Who We Are

The Foundation

With your help, children, adolescents and adults who come to The Centers will find compassionate support and create pathways for a more positive future. A gift to The Centers allows your gift to be used immediately where it is needed most. Your gifts to The Centers are tax-deductible within the fullest extent of the law.

More About Us

Give to Your Area of Passion

Centers for Youth and Families Foundation connects you to helping children, families and adults in our community find pathways to positive futures. Your gifts and support are critical to changing lives of people of all ages who come to The Centers for healing mental health services. Your gifts provide superior care for individuals who benefit from mental and behavioral health services at The Centers, helping them to grow and thrive. You invest in caring for people by giving your financial support, your time and in-kind gifts.

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Our Board of Trustees

Jeb Steen

Delta Dental of Arkansas

Allison Cox

Encore Bank

Phillip Chaney

Regions Bank

Melissa Dawson

President / Chief Executive Officer
The Centers

Rob Noirot

Past Chair
Candescent

Jenni Goodman

Past Chair
Landmark CPAs

Rami Kassissieh

HCJ CPAs & Advisors, PLLC

Tami Bean

Treasurer
Rasco, Winter, Thomas Group

Peyton Bishop

Community Volunteer

Matt Boch

Vice Chair
Kutak Rock Attorneys at Law

Andrew Carroll

Encore Bank

Matt Finch

Gill Ragon Owen

Greg Hatcher

The Hatcher Agency

Sandra Marbaise

Community Volunteer

Josh Pettus

Pettus Office Products

Don Pfeifer

Community Volunteer

Dawn Scott

Janet Jones Co.

Dudley Shollmier, Jr.

Stifel

Brandon Rogers

Agency Board Chair
Colliers International

AJ Thomas

Centennial Bank

Karen Layton Thomas

Chair
Quality Trucking

Erin Whitt

The Piercy-Whitt Wealth Management Group

Emeritus / Advisory Board

Joellen Beard
Tommy Clements
Ellon Cockrill
Ginny Deuschle
Lee Maris
Donna Kay McLarty
Robert McLarty
Teresa Osam
Brittany Paul Rugger
J.R. Bizzell
The foundation

Our Team

help to create change for an arkansas family today

Ways to Give

Online

At The Centers, we are a family for families. We work together as a team to provide support to each other and to the families we serve.
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Phone

Text to Give: Text @cfyf to 52014
Venmo: @TheCentersArkansas
Call: (501) 666-9436

Mail

Donations may be mailed to:
Centers for Youth & Families Foundation
P.O. Box 251801
Little Rock, AR 72225-1801

In-Kind Giving

Shop our Amazon Wish List to provide in-kind gifts of school supplies, personal hygiene products, board games, books, clothing and recreational supplies to be given to children and youth who live at The Centers or are served by our community programs. Items will be sent directly to The Centers!

Legacy Giving

Leaving a legacy is not an option reserved for only the wealthy! In fact, the longevity of a charitable organization depends on charitable bequests of all types. You can choose a variety of planned giving tools, such as a will, gifts of property, insurance policy, IRA rollover, charitable gift annuities or charitable remainder trusts.

other ways you can help

Get Connected

Center Corps Auxiliary & Emerging Leaders Young Professionals Group

Join Center Corps Auxiliary or Emerging Leaders Young Professionals to volunteer with Centers for Youth and Families!

Being part of Center Corps Auxiliary & Emerging Leaders is the best way to learn about volunteer opportunities, give back to The Centers’ mission, and network with others.

Center Corps & Emerging Leader volunteers host activities like cookouts, holiday celebrations or game nights for boys and girls in our residential programs. They lead toy drives, school supply drives, and serve on committees to plan fundraising events.

We ask Center Corps & Emerging Leader volunteers to give a gift of $120/year (or, $10/month). You will receive monthly e-newsletters detailing volunteer opportunities, and you will be invited to quarterly meetings and social events.

Forms:
service. leadership. philanthropy.

Champions of Hope

Applications for the 2025-2026 year will be open April – August 31, 2025. Young men selected for the program will be notified at latest by August 31, 2025.
2025–2026 Champions of Hope Roster

Champions of Hope

Service. Leadership. Philanthropy.

These are the three pillars of Champions of Hope, a group for young men in their junior or senior year at schools across the Little Rock Metro, which gives them a unique opportunity to engage with The Centers and work to support the organization’s mission. Champions engage in volunteer opportunities, learn skills from local leaders, and make a positive impact in the community by participating in philanthropic events throughout the school year.

Champions and their families complete a tax-deductible gift commitment of $2,000 to be given or raised to benefit boys and girls to overcome trauma and abuse and create pathways to success. The Centers’ will provide support for fundraising activities. The program concludes with a special presentation at The Centers’ signature event, The Evolve Gala, each spring.

2025-2026 cHAMpions of hope ApplicationNominate a Future Champion
join the fun while helping our cause

Events + Fundraisers

The 2026 Evolve Gala

Join us for a fun-filled evening at the Evolve Gala, featuring the incredible Rodney Block Collective!

Enjoy a night of cocktails, dinner, auction, raffle, and a captivating show — all while supporting a special cause that helps children, youth, and adults in our community. This year’s theme, “Hope Blooms,” is inspired by The Centers’ rich history of helping children and families grow into their potential and realize a brighter tomorrow.

We are honored to celebrate our 2026 Hero of Hope, Barry Simon, and to recognize our Champions of Hope — a group of 45 outstanding young men in their junior or senior year of high school who have completed The Centers’ unique program in service, leadership, and philanthropy. It will be a night of inspiration, joy, and community impact — where hope truly blooms.

  • Saturday, April 18, 2026 | The Statehouse Convention Center
Sponsorship & Ticket Information Coming Soon!

BrunchFest 2026

Members of Emerging Leaders and The Centers Auxiliary welcome friends of the organization to Rusty Tractor Vineyards for this year's BrunchFest.

The annual event will bring together local restaurants, foodies, and philanthropists to benefit The Centers and its mission to provide integrated mental, emotional, and social wellness for all. Proceeds support residential services of The Centers, providing summer activities to children in our care.

  • June 27, 2026 | Rusty Tractor Vineyards
Sponsorship & Ticket Information Coming Soon!

The 2026 Centers Classic Golf Tournament

Join more than 50 teams in one of the city's best golf tournaments! Featuring a raffle, tournament games, team photos, a player's tee gift and awards ceremony, we invite you spend the day bettering your community and helping young people who rely on The Centers for a safe and loving place to live.

It's Fore the Kids!

  • Coming Fall 2026 | Pleasant Valley Country Club
Sponsorship & Ticket Information Coming Soon!

Thank You to Our Donors

The Centers extends its gratitude to the hundreds of individuals, corporations, and foundations that have committed to changing the lives of individuals and families in need.

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