September 4, 2024 • 22 mins
Speaking with Elizabeth Pulley, Executive Director of Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, about their mission to help families who have been affected by child abuse, how you can be a part of preventing child abuse across the state, and details on their upcoming Inspiration Gala at the Statehouse Convention Center on October 14th. Seats and table sponsorships are available now at https://www.inspirationgala.com/
If you have a community organization, public organization, charity event, or topic for the program, email your information to djtaylor@iheartmedia.com
If you have a community organization, public organization, charity event, or topic for the program, email your information to djtaylor@iheartmedia.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome and thanks for tuning in for Talk of the
Rock public affairs, community events, and public services for Central
Arkansas from the iHeart Radio Studios in Little Rock. Here's
your host, DJ Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And thank you for joining us for Talking the Rock.
I'm DJ Taylor and I'm joined by Elizabeth Pulley, the
executive director for the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas. How
are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Absolutely Now, for those that may not know, what is
the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
So we provide support in a continuation of services with
our cecs across the state. So there are nineteen locations
across the state of Arkansas that provide free direct services
to child abuse victims. So they provide advocacy to help
the parent and the child navigate through the next steps
(00:52):
after they hear their child has been abused and a
recorded forensic interview so for secution to help with the case.
And we also provide mental health services and that's the
healing part for a child. So it's so important that
the child receives the mental health services and then we
(01:14):
provide medical exams if one is needed. All of these
services are free to child victims across the state. So
these centers, these services are vital to our Arkansas children.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Absolutely. I know the statistics are staggering when it comes
to child abuse in the state of Arkansas. And I
know that a lot of people don't seek the help
that they need, either because of cost or because of
fear of what they may see or what they may
experience after the fact. If they step forward, it takes
(01:52):
a lot of bravery to do that. But child advocacy centers,
I know from experience, from talking with you all over
the years that this is this is not one of
those situations where they're going to put the spotlight in
your face and start asking you a bunch of really
crazy questions. You're genuinely there to help. It is a
judgment free place for kids and parents.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Absolutely, you know. It is a child friendly facility. So
the child feels as comfortable as they can dur in
a situation like that where they see bright colors, they
have toys, We provide snacks for them as comfortable as
they can, for the caregiver and for the child themselves.
And you know, this is a hard situation, so whatever
(02:39):
we can do to make it as easy for them
to come in to share their story. That's what we
want to do. But we are the neutral part of
the investigation so that the child does feel comfortable in
that environment that we have for that child. Children when
(03:00):
they walk into they see hamprints on the wall, and
hamprints of the kids that have gone before them and
of all the brave kids that have gone before them.
So sometimes that eases a little fear when they go, oh,
I'm not the only one this has happened to, and
they see those different size hamdprints, little bitty handprints to
(03:22):
teenage hamdprints. It's all different sizes, all different ages, you know,
all different areas of the state. There is abuse happening
every single day in Arkansas.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And I feel like it's important to also point out
I know that a lot of victims of child abuse
they feel like it's their fault or it's something that
they've done, and I just want to step right out
and say that is not the case. Nobody deserves that,
nobody should expect that, And this is one of those
(03:54):
places that will not judge you no matter what. And
it is very easy to speak to somebody. It is
very easy to be able to talk to folks and
receive these services, and it is very confidential, it is
very safe and secure. If someone is looking to receive
(04:19):
help from child advocacy centers, is what's the best way
to go about that.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So, if you suspect child abuse at all, in the
state of Arkansas, there's a child abuse hotline that is
housed in Arkansas State Police headquarters and that number is
eight four four Save a Child, And I highly recommend
to that everyone writes that number down, be familiar with it,
and if you suspect abuse, you know something's happening, please
(04:47):
call that number. And what happens at that time is
the the people at the hotline will take the call,
they will listen to and ask you a few questions
and and then if it goes to investigation, it will
either go to state police or it will go through
DHS and it's a referral process to our sinners. And
(05:10):
so that's how the process starts. But the first step
is calling the hotline absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And another thing that I do want to point out
is that if you suspect child abuse, if you feel
like there's something wrong there, teachers, other adults, neighbors, friends
of the family, whatever, the case may be it's better
to say something, and maybe that's not the case, but
(05:40):
it's better to say something than to let something so
terrible continue, knowing that it could be stopped.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Absolutely, a lot of times that we will go into
schools to do different trainings just on body safety. And
a lot of times kids don't realize what's happening at
home is not normal until they hear one say that's
a bad touch, that's not normal, and so we do
see an increase in a cost to the hotline when
(06:09):
they're educated and have an understanding. And sometimes families don't
realize because it's the cycle of abuse over the years
that will happen to even the parents and now they're
abusing their child and they can't get out of that
cycle because they think that's a normal part of the
family life and it's not. So to stop that cycle
and to take care of kids, it's all of our
(06:33):
responsibilities as adults in our own communities to protect kids.
