by Jessica Olson
Little Rock is a city with a big heart. Filled with both nonprofits and churches, City Connections’ mission is to bring them together. A faith-based, Christian organization, they believe that every single person was created with a unique purpose and City Connections hopes to help connect people to others who can benefit from their gifts. They believe that generosity and love are some of the most important parts of being a follower of Christ, so they want to help churches and nonprofits show the community these principles. Director Steve Biernacki says “City Connections mobilizes the church to make an undeniable dent in the community. We do this by aligning volunteers with missions, and acting as a giant megaphone for Little Rock and Central Arkansas.”
Community Focus Luncheon at City Connections
Biernacki became the director of City Connections in June, 2019. He is very passionate about helping people and said “This endeavor means the world to me, as I get to be a catalyst for change, peace, and love. I also get the honor of working on missionary work, right here in my own backyard. There are so many folks that need help, and so many groups willing to give that help…we simply need to connect them!”
Little Rock Community Forum for Hispanic/Latino citizens at The Church at Rock Creek
In order to bring people together, “City Connections unites Greater Little Rock by communicating opportunities and needs among our partner organizations through our City Link email network” (https://cityconnectionsinc.org/). Further, the office has a Community Room conference space, which they allow people and organizations to use. Another program offered through City Connections is Operation Restore which “assembles compassionate employers providing jobs to individuals who have successfully completed drug and alcohol rehabilitation” (https://cityconnectionsinc.org/).
Evening of Worship at Nexus Coffee and Creative
In order to help cultivate community success, City Connections has many plans to benefit Little Rock including: helping hunger-fighting initiatives, volunteering in local schools, working towards alternatives to obstacles of success in the city, helping to guide neighbors in establishing self-sustaining enterprises, and helping to invest in faith development of church and community leaders. If you are looking to get involved, Biernacki says “City Connections has many irons in the fire at all times. With the holiday season fast approaching, we will have multiple feeding events, shelter events, and events for children…” He further went on to say, “For anyone looking to make their own dent in the universe, we offer classes, consulting, coaching, and collaboration. We house a dozen nonprofit organizations in our facility, which includes a Church, and a licensed mental health counselor … Thus, we are always in need of Client Partners who have a heart and mind to help us give folks a second chance by offering jobs to those in need.”
Those interested in hiring or in learning more about City Connections’ many community plans, can contact Director Biernacki by phone 501-376-1686 or email steve@cityconnectionsinc.org. For further information, City Connections’ website can be accessed at https://cityconnectionsinc.org/.