Students in the management of nonprofit sectors course recently completed their service learning projects designed to help the homeless in Arkansas.

Georgia Mjartan, UALR alum and executive director of Our House, taught the course and encouraged her students to give back to the community. The projects focus on benefiting the Central Arkansas Family Stability Institute (CAFSI), a new program at Our House that aims to help those recently leaving homelessness.

The students will present their projects and the results of their findings at an event from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 28, in the Learning Center located at Our House.

The event is free and open to the public. Contact Johnelle Shaw at 501.349.7529 for more information.

The class learned first-hand how CAFSI is working to achieve three principals: increase employment stability, decrease school-aged children’s school mobility, and increase housing stability. Through CAFSI, Our House is able to help their clients for an additional year and ensure they not only succeed in the job market, but that they also maintain housing. The program does this by offering life coaching, financial literacy, employment training, and other essential skills.

Three students worked on a fundraising plan to help CAFSI raise funds needed to better provide services for their clients. The plan focused on five grants, a special event, and a silent auction.

“At the end of the day, our project was ultimately designed to help increase stability and longevity of the program,” said Dustin Brown. Brown and two others will present their project at the event.