And one way to protect kids is to if you
have if you suspect abuse, to call the hotline. And
we just asked that people do come forward, and that
number again is eight four to four. Save a child.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
That's a great number to have. Make sure that you've
got that written down and make sure you've got it
committed to memory just in case you need it now.
You did mentioned a few minutes ago about doing seminars
and talks with different community groups classes. If somebody wanted
to set up a class like that, is that something
that CAC offers.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Absolutely, So we go into schools, we teach, We train
teachers on signs of abuse. A mandated reporter. So in
Arkansas law, there are some folks that are mandated to
report child abuse and those are kind of those trusted
people for a child, like a teacher and administrator, pastors
(07:36):
at churches. There's even folks that are licensed a massage
therapists now or is on the mandated reporter list, but
there's a whole list in the state of Arkansas that
are mandated to call the hotline. So we provide that
training of how to call, what are signs of abuse
and preparing adults, you know, even again, churches, volunteers, after
(08:00):
school activities with Boys and Girls Club. We have trained
all of those different folks. We've even trained summer camp
counselors at different camps across Arkansas. For them to understand
what to look for. And then we also go in
and we have some curriculum that we use just on
body safety, so a child is aware of what is normal,
(08:23):
what is not, not getting into rough details of anything,
but just a child friendly curriculum that we use for
body safety. And Yes, so if a school or a
organization is interested in this type of training. On our website,
(08:44):
Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, there's a list of all
of our centers and you can reach out to your
local center or you can reach out to us where
the chapter office kind of the admin office located in
Little Rock and we're happy to direct and provide that
service for you.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
That is fantastic That website has so many different resources there,
the ability to sign up for one of these instructional classes,
also the ability to volunteer or donate, because I'm sure
child Avacy Centers uses a lot of volunteers to make
this work with such a workload here in the in
(09:21):
the state.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yes, and if you're thinking, you know we have we
provide services to about ten thousand children every year and
that does cost money. And the staff that we train
to be able to conduct those forensic interviews, to provide
the mental health services, to provide medical exams. It's costly,
(09:43):
and you know, every child in Arkansas that has been
abuse deserve these services, and we work in partnership with
our different state agencies to provide these services. But ways
that you can give and donate, you know, we we
rely on state grants, we rely on federal grants, and
(10:03):
we rely on community giving. So there's different ways that
you can donate, and if it's financially to our local
centers or even snacks. Again, we provide snacks to our
kids that come in and that's juice boxes and individual
little packs of chips and fruit snacks and things like that.
Also we ask for gas cards. A lot of times
(10:27):
our families don't even have the money, the gas money
to bring their kid to a center, So gas cards
are important to our folks. And sometimes even gift card
like food gift cards. Their situation might not be a
good situation to go back to, so they might have
to find another place to live, they might not have
(10:49):
money for food that night, so a lot of times
we do provide a meal to these kids and families.
So there's different ways that you can donate and give
also blankets our kids that come in from medical exams,
we provide a blanket and sometimes a stuffed animal or
a book or something like that. So those are just
(11:11):
different opportunities if it's not financial, but just different ways
that you can give. And there's volunteers. We look for
volunteers for our centers for several different ways. If we're
working on an event, we need help with setup, we
need help preparing for different opportunities that we have within
the center. So please reach out and look at your
(11:35):
local centers. And also if you're just interested, you can
reach out and we'd be happy to give you a
tour of our local centers so you can see all
the different components that we provide to a child.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And of course volunteering is another way that you can
do that. I know there is some training usually involved
with that, and of course every volunteer is vetted, so
if you are thinking of calling that you need help,
know that you are safe, you are secure that these
folks are just here to help. They're not here to judge,
(12:08):
they're not here to condemn or condone. They are strictly
here to help and each person has been individually looked
at to make sure that it's the right fit. So
a lot of different volunteer opportunities there as well, and
the donations. I'm just mind blown by some of those.
