by Benjamin Bowers
As long as Trinity Presbyterian of Little Rock has been a church, the congregation has partnered with Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Family Services. Because of this partnership, hundreds, if not thousands, of children have benefited. There are over 3,000 children in Arkansas placed in foster care situations annually, however, there is less than half that number of foster care homes available for these children.
Wanda Hartnuss lends a hand by painting a door in the Williams House
The support provided by Trinity Presbyterian, both monetarily and through providing volunteers, helps ensure that these children will have a place to call home when they are in need. Megan, who was a beneficiary of Vera Lloyd for six months at the age of 14 says “I feel so happy that I got the chance to be part of a wonderful place…. It helped me value my family and my future.”
Vera Lloyd is a non-profit that works with the State of Arkansas to help provide temporary, residential housing to minors under the care of the State at their Lewis and Williams Homes. Vera Lloyd also has a Therapeutic Group Program which works with juveniles that are in the criminal justice system.
Dick McCown painting a hallway in the Williams House at Vera Lloyd
The congregation at Trinity Presbyterian provides mission work by traveling to Monticello, which is the location of the Vera Lloyd Lewis Home, and volunteering to work on the upkeep of the buildings that the children live in and utilize. Volunteers from Trinity also take the time to travel to Monticello and bring the children back to the Little Rock area for fun experiences like jumping at Altitude Trampoline Park and attending UA Little Rock basketball games. Pastor Price, who leads the congregation of Trinity Presbyterian, says “We like to not only provide financial support to the Lewis Home, but we also like to get involved with providing hands-on support.”
Donna Mahurin, the Director of Vera Lloyd, is also a member of Trinity Presbyterian, so the decades-old relationship between Trinity and Vera Lloyd runs deep. Vera Lloyd relies heavily on donations to support the work they do with children. Their annual Turkey Trot fundraiser is coming up and interested participants can register at http://www.veralloyd.org/. Donations support the current work of Vera Lloyd and plans to grow a more formal aftercare support system for the youth after they leave the program
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