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.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Abby

Let me tell you Abby’s story. It was one of the worst cases of neglect the police officer had ever seen. The children were covered in grime, clearly malnourished and sleeping on filthy pallets on the floor. The house had no running water and roaches infested the kitchen. There were visible scratches, bruises and burns […]

Read more about AbbyImpact stories

Meet Abby

Let me tell you Abby’s story.

It was one of the worst cases of neglect the police officer had ever seen. The children were covered in grime, clearly malnourished and sleeping on filthy pallets on the floor. The house had no running water and roaches infested the kitchen. There were visible scratches, bruises and burns on the children’s bodies. This wasn’t the first time their caregiver had been arrested.

After the children were removed from the home, they arrived at the doors of the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter. They were scared, tired and hungry. We welcomed them with open arms. The Shelter team immediately sprang into action by serving the children a hot meal, giving each child a bath, providing them with clean clothing and beginning treatment for rashes, burns and lice. Abby was the oldest child living in the home — a young girl of less than seven years. Confused and extremely angry, she lashed out at the Shelter team because she had never trusted an adult in her life. She didn’t know how to react when we tried to care for her. She had been deprived of the love and affection of a family.

With patience and guidance from the Shelter team, Abby learned how to better handle her anger and frustration. She learned how to use kind words and how to depend on the adults around her to meet her needs. Most importantly, she learned that, for the first time in her life, she had people who truly cared for her.

Now, Abby has discovered the joys of childhood.

She loves stuffed animals. She loves talking about kittens. She loves drawing pictures for her teacher. On a recent visit to Chick-fil-A, she was so excited about eating in a “real” restaurant and even more excited about joining the other children in the play area. In our care, Abby learned how to laugh and have fun. Her laugh is so infectious, it can turn a bad day into a great one!

Abby is just one of the more than 10,000 children in Arkansas who experienced abuse or neglect last year. For the past 5 years, Washington County has ranked #2 and Benton County #3 for substantiated cases of child abuse. Yes, child abuse is very real and, yes, it is happening in OUR community.

The Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter serves as the first point of refuge for children from throughout Arkansas who have suffered the trauma of abuse or neglect. Here, they are safe, loved and given the opportunity to just be kids again.

We need your help to combat the effects of abuse and neglect on our kids. Your gift to the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter not only provides a warm bed and three meals per day, but also the opportunity for children like Abby to begin the process of healing. Help our children to know that they are loved with your gift.

See our needs list or donate today!

The Shelter felt like a family to me – always helping me when I needed it and making me feel at ease. I might be leaving, but a part of me is staying.

Chelle, age 16

I’m so glad that I got to spend my 12th birthday here at the Shelter. It was truly the best!

Marly, age 12

I like it here.

Jordyn, age 7