It's so simple some of those ideas to donate blankets
(12:30):
or to donate stuffed animals or snacks or things like that,
and very easy to do for any local chapter. If
you would like to donate, that's right you do you
just bring it by or do you need to call
first or email somebody?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Yes, just call the local center and let them know
that you have a donation. A lot of times that
even certain groups and clubs will gather blankets and bring
them to the centers. There's even some lay that knit
blankets and a handmade so there's different ways that you know,
they can be creative in supplying these different needs that
(13:10):
we have, but also getting others involved, the clubs and
the organizations that people are involved with. We've even had
kids at school do different drives that they've had to
bring in snacks and Teddy Bears and things like that
for our centers. So there's lots of opportunities to give
back and to also just make an impact on a
(13:33):
child's life.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Absolutely, and one of the things also that'll be coming
up here in the very near future is the Inspiration Gala.
This is a big fundraiser for CAC and just a
fantastic evening. I understand this year you're going to be
honoring Attorney General Tim Griffin and his wife Elizabeth.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yes, we are so excited to be able to honor
Attorney General Tim Griffin in Elizabeth. They have made a
tremendous impact on children. Tim himself has really been a
fantastic leader on getting human trafficking off the ground in
(14:15):
Arkansas where he is. He has provided the outlet for
different organizations to come together and to have a statewide
protocol that's brand new in the state of Arkansas, and
he's led the path on that. Elizabeth has been involved
with foster care, with the Call Organization and others. So
(14:37):
we are so excited to honor them at our upcoming
event on October tenth.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, tell me a little bit about the gala for
somebody that may not have been there. What can they
expect when they arrive, What all kinds of things are
going to be going on.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
So we're excited. There's it's going to be a fun night,
but you know, with our mission in mind of protecting kids. Again,
we're honoring Tim and Elizabeth Griffin, but we also honor
a child abuse survivor and this year we're honoring Jennifer
(15:11):
Long for our Blue Ribbon Award. Jennifer has been a
longtime director at one of our cacs here in Little Rock,
and so she gives back daily. But she is a
survivor herself, and so coming into sharing her story and
just to see the impact that she provides and gives
(15:34):
back to children on a daily basis, So you'll get
to hear her story. There are also some fun things
that will be happening that night. Barbara Jeans will be
providing a fashion show, so a fun night come look
at some New York design fashion and see the see
it on the runway. We also have a special new
(15:58):
something New this year where we're going to have a
mission moment that's going to be very impactful for folks
to have a better understanding of what we do, the
services we provide, and what it's like for a child
to walk into a center. So you're going to find
out more about that. I'll keep some of it a
surprise when you come to the gala event. And again
(16:21):
it's October tenth at the State House Convention Center in
downtown Little Rock.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Okay, Well, tell me about tickets. How does that work out?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
We have tickets and we do still have some sponsorships available.
Tickets are two hundred and fifty dollars, and sponsorships a
table of ten is twenty five hundred. If you want
to learn more about what we're doing, more about the
event that night, inspiration gala dot com. Check out the website.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
All right, so inspiration gala dot com the place to go.
Get the tickets, get the sponsorships, and of course, you know,
any business listening to this podcast, that is a great
way not only to bring some of your coworkers and
employees out and have a great night of camaraderie, but
also a chance to help kids right here in Arkansas,
(17:12):
because this is truly, like I said, some of the
statistics on this for the state of Arkansas are just
just staggering. We're talking about thousands of kids on a
daily basis that could use this service, that could use
this help. And that's why it's so important to make
sure that Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas really has the
(17:34):
resources that they need to take care of these children,
some of these parents that have been stuck in these
terrible situations. Not saying anybody's to blame or anybody's de fault,
but this is something that's if you've never been in
the situation, it's impossible to describe just how difficult it
(17:55):
really can be. So that first step, that brave first
step to make the call is of course the most important.
And then knowing that Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas is
going to be there for the next step and the
next step, and to make sure that these kids are
taken care of, whether it's just letting the story be
(18:17):
heard and be known and reported, making sure that they
are in a safe place, that they're out of that
situation and that it's not going to happen again. And
that's truly the mission, I think absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
We want those kids that have been hurt and abused
and have had a terrible experience to move on with
their life and to heal from this. And it is
possible for a child to do that with the right therapy,
the right resources that we can provide for them. So
it's important that as soon as possible that child receives
(18:54):
that therapy services absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And of course if you would like to, if you
know somebody that needs their services, they're right there for you.
