The legacy of the late Father Joseph H. Biltz - described as “a passionate fighter for peace and justice” - was carried on with three awards given in his name at Just Communities of Arkansas’ Gathering of Friends, which took place March 12 in the Darragh Center of the Main Library, Central Arkansas Library System.
Guests partook of hors d’oeuvres and libations before sitting down to a program opened by Bill Paschall, Just Communities board chairman, who also welcomed special guests. Executive director Ruth Shepherd introduced and made presentations to the honorees - Deborah Bell for her work with the agency Better Community Development, which serves the disadvantaged in midtown Little Rock; and William Waddell Jr., a lawyer with Friday, Eldredge & Clark, for his work helping the poor and disenfranchised. The Rev. Susan Sims Smith, executive director of the Interfaith Center at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock, accepted the award given the center.
The program also included the viewing of a film, Ourtown for Teens: Standing Up for Change, which extols the virtues of the agency’s weeklong summer leadership retreat for Arkansas high school students.
High Profile, Pages 47 on 03/23/2014