Community Unites to Transform a Woman's Home

In a powerful display of community partnership and second chances, the White County Smart Justice District Court Initiative (SJDCI) joined forces with the City of Bald Knob for a clean-up event that brought together court participants, recovery advocates, and volunteers in service of a local resident in need.

The effort was coordinated by Jaimi Matlock, SJDCI Court Coordinator, and Preston Wallace, Bald Knob City Ordinance Officer. Together, they identified the home of an elderly woman who was unable to meet city ordinance requirements due to physical limitations. What followed was a remarkable example of collaboration, compassion, and redemption.

Matlock partnered with Jimmy Holland, a former participant of the Smart Justice District Court Initiative who is now employed as a Recovery Representative for Life in Victory, a Bald Knob-based inpatient rehabilitation program for men. Holland helped organize and oversee the project, which brought together over 30 volunteers from both Smart Justice and Life in Victory to clean and restore the property.

Over the course of several days, volunteers filled multiple dumpsters with debris and transformed the property, all while building relationships rooted in encouragement and shared purpose. Throughout the clean-up, participants and volunteers prayed together, offered one another words of support, and shared recovery tips and personal experiences. The atmosphere was one of mutual respect and hope—proof that community healing happens best when people lift each other up.

“Jimmy’s leadership on this project really shows what Smart Justice is all about,” said Matlock. “It’s about giving people the tools to change their lives, and then watching them turn around and use those same tools to help others.”

The clean-up not only improved one woman’s home—it highlighted the greater mission of SJDCI and Life in Victory: transforming lives, restoring hope, and strengthening the community one act of service at a time.