The Power of One Caring Adult

At a community-wide meeting, 100 Families Coordinator for Johnson and Franklin Counties, Kerry Bewley shared research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), explaining that Arkansas continues to rank among the states with the highest percentage of children exposed to significant trauma. Experiences such as abuse, neglect, addiction, incarceration, domestic violence, and family instability can have lifelong effects on a child's physical health, emotional well-being, education, and future opportunities.

But the conversation was not about statistics alone. It was about the people who can change those statistics. Throughout the meeting, panelists shared how fathers, mentors, teachers, law enforcement officers, recovery coaches, and caring community members can become the relationships that help children and adults overcome adversity, rebuild their lives, and discover hope. While programs, services, and resources all have an important role, panelists at the Johnson County Alliance Meeting agreed that lasting transformation begins when someone consistently chooses to show up.

"One caring adult who listens, who believes, who continuously and consistently shows up," said Kerry, "That person can build resilience. They can improve educational outcomes. They can reduce substance misuse. They can strengthen mental health, and they can even reduce future involvement in the judicial system. That's the power of presence. People live on relationship. We can't do life alone."

For Angel Hernandez, Peer Support Specialist with the Wolfe Street Foundation, presence is deeply personal.

After years of addiction, incarceration, and instability, he met someone who invested in him without judgment. That relationship became the turning point that allowed him to rebuild his life and eventually dedicate his career to helping others find recovery.

Rather than allowing his past to define his future, Hernandez discovered that healing became possible when someone believed in him before he fully believed in himself.

"The things that have happened in my life do not make me who I am today... I can be okay with how my life began, but it doesn't define who I am today."

Today, Hernandez uses his lived experience to walk alongside others facing addiction and mental health challenges. He spoke candidly about homelessness, relying on community members for rides to recovery meetings, and spending long days in the local library working through recovery materials because he had nowhere else to go.

For Jeremy Pitts, Principal of Clarksville Elementary School, presence begins in the hallways of an elementary school.

Pitts says he intentionally chooses relationships over paperwork whenever possible, believing that every interaction communicates value to a child.

His goal is not simply to manage a school but to create an environment where students know there is an adult who genuinely cares about them.

"I'll hug any child that comes up to me... What if that is the absolute only hug they get the whole day? I want to be the person they come to."

He also emphasized that schools cannot meet every need alone.

Teachers, counselors, volunteers, mentors, churches, nonprofits, law enforcement, and community organizations each play a role in creating the network of support children need to thrive. When those relationships work together, children begin to trust, participate, and believe they belong.

Johnson County Sheriff Grant Nicely offered a perspective shaped by both his career in law enforcement and his role as a father.

He reflected on how easy it is for technology and busy schedules to pull attention away from meaningful relationships. Being physically present, he explained, is not the same as truly engaging with someone.

Throughout his remarks, he challenged attendees to move beyond their comfort zones and invest personally in families facing difficult circumstances.

Rather than seeing people only through the lens of mistakes or crisis, communities can become places where encouragement changes direction.

"Sometimes even when they feel like they're at their lowest... say, 'I know you're going through a tough time... but let me show you a different way.'"

Nicely also stressed that reducing future crime begins long before someone enters the criminal justice system. Children who experience positive mentors, consistent encouragement, and healthy relationships are far more likely to avoid destructive paths than those left searching for belonging elsewhere.

Tim "Hoghead" Smith shared how Bikers Against Child Abuse demonstrates the power of presence through consistency.

Whether accompanying children through court proceedings, creating safe environments, providing specially prepared teddy bears, or simply returning every time a child needs them, BACA's mission is built around helping children regain confidence after abuse.

For Smith, success is not measured only by court outcomes.

It is measured by whether a child discovers courage again.

"Helping the kid find their voice... and going back to being a kid instead of a victim."

He explained that every interaction is designed to restore a child's sense of control and safety until they are ready to move forward.

Ultimately, Smith said, the greatest victory is not simply winning a case.

"What matters is that child finding their voice. That is a victory for us."

While each panelist represented a different profession, none suggested that mentoring belongs exclusively to teachers, counselors, law enforcement officers, or nonprofit organizations.

Instead, the discussion pointed toward a broader vision of community responsibility.

A neighbor who checks in. A coach who encourages. A volunteer who mentors. A church member who walks alongside a struggling family. A recovery mentor who answers the phone. A principal who knows every child's name. A deputy who chooses compassion alongside accountability.

These relationships may seem ordinary in the moment, but together they become the protective network that helps children and families flourish.