Or if you would like to volunteer, or if you
would like to donate, like we were talking about a
few minutes ago, gas cards that's absolutely brilliant, or grocery
gift cards, or toys, stuffed animals, snacks, blankets, anything like that.
(19:18):
Think of the most comfortable thing you can possibly imagine,
the thing that provides you the most comfort on a
down day or whatever the case may be. Those are
the kind of things that they really need. And in
of course the financial support. They're on the website as
well for somebody that would like to volunteer or donate.
(19:39):
What is the web address?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
It is Children's the Advocacy Centers of Arkansas dot org.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
All right, so you can do that, and if you're
having trouble getting that one in there, of course you
can google search it Children's Advocacy Arkansas. It will pull
right up for you and right there on the front
page there's anything from the events to donate, to volunteer,
or to make a report or to seek assistance, which
(20:06):
is definitely important. And again, if you see something that
looks like it may be child abuse. It's better to
go ahead and make that call, to go ahead and
make that report, just because if you're wrong, like I said,
that's something that it's okay. But if you're right, you're
(20:28):
saving a child, that's right. So it's very important. And
what was that number again?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It is eight four to four, Save a child?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
All right? Elizabeth Pulley, Executive director, Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas,
thank you for your time today. Looking forward to the
big event that's coming up in October. Now, this again
is the Inspiration Gala and it is happening October tenth
State House Convention Center in Little Rock. The website was
Inspiration gala dot com. Correct to get tickets? Will there
(20:59):
be ticks? It's at the door. If somebody you know
shows up last minute, they weren't sure they could make it,
all of a sudden, yes they can. They want to help.
Do you expect there to be tickets at the door.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
So there will be a few at the door. But
we're just asking that people. Do you reserve prior?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Okay, so reserve in advance if you can. Again, businesses, churches,
even bring you know, get that table sponsor that table
and bring some of your folks out, maybe find out
about some of the classes that they offer, some of
the instructions that they offer, and that one more time.
The web address for the Children's Advocate Secrets.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas dot org.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
All right, Elizabeth Pully, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Thank you, thanks for listening to Talk of the Rock
public affairs and community events from the iHeartRadio studios in
Little Rock. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and
listen next week as we talk to more guests about
public service, local charities, and events going on in your neighborhoods.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
About him,
Welcome and thanks for tuning in for Talk of the
Rock public affairs, community events, and public services for Central
Arkansas from the iHeart Radio Studios in Little Rock. Here's
your host, DJ Taylor.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
And thank you for joining us for Talking the Rock.
I'm DJ Taylor and I'm joined by Elizabeth Pulley, the
executive director for the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas. How
are you good?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Absolutely Now, for those that may not know, what is
the Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
So we provide support in a continuation of services with
our cecs across the state. So there are nineteen locations
across the state of Arkansas that provide free direct services
to child abuse victims. So they provide advocacy to help
the parent and the child navigate through the next steps
(00:52):
after they hear their child has been abused and a
recorded forensic interview so for secution to help with the case.
And we also provide mental health services and that's the
healing part for a child. So it's so important that
the child receives the mental health services and then we
(01:14):
provide medical exams if one is needed. All of these
services are free to child victims across the state. So
these centers, these services are vital to our Arkansas children.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Absolutely. I know the statistics are staggering when it comes
to child abuse in the state of Arkansas. And I
know that a lot of people don't seek the help
that they need, either because of cost or because of
fear of what they may see or what they may
experience after the fact. If they step forward, it takes
(01:52):
a lot of bravery to do that. But child advocacy centers,
I know from experience, from talking with you all over
the years that this is this is not one of
those situations where they're going to put the spotlight in
your face and start asking you a bunch of really
crazy questions. You're genuinely there to help. It is a
judgment free place for kids and parents.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
Absolutely, you know. It is a child friendly facility. So
the child feels as comfortable as they can dur in
a situation like that where they see bright colors, they
have toys, We provide snacks for them as comfortable as
they can, for the caregiver and for the child themselves.
And you know, this is a hard situation, so whatever
(02:39):
we can do to make it as easy for them
to come in to share their story. That's what we
want to do. But we are the neutral part of
the investigation so that the child does feel comfortable in
that environment that we have for that child. Children when
(03:00):
they walk into they see hamprints on the wall, and
hamprints of the kids that have gone before them and
of all the brave kids that have gone before them.
