Helping others gives us the opportunity to enhance our own lives, as well as the lives of others. Too often, we fail to realize the impact we can have in someone else’s life just through volunteering. I want to help connect Arkansans to resources and information that will empower and encourage them to volunteer.
Throughout my experience as a volunteer, I have witnessed firsthand the issues that women and children face as a result of abuse, illness, domestic violence, or other tragedies. As First Lady, I want to provide a voice to those women and children who have been silenced for too long.
Half a million Arkansans – adults and children alike –experience some form of mental illness, and these fellow Arkansans also struggle with the stigma attached to mental illness. Many others go undetected and untreated. We must work together to help bring more awareness and understanding of the impact of mental illness on families and, ultimately, lessen its stigma.
In order to improve the quality of life for every Arkansan, we must work together to help those with disabilities live with the same ease and comfort as every Arkansan. Thousands of people across our State live with a disability or are close to someone with a disability, and we can help to ensure that our communities are aware of the needs of those with disabilities.
Arkansas’s greatest asset is our people and the many talents our people have. I would like to enhance our State by connecting our families, our neighbors, and our communities through the work of artists and artisans Arkansas has to offer.