on a squad with peers and highlight their individual abilities. The squad does cheer clinics to learn routines and then performs at competitions and venues in various cities across central Arkansas along with typically developing cheer squads. 36 kids with special needs participated in Cheer in The group performed at Cheer Force Showcase in Conway, the Jamfest Competition in Hot Springs, and the CheerSport Competition in Little Rock. The Russellville cheer group performed on the sidelines of the basketball program each week. Each cheerleader received an official uniform (and each girl received a bow) to wear during official competitions and performances. The squad performed on the sidelines for the final RUFL football game at UCA.

15 top soccer TOP Soccer is an adapted soccer program for children with special needs, ages TOP Soccer provides children the opportunity to participate in an organized soccer program in a safe, positive environment. The program is designed to give everyone a chance to play and to foster the values of teamwork, pride, and accomplishment within each player. Volunteers act as buddies for those who need assistance. Players are separated by age and ability to create an equal environment for everyone. 152 kids participated in TOP Soccer across central Arkansas. Programs were offered in Little Rock, Conway, Russellville, and Sherwood. We partnered with Arkansas United and Murray Park in Little Rock; Arkansas RUSH and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway; and Russellville High School to offer our program in the River Valley. Kids all received TOP Soccer t-shirts and medals at the final game.

16 swim We partnered with the Conway High School swim and dive team & UCA Occupational Therapists to offer a swim program for children ages The program was held at the University of Central Arkansas in the HPER Center pool and was focused on water safety and skills. The class grew to 2 groups and we were able to serve 50 children who benefited from swim classes this year. Children participated in water games and exercises that improved their strength and coordination.

17 sports camp Sports Camp is a 4-day program designed and led by a physical therapist that is meant to be an intensive therapeutic experience for the kids- while using sports as a means to work on endurance, strength, coordination, and balance. The sports we play/learn about include basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis. Every afternoon is spent in the pool with swimming. 35 children of varying abilities participated in Sports Camp in Conway & Little Rock. We partnered with UALR in Little Rock and UCA in Conway to use their court space and swimming pools. Volunteers from the community were paired one on one with each child to assist them throughout the day to ensure effective participation and safety.

18 bowling Bowling is an individual sport/recreational activity that can be offered rain or shine, year-round. Benefits of the program are for players to strengthen social skills as well as build self-confidence while having fun through an after school activity. We crew from 17 children in the pilot to 50 children participated in the Bowling program in Partnered with Conway Family Bowl to offer sessions in the spring, summer, and fall.

19 super science saturday We partnered with the Science department at the University of Central Arkansas to offer spring and fall Super Science Saturdays. College students created experiments and activities for our Community Connections kids to try. Over 26 kids were able to experience being in a college classroom and learning about science through these workshops.

20 adapted triathlon The Conway Kids Triathlon has been conducting the youth race in Faulkner County for 26 years. Community Connections was proud to partner with the CKT to offer an adapted division of a biking, running, swimming race. Offered 4 training courses throughout the summer to help athletes train for the race. 20 athletes with special needs participated in the triathlon. Athletes were recognized in a special awards ceremony following the triathlon.

21 pilot programs: teen game group & film-making and design This fall we partnered with the University of Central Arkansas to offer two new program targeted to pre-teen/ teenagers. The Film-making/Design Program was an idea that came from the leadership group in the ACTS Jr. program in the spring. We partnered with the UCA Maker-space for kids to create objects on 3D printers and then the kids broke into groups and created a short film, which they then taped and presented in a final film-festival at the end of the semester. The Teen Game Group met at Fellowship Baptist Church for two hours every week. The kids participated in a variety of strategy and team games to help build friendship/social skills, cooperation, team-work, and critical thinking. The teens benefited from the camaraderie that was fostered through problem solving and the laughter the games helped foster. We plan to offer both programs again in 2019.

22 financial recap Other Donations/ Income: Friends of Community Connections 8, United Way (River Valley and Faulkner County) 4, Interest Income/Cap One Rewards General Donations/Memorials 24, Total 38, Miscellaneous Fundraising: Gross Income Stoby's Pancake Breakfast 2, HAT Club of LR - Crawfish Salute 15, Fishin' for a Mission 3, Bike/Race Event (Thesis Project of UCA Student) 2, T-Shirt Sales (Autism & other) 1, Total 23, Arkansas Programs TX Programs Revenue Expense Net General & Administrative Board Member Contributions 36, , Other Donations/Income (see notes) 38, , Gain/Loss on Endowment Funds -15, , Overhead Expenses , , Sub-Total $58, $109, $50, Fundraising Goodnight 149, , , Swing-4-Life Golf Tournament 24, , Greekfest/VCC Care 5, , Miscellaneous Fundraising (see notes) 23, , , Sub-Total $203, $44, $159, Programs AR Program Director, misc supplies, travel , , ACTS Jr , , Art (incl Ceramics) , , Autism Resource Center , , Basketball 1, , , Bowling , , Camp Connect 1, , , Community Outreach Events First Tee Golf Martial Arts , , Music Rivals United Football League , , Showstoppers Cheer , , Summer Sports Camps 2, , , Swimming 1, , , Teen Game Group Tennis , TOPS Soccer , , Yoga 16, , , Misc Program Expenses - fliers, website, etc ACTS Jr Art Camp Basketball Sports Camp Sub-Total $24, $123, $99, Grand Total $286, $277, $8,871.59

23 Community Connections Balance Sheet Standard As of December 31, ASSETS Current Assets Checking/Savings Centennial Bank - FamSpt , , , , Centennial Bank - General 9, , , , , , , , , , , , Met Bank - I Can! Arts Ctr , , Total Checking/Savings 9, , , , , , , , , , , , Other Current Assets Stephens (Art) , Stephens (ARC of AR) , , , Stephens (ACTS Jr) , , , , Stephens (Golf) , , Stephens (Martial Arts) , Stephens (RUFL) , , , , , , Stephens (TOP Soccer) , , , , Total Other Current Assets , , , , , , Total Current Assets 9, , , , , , , , , , , , Total Assets over the Years $500,000 $450,000 $400,000 $350,000 $300,000 $250,000 $200,000 $150,000 $100,000 $50,000 $

24 Community Connections 2740 College Avenue Conway, Arkansas