So sometimes that eases a little fear when they go, oh,
I'm not the only one this has happened to, and
they see those different size hamdprints, little bitty handprints to
(03:22):
teenage hamdprints. It's all different sizes, all different ages, you know,
all different areas of the state. There is abuse happening
every single day in Arkansas.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
And I feel like it's important to also point out
I know that a lot of victims of child abuse
they feel like it's their fault or it's something that
they've done, and I just want to step right out
and say that is not the case. Nobody deserves that,
nobody should expect that, And this is one of those
(03:54):
places that will not judge you no matter what. And
it is very easy to speak to somebody. It is
very easy to be able to talk to folks and
receive these services, and it is very confidential, it is
very safe and secure. If someone is looking to receive
(04:19):
help from child advocacy centers, is what's the best way
to go about that.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
So, if you suspect child abuse at all, in the
state of Arkansas, there's a child abuse hotline that is
housed in Arkansas State Police headquarters and that number is
eight four four Save a Child, And I highly recommend
to that everyone writes that number down, be familiar with it,
and if you suspect abuse, you know something's happening, please
(04:47):
call that number. And what happens at that time is
the the people at the hotline will take the call,
they will listen to and ask you a few questions
and and then if it goes to investigation, it will
either go to state police or it will go through
DHS and it's a referral process to our sinners. And
(05:10):
so that's how the process starts. But the first step
is calling the hotline absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
And another thing that I do want to point out
is that if you suspect child abuse, if you feel
like there's something wrong there, teachers, other adults, neighbors, friends
of the family, whatever, the case may be it's better
to say something, and maybe that's not the case, but
(05:40):
it's better to say something than to let something so
terrible continue, knowing that it could be stopped.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Absolutely, a lot of times that we will go into
schools to do different trainings just on body safety. And
a lot of times kids don't realize what's happening at
home is not normal until they hear one say that's
a bad touch, that's not normal, and so we do
see an increase in a cost to the hotline when
(06:09):
they're educated and have an understanding. And sometimes families don't
realize because it's the cycle of abuse over the years
that will happen to even the parents and now they're
abusing their child and they can't get out of that
cycle because they think that's a normal part of the
family life and it's not. So to stop that cycle
and to take care of kids, it's all of our
(06:33):
responsibilities as adults in our own communities to protect kids.
And one way to protect kids is to if you
have if you suspect abuse, to call the hotline. And
we just asked that people do come forward, and that
number again is eight four to four. Save a child.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
That's a great number to have. Make sure that you've
got that written down and make sure you've got it
committed to memory just in case you need it now.
You did mentioned a few minutes ago about doing seminars
and talks with different community groups classes. If somebody wanted
to set up a class like that, is that something
that CAC offers.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Absolutely, So we go into schools, we teach, We train
teachers on signs of abuse. A mandated reporter. So in
Arkansas law, there are some folks that are mandated to
report child abuse and those are kind of those trusted
people for a child, like a teacher and administrator, pastors
(07:36):
at churches. There's even folks that are licensed a massage
therapists now or is on the mandated reporter list, but
there's a whole list in the state of Arkansas that
are mandated to call the hotline. So we provide that
training of how to call, what are signs of abuse
and preparing adults, you know, even again, churches, volunteers, after
(08:00):
school activities with Boys and Girls Club. We have trained
all of those different folks. We've even trained summer camp
counselors at different camps across Arkansas. For them to understand
what to look for. And then we also go in
and we have some curriculum that we use just on
body safety, so a child is aware of what is normal,
(08:23):
what is not, not getting into rough details of anything,
but just a child friendly curriculum that we use for
body safety. And Yes, so if a school or a
organization is interested in this type of training. On our website,
(08:44):
Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, there's a list of all
of our centers and you can reach out to your
local center or you can reach out to us where
the chapter office kind of the admin office located in
Little Rock and we're happy to direct and provide that
service for you.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
That is fantastic That website has so many different resources there,
the ability to sign up for one of these instructional classes,
also the ability to volunteer or donate, because I'm sure
child Avacy Centers uses a lot of volunteers to make
this work with such a workload here in the in
(09:21):
the state.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yes, and if you're thinking, you know we have we
provide services to about ten thousand children every year and
that does cost money. And the staff that we train
to be able to conduct those forensic interviews, to provide
the mental health services, to provide medical exams. It's costly,
(09:43):
and you know, every child in Arkansas that has been
abuse deserve these services, and we work in partnership with
our different state agencies to provide these services. But ways
that you can give and donate, you know, we we
rely on state grants, we rely on federal grants, and
(10:03):
we rely on community giving. So there's different ways that
you can donate, and if it's financially to our local
centers or even snacks. Again, we provide snacks to our
kids that come in and that's juice boxes and individual
little packs of chips and fruit snacks and things like that.
