LINCOLN -- Bright Futures Lincoln celebrated its one-year birthday earlier this month with balloon releases at Lincoln elementary school, middle school and high school campuses.
At the elementary school, students came outside, each eating a cup of ice cream for the birthday party. Children in the class that collected the most money through a piggy bank drive were each given a colorful balloon to release into the windy sky.
"I was amazed at what all we got accomplished in one year," said Donna Thompson, who coordinates Bright Futures for Lincoln Consolidated School District.
Lincoln kicked off its Bright Futures program in May 2015. Through May 1 of this year, Bright Futures Lincoln has met 838 needs with items such as shoes, socks, underwear, shirts, pants, backpacks, hygiene products and chap sticks, Thompson said.
The list goes on a lot longer than that, though.
Other needs met include canned food, 10 bags of potatoes, donated deer meat, snacks for snack packs and space heaters. Bright Futures also helped families who lost everything because of house fires. Bright Futures provided furniture, clothing and household items.
The goal of Bright Futures is to have every child's basic needs met so that he or she can achieve success and graduate. Bright Futures goes one step beyond that and has an objective to meet those needs within 24 hours.
Lincoln is part of the Bright Futures USA national organization, based in Joplin, Mo. The idea is to provide a central place to help schools meet the needs of their students by networking with civic groups, churches, parent groups, businesses and individuals within a community.
Lincoln has a Bright Futures Facebook page and uses the page to post needs that children have.
Ralph Nesson, Arkansas regional coordinator for Bright Futures, said Lincoln has done a "fantastic" job this year. He praised school Superintendent Mary Ann Spears, Thompson, school counselors and teachers.
"They are all behind it and that's what it takes," Nesson said.
Nesson has been impressed at how quickly needs are met once they are placed on the Bright Futures' Facebook page.
"They get calls immediately from people who say 'I'll help,'" Nesson said, adding, "I've never come across a community that is so responsive to the needs of its children as Lincoln is."
The list of accomplishments through the program also include a $5,000 grant from Walton Family Foundation for a home library project so children can begin their own library at home, $3,500 in gift cards from LIFE Ministries in Prairie Grove, 145 jeans donated through a community jeans drive and 2,189 donated socks.
Bright Futures helped seniors who could not afford their sidewalk fees, caps and gowns, year books and expenses to participate in the senior trip. The Bright Futures ambassadors team started a prom closet and was able to provide prom dresses to several girls.
Activities and events sponsored by Bright Futures the first year include the Back to School Bonanza, a back to school swim party, Happy Hearts Christmas Program, selling drinks at the car show and Arkansas Apple Festival and raising money through Popsicle sales and piggy bank drives.
Thompson said Lincoln has always met needs of its students for years but Bright Futures allows more people to be involved. Her goal for the second year, she said, is to have even more community involvement.
Lincoln Bright Futures has an advisory board chaired by Lynn Thomas of Arvest Bank.
Thomas said all the needs met during the first year show the amount of support given by the community to help children in the school district.
He said he is not surprised by the accomplishments.
"Lincoln has a history of all the groups in the community working together," Thomas said.
Community groups include churches, Lincoln Kiwanis, city of Lincoln, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce and GRACE Place.
"Bright Futures is just another example of how this community meets the needs of its children," Thomas said.
General News on 05/18/2016