19 Apr 2020 Rental assistance plan available

COVID-19 has affected everyone on the planet in some way, but for the most vulnerable, difficult life circumstances have become impossible to navigate.

A special campaign has been launched to help prevent families in Faulkner, Perry, Van Buren and Conway counties from becoming homeless during this health crisis.

Seven non-profits are working together with families, landlords and local government to help ease the burden. This non-profit collaboration has streamlined a housing assistance application process and is helping those families with a plan to move forward in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A community fund has been set up at First Security Bank to house donations and an allocation committee is in place to distribute funds based on need over the next 60 days.

The funding committee is comprised of Judi Lively of Bethlehem House, Dr. Phillip Fletcher of City of Hope Outreach, Spring Hunter of the Conway Ministry Center, Jennifer Boyett of the United Way of Central Arkansas and Laura King, founder of Conway Gives.

These agencies are collaborating with Salvation Army and the Community Action Program of Central Arkansas (CAPCA) Emergency Assistance Programs so that resources can be maximized to assist as many families as possible.

The Arkansas Community Foundation of Faulkner County as well as the United Way of Central Arkansas have been an integral part of the collaboration, providing resources on multiple levels.

Conway Gives is a community collaboration that launched in the fall of 2018 after five local non-profits began looking for deeper ways to work together. Conway Gives provides a platform for local agencies (that provide specific homeless/homeless prevention services) to achieve a common goal without being in competition with one another.

Families in need of rental assistance can call the central hotline at 501.358.6960 to find out if they are eligible and start the application process. Each application will be processed on a case-by-case basis according to need.

For more information, visit ConwayGives.com. To donate to the fund, visit the website or mail checks to Bethlehem House/COVID-19 RENT at 1115 Parkway, Conway, AR 72034. Contributions can also be made to the COVID-19 Rent Assistance Fund-Ministry Center at any First Security Bank location.