Northwest Arkansas Childrens Shelter

Employee Spotlight – Executive Chef, Trena Ames

How long have you been with the Shelter? I have been at the shelter for 10 months and I love my job!

What is your favorite part about your job? When I see the kids’ eyes light up and get excited about the meals they are about to eat and are grateful for them.

Share your favorite kid moment. When they realize I remember what their likes and dislikes are and love me enough to give me nicknames. I am currently Momma T. 

How are the Shelter’s programs impacting kids every day? I see kids come in here with below average grade levels and work hard to bring those up while making new friends in the process. I see kids come in broken and leave feeling loved and cared for, which is such a great feeling. I see kids come back and feel like they are safe and cared for and loved here instead of being scared of a new place. I love that the staff here work so hard so all of these children feel happy about their stay with us. I love our staff family and volunteers who work so hard and do our part as a team to keep this facility open for all who need us. I am blessed to know these children and get to be a small part of their lives.

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Lola

This young lady has been with us for more than two months. When she first arrived, she could only count to 8 and didn’t recognize numbers above 5 by sight. She also only knew about 6 letters and no sounds. She attends school on-site here at the Shelter and is in Ms. Anaiya’s elementary class. […]

Read more about LolaImpact stories

Meet Lola

This young lady has been with us for more than two months. When she first arrived, she could only count to 8 and didn’t recognize numbers above 5 by sight. She also only knew about 6 letters and no sounds. She attends school on-site here at the Shelter and is in Ms. Anaiya’s elementary class. By the end of the first quarter of the school year, she can now count to 30 and identifies numbers up to 20 when shown out of sequence. She also knows 24 letters and matching sounds! This sweet girl is overcoming memory issues and a language delay. Her hard work, along with the patience and caring of Ms. Anaiya, have allowed her to make huge progress. We are so proud of her!

The Shelter is a great place with warm hearts, open minds and lots of care.

Angela, age 14

I felt like I was being taken care of for the first time.

Kyle, age 9

Here at this Shelter, staff members treat you with respect and lots of care. They are all helpful and are willing to listen to anything you have to say. I feel safe here.

Damien, age 17