'Blessed by this COMMUNITY'

Arkadelphia student gives back to community through volunteer work

By Elizabeth Pannell

LITTLE ROCK — What started out as delivering meals to senior citizens has grown to a passion for volunteering in Katie Barbaree's life.

Barbaree, 21, a senior at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, began volunteering at age 15 at the request of her mother, Royceann.

"My mom always told me to be involved in the community," Barbaree said. "She told me 'Know the people that support you.' So I started taking meals to senior citizens and it was so nice to see the appreciation from them, just for bringing them lunch and a smile. It was something that changed my life, after that I knew I wanted to help others throughout my life."

For her devotion to the community and dedication to volunteering, Barbaree was chosen as the winner of The Rotary Sunshine Award, which she will receive Tuesday, April 28, from the Arkadelphia Rotary Club.

"I never do any of the things I do for recognition," Barbaree said. "But it is nice to be recognized."

A native of Gurdon, Barbaree decided to stay close to home while attending college, a decision she doesn't regret.

"At first I wanted to go away to school and get a whole new group of friends," Barbaree said. "But I visited Henderson, which is just 15 minutes from Gurdon, and I felt at home. I'm really glad I stayed close to home."

Gurdon resident and family friend Billy Tarpley has known Barbaree her whole life and called her personality "infectious."

"Katie is just the type of person you can love right off the bat," Tarpley said. "She is just perpetually positive, and she has an infectious sense of positiveness."

Since her freshman year at Henderson, Barbaree has been involved in on-campus and off-campus service organizations, including her sorority Alpha Xi Delta.

"Being a part of a sorority was something that was important to me," Barbaree said. "I knew thatI wanted to continue being a part of the community, and it's so much easier to get people to listen to you when you have 50 other girls there with you. And since I was an only child, I never had a sister, so now it's like I have 50 - I love it."

One sorority activity Barbaree said she enjoys is Toy Hill. The once-a-year event takes place at Christmas.

"Even though it only happens once a year, it takes a year to do all the planning and fundraising for the event," Barbaree said. "But once the money is raised, we go and buy toys and distribute them throughout the state."

Barbaree is also active in helping Courage House, the local battered women and children's shelter.

"We do lots of things for them, like Halloween parties," she said.

Besides being involved inthe community through her sorority, Barbaree does volunteer work on her own. She has volunteered at the Clark County Humane Society since she was in high school.

"I have a deep passion for animals, so helping animals means a lot to me," Barbaree said.

"So I started going to the humane society in high school every Thursday and cleaning litter boxes and walking dogs, just whatever they needed me to do."

When Barbaree is not giving her time in the community she can be found completing her degree from Henderson in communications and theater.

"I have been interested in theater since the day I was born," Barbaree said.

"So theater was an obvious choice as a major, but I knew Ihad a one in a million chance of getting a job as an actress, so I made theater a minor and chose communications as a major."

Barbaree has performed in the Henderson performance of The Shape of Things and the Arkadelphia Little Theater performance of Rumors.

She plans to further her acting by attending the Directors of the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in New York beginning in the fall. She auditioned for a place in the school in January and was one of 180 students accepted from among 5,000 applicants.

"I just feel like I have been so blessed by this community, and they have supported me through all of my endeavors," Barbaree said. "So I think I should give back what they have given to me."

Tri-Lakes, Pages 137, 142 on 04/12/2009