Also we ask for gas cards. A lot of times
(10:27):
our families don't even have the money, the gas money
to bring their kid to a center, So gas cards
are important to our folks. And sometimes even gift card
like food gift cards. Their situation might not be a
good situation to go back to, so they might have
to find another place to live, they might not have
(10:49):
money for food that night, so a lot of times
we do provide a meal to these kids and families.
So there's different ways that you can donate and give
also blankets our kids that come in from medical exams,
we provide a blanket and sometimes a stuffed animal or
a book or something like that. So those are just
(11:11):
different opportunities if it's not financial, but just different ways
that you can give. And there's volunteers. We look for
volunteers for our centers for several different ways. If we're
working on an event, we need help with setup, we
need help preparing for different opportunities that we have within
the center. So please reach out and look at your
(11:35):
local centers. And also if you're just interested, you can
reach out and we'd be happy to give you a
tour of our local centers so you can see all
the different components that we provide to a child.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And of course volunteering is another way that you can
do that. I know there is some training usually involved
with that, and of course every volunteer is vetted, so
if you are thinking of calling that you need help,
know that you are safe, you are secure that these
folks are just here to help. They're not here to judge,
(12:08):
they're not here to condemn or condone. They are strictly
here to help and each person has been individually looked
at to make sure that it's the right fit. So
a lot of different volunteer opportunities there as well, and
the donations. I'm just mind blown by some of those.
It's so simple some of those ideas to donate blankets
(12:30):
or to donate stuffed animals or snacks or things like that,
and very easy to do for any local chapter. If
you would like to donate, that's right you do you
just bring it by or do you need to call
first or email somebody?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Yes, just call the local center and let them know
that you have a donation. A lot of times that
even certain groups and clubs will gather blankets and bring
them to the centers. There's even some lay that knit
blankets and a handmade so there's different ways that you know,
they can be creative in supplying these different needs that
(13:10):
we have, but also getting others involved, the clubs and
the organizations that people are involved with. We've even had
kids at school do different drives that they've had to
bring in snacks and Teddy Bears and things like that
for our centers. So there's lots of opportunities to give
back and to also just make an impact on a
(13:33):
child's life.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
Absolutely, and one of the things also that'll be coming
up here in the very near future is the Inspiration Gala.
This is a big fundraiser for CAC and just a
fantastic evening. I understand this year you're going to be
honoring Attorney General Tim Griffin and his wife Elizabeth.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yes, we are so excited to be able to honor
Attorney General Tim Griffin in Elizabeth. They have made a
tremendous impact on children. Tim himself has really been a
fantastic leader on getting human trafficking off the ground in
(14:15):
Arkansas where he is. He has provided the outlet for
different organizations to come together and to have a statewide
protocol that's brand new in the state of Arkansas, and
he's led the path on that. Elizabeth has been involved
with foster care, with the Call Organization and others. So
(14:37):
we are so excited to honor them at our upcoming
event on October tenth.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, tell me a little bit about the gala for
somebody that may not have been there. What can they
expect when they arrive, What all kinds of things are
going to be going on.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
So we're excited. There's it's going to be a fun night,
but you know, with our mission in mind of protecting kids. Again,
we're honoring Tim and Elizabeth Griffin, but we also honor
a child abuse survivor and this year we're honoring Jennifer
(15:11):
Long for our Blue Ribbon Award. Jennifer has been a
longtime director at one of our cacs here in Little Rock,
and so she gives back daily. But she is a
survivor herself, and so coming into sharing her story and
just to see the impact that she provides and gives
(15:34):
back to children on a daily basis, So you'll get
to hear her story. There are also some fun things
that will be happening that night. Barbara Jeans will be
providing a fashion show, so a fun night come look
at some New York design fashion and see the see
it on the runway. We also have a special new
(15:58):
something New this year where we're going to have a
mission moment that's going to be very impactful for folks
to have a better understanding of what we do, the
services we provide, and what it's like for a child
to walk into a center. So you're going to find
out more about that. I'll keep some of it a
surprise when you come to the gala event. And again
(16:21):
it's October tenth at the State House Convention Center in
downtown Little Rock.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Okay, Well, tell me about tickets. How does that work out?
