100 Families Initiative Launches in Woodruff County

In a small but determined community, leaders are proving that collaboration can change lives. ARcare, Harding University, and Restore Hope officially launched the 100 Families Initiative in Woodruff County during a special community event in Augusta on October 13.

The initiative, which has already been in a prelaunch phase, has quietly begun serving the community over the past several months. To date, 57 families have received support and resources through the initiative. Family Advocate Courtney Way, funded by ARcare, is helping connect families with the services and support they need.

Welcoming everyone to the celebration, Elizabeth Ellis, the 100 Families Coordinator for White and Woodruff Counties, reflected on the power of unity already at work.

“It’s amazing to me the alliance that’s already been built in this community, that’s already working to have a collective impact on all of the families that we’re serving,” said Ellis.

Paul Chapman, Executive Director of Restore Hope, shared the broader vision behind the initiative.

Chapman said that Arkansas once had one of the fastest-growing prison populations, and the number of children entering foster care mirrored that same rapid increase. This raised questions about how to tackle such a complex issue.

“No matter how many people we serve, we can’t take care of everything participants actually need,” said Chapman. “So what would it look like to resource a community so they can work together better and move from each individual tracking what we did to what’s actually happening in the community?”

This resulted in the 100 Families model—an initiative that uses community resources to help move participants from crisis to career.

Chapman went on to discuss how some have asked how this model reaches rural communities, sharing the positive impact that Woodruff County is already having in its community of around 3,000 people.

“I’ve used Woodruff for the past nine or ten months as an example of what rural communities can do,” Chapman said.

He went on to praise Woodruff County for its partnership and collaboration as a community coming together to support one another.

Following Chapman’s remarks, Dana Baker, Senior Community Success Manager, took the stage to share encouraging data showing how collaboration is already changing lives in Woodruff County.

“Seven families have moved from crisis to career since January,” shared Baker.

Baker went on to share data from 100 Families’ 13 areas of care, which are: mental health, physical health, legal assistance, food, transportation, childcare, employment, recovery, education, money management, dental, safety, and housing.

“One hundred percent of our families in Woodruff County have moved forward in employment,” Baker said. “When families move forward in employment, we’re going to see this financial stability number go up, food number go up, housing number go up, transportation number go up.”

Baker highlighted the pyramid of stability and how one care area affects the rest. She then spoke about child welfare and one of the goals of 100 Families: helping participants navigate foster care and providing resources to help prevent the need for removal before it happens.

“Courtney has had eight families reunify since she started in Woodruff County,” said Baker.

As the conversation turned to community partnerships in action, Blake Schrepfer, ARcare Community Liaison, shared how their organization is putting collaboration into practice.

“We have utilized 100 Families’ services so often for our patients who come in,” said Schrepfer.

He went on to discuss how ARcare is taking what they are doing well in White County and implementing it in Woodruff County.

“I think what we have found is that it takes a lot more than those dollars—it takes the right people,” Schrepfer said. “I think we have the right people.”

He stated that Way, Restore Hope, and 100 Families are the right people for this initiative and said he looks forward to continued collaboration in Woodruff County.

“Just ask you to continue to reach out, continue to partner,” said Schrepfer.

The event concluded with a video presentation of the Declaration of Participation—a representation of the community’s collective commitment to support families. Attendees were then invited to sign the Declaration, signaling a pledge to work together to help Arkansas families move from crisis to career.

With the launch now official, the 100 Families Initiative of Woodruff County is poised to expand its reach, deepen partnerships, and continue offering hope to those who need it most.