Our House
Our House is a homeless shelter in Little Rock, Arkansas. The shelter's mission is to provide the "working homeless with safe, clean, comfortable housing; food; free child care; education; and job training in order that they may return to independence and leader productive lives." The shelter is able to accommodate eighty individuals and eighteen families. Our House operates the Joseph Flaherty Campus job training facility, a childcare center and playground, and a community kitchen serving 45,000 meals each year.
Our House was established in September 1987 in the wake of a special study of homelessness commissioned by the Arkansas Conference of Churches and Synagogues, the United Way of Pulaski County, and other social service agencies in central Little Rock. The report recommended new facilities for the working poor. The first Our House shelter at 408 Main Street held forty beds. The original training programs offered basic computer processing and appliance repair.
The shelter has been recognized as President George H.W. Bush's 290th "Point of Light." President Bill Clinton said of the shelter, "Programs such as yours that emphasize job training and job placement as a means of helping our neediest citizens and stopping welfare dependency can enhance the quality of living for many Americans."
The executive director of Our House is Georgia Mjartan. The president is Janell Mason and vice president is Lynn Hamilton. The secretary is Johnna Thomas and treasurer is Clay Glasgow. Board members are Kirk Bradhaw, the Reverend Steve Copley, Kevin Couch, Karen Flake, John Fowler, Robert Holloway, Vicki Kovaleski, Michael Langley, Jon Lewis, Lee Anne Overall, Valerie Pruitt, Jan Scholl, Guy Wade, Kathy Wells, C. Michael White, Stacey Williams, Beverly Wittenberg. The advisory board members are Beth Coulson, the Honorable Annabelle Clinton-Imber, Barry McDaniel, Reg Robinson, Evelyn Rose, and John Tisdale.
The address of Our House since December 17, 2005, is 302 East Roosevelt Road. The shelter was formerly located on the 400 block of Main Street.
References
- Laurie McGinley, "Beyond Handouts: New Social Programs Emphasize Flexibility and Self-Sufficiency," Wall Street Journal, May 17, 1993.
- Kristin Netterstrom, "LR City Director Calls for Halt to Downtown Demolition," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, February 11, 2009.
