Stuttgart Volunteers Launch 3 New Programs to Serve Community

The Stuttgart Volunteers are proving that small towns have big hearts with three fresh programs launching this year to connect neighbors across generations.

The group's newest project brings volunteer readers into every elementary school in Stuttgart. Coordinator Jennifer "Pooh" White says the program gives kids positive role models who simply love books and spending time with children.

Another initiative, Adopt a Grandparent, will pair volunteers with residents at Crestpark nursing home for games, conversation, and even balloon volleyball. White says the program focuses on keeping residents active and engaged while bringing joy into their daily routines.

These programs join the Stuttgart Volunteers' existing disaster relief team, which travels across Arkansas and beyond to help communities recover after emergencies. The group also runs the annual Angel Tree Christmas Wishes program, providing gifts to families in need during the holidays.

To fund all this community goodness, the volunteers are hosting a drive-through hamburger dinner on Monday, January 26, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Prairie Center. Tickets cost $12 and include a burger cooked by the men of Yoder Ruritan, chips, homemade desserts, and all the fixings.

White says the Monday evening timing is intentional. "We would love to make it easy for a Monday night to take off the stress of parents figuring out what they are going to do for dinner," she explains.

The Ripple Effect

What makes the Stuttgart Volunteers special isn't just the number of programs they run. It's how each initiative creates connections that might not otherwise exist between students and mentors, young volunteers and elderly residents, or neighbors helping neighbors through crisis.

These aren't complex solutions requiring massive budgets or expert training. They're simple acts of showing up: reading a story, playing a game, writing a card, or grilling burgers on a Monday night.

The group welcomes anyone who wants to join their efforts. Whether you love reading, talking, playing games, or lending a hand after disasters, there's a place for you.

Tickets for the January 26 fundraiser are available by calling White at 870-674-4475 or Melody Stackhouse at 870-830-1071. Sometimes changing a community starts with something as simple as sharing a meal together.