13 May 2018 Annual hamburger cookout benefits nursing home fund

The Nursing Home Gift Fund of Faulkner County will host its annual hamburger cookout on the front lawn of the Faulkner County Courthouse from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 15.

The organization holds the cookout each May to raise funds to fill Christmas gift bags for the nursing home residents of Faulkner County. This year’s cookout is being held in conjunction with National Nursing Home Week.

This past Christmas, the organization distributed 550 gift sacks to eight area facilities. Students from area elementary schools, 4-H Teen Leaders and Girl Scouts helped with the deliveries, sang Christmas songs and visited with the residents.

For those who make frequent visits to see loved ones in nursing homes, one of the most painful things to see is the loneliness of other residents who hardly ever get visitors. Their face lights up if you give them just a smile or a few kind words. They just want someone to pay attention.

In 1999, Raydean Wood decided to do something about that. While visiting her mother in a local nursing home, she noticed that many of the residents there never had any visitors and never received any gifts during the holidays. Seeing this led her to establish the Nursing Home Gift Fund of Faulkner County, which became a 501(c)(3) three years later. Many of the non-profit’s members are Faulkner County employees.

First Security Bank’s Teal Grill team will be grilling the burgers. For $5, come get a hamburger, chips and a drink. Fresh-baked cookies will also be sold for $1 a package. For more information see the Nursing Home Gift Fund of Faulkner County page on Facebook.