Speaker 3 (16:28):
We have tickets and we do still have some sponsorships available.
Tickets are two hundred and fifty dollars, and sponsorships a
table of ten is twenty five hundred. If you want
to learn more about what we're doing, more about the
event that night, inspiration gala dot com. Check out the website.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
All right, so inspiration gala dot com the place to go.
Get the tickets, get the sponsorships, and of course, you know,
any business listening to this podcast, that is a great
way not only to bring some of your coworkers and
employees out and have a great night of camaraderie, but
also a chance to help kids right here in Arkansas,
(17:12):
because this is truly, like I said, some of the
statistics on this for the state of Arkansas are just
just staggering. We're talking about thousands of kids on a
daily basis that could use this service, that could use
this help. And that's why it's so important to make
sure that Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas really has the
(17:34):
resources that they need to take care of these children,
some of these parents that have been stuck in these
terrible situations. Not saying anybody's to blame or anybody's de fault,
but this is something that's if you've never been in
the situation, it's impossible to describe just how difficult it
(17:55):
really can be. So that first step, that brave first
step to make the call is of course the most important.
And then knowing that Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas is
going to be there for the next step and the
next step, and to make sure that these kids are
taken care of, whether it's just letting the story be
(18:17):
heard and be known and reported, making sure that they
are in a safe place, that they're out of that
situation and that it's not going to happen again. And
that's truly the mission, I think absolutely.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
We want those kids that have been hurt and abused
and have had a terrible experience to move on with
their life and to heal from this. And it is
possible for a child to do that with the right therapy,
the right resources that we can provide for them. So
it's important that as soon as possible that child receives
(18:54):
that therapy services absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:57):
And of course if you would like to, if you
know somebody that needs their services, they're right there for you.
Or if you would like to volunteer, or if you
would like to donate, like we were talking about a
few minutes ago, gas cards that's absolutely brilliant, or grocery
gift cards, or toys, stuffed animals, snacks, blankets, anything like that.
(19:18):
Think of the most comfortable thing you can possibly imagine,
the thing that provides you the most comfort on a
down day or whatever the case may be. Those are
the kind of things that they really need. And in
of course the financial support. They're on the website as
well for somebody that would like to volunteer or donate.
(19:39):
What is the web address?
Speaker 3 (19:40):
It is Children's the Advocacy Centers of Arkansas dot org.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
All right, so you can do that, and if you're
having trouble getting that one in there, of course you
can google search it Children's Advocacy Arkansas. It will pull
right up for you and right there on the front
page there's anything from the events to donate, to volunteer,
or to make a report or to seek assistance, which
(20:06):
is definitely important. And again, if you see something that
looks like it may be child abuse. It's better to
go ahead and make that call, to go ahead and
make that report, just because if you're wrong, like I said,
that's something that it's okay. But if you're right, you're
(20:28):
saving a child, that's right. So it's very important. And
what was that number again?
Speaker 3 (20:32):
It is eight four to four, Save a child?
Speaker 2 (20:36):
All right? Elizabeth Pulley, Executive director, Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas,
thank you for your time today. Looking forward to the
big event that's coming up in October. Now, this again
is the Inspiration Gala and it is happening October tenth
State House Convention Center in Little Rock. The website was
Inspiration gala dot com. Correct to get tickets? Will there
(20:59):
be ticks? It's at the door. If somebody you know
shows up last minute, they weren't sure they could make it,
all of a sudden, yes they can. They want to help.
Do you expect there to be tickets at the door.
Speaker 3 (21:09):
So there will be a few at the door. But
we're just asking that people. Do you reserve prior?
Speaker 2 (21:15):
Okay, so reserve in advance if you can. Again, businesses, churches,
even bring you know, get that table sponsor that table
and bring some of your folks out, maybe find out
about some of the classes that they offer, some of
the instructions that they offer, and that one more time.
The web address for the Children's Advocate Secrets.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Children's Advocacy Centers of Arkansas dot org.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
All right, Elizabeth Pully, thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Thank you, thanks for listening to Talk of the Rock
public affairs and community events from the iHeartRadio studios in
Little Rock. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast and
listen next week as we talk to more guests about
public service, local charities, and events going on in your neighborhoods.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
About him,
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