Cassandra Feltrop said that at one time, she wanted to be a nurse or a doctor, but after a stint as a candy striper, she decided that wasn’t for her. Even though she didn’t pursue a medical career, Feltrop is active in the Searcy medical community as executive director of the Unity Health Foundation and current president of the Searcy Kiwanis Club, which works hand in hand with the hospital and other area organizations on various projects annually.
“I’ve been very fortunate because I’m able to help people with my job now,” Feltrop said.
Feltrop grew up in Rose Bud, and after she graduated from high school, she attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, where she majored in mass communication and minored in international studies. She was at OBU the first year they offered a program for students to study in the Soviet Union, and Feltrop said she couldn’t resist jumping at that opportunity.
“I remember being in the sixth grade, and the television was on in our classroom. They showed pictures in Moscow [of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square], and I thought to myself that I’d like to see that someday,” she said. “There were four of us from Ouachita who got to go. We were there for about six months when Desert Storm broke out. We were supposed to be there for a year, but we were actually closer to the war than we were to Moscow. It was definitely an interesting experience.”
After graduation, Feltrop worked for The Print Shop in Searcy as a graphic designer. She was there for a year before she got a job at Central Arkansas Hospital in Searcy as a marketing assistant.
“I did that for two years and then became the marketing director,” she said. “When I went on maternity leave with my second child, I came back to work for White County Medical Center. I worked for Central for four years, and I will have been here for 17 years in August.”
Feltrop was the director of marketing for White County Medical Center until five years ago. She said the WCMC Foundation — a charitable organization that supports the hospital — has been part of her duties for 10 years, but five years ago, the department was split, so the foundation became its own entity.
“It worked well, but we were just doing fundraisers,” she said. “We weren’t doing the programs like we’re doing now. Once that split occurred, we really dug in and got [serious about] our foundation.”
White County Medical Center recently changed its name to Unity Health, and the Unity Health Foundation provides opportunities for the community to make a direct impact on the health care industry through volunteer efforts, fundraising and special programs.
“I hope my girls will continue to live here, and I want to ensure that my children and — someday — my grandchildren will still have the same level of health care that we have here,” Feltrop said.
The annual Day of Caring is one event in which the foundation is involved. The communitywide outreach program is designed to help the uninsured and underinsured in the area receive free health screenings and various items such as school supplies, underwear and shoes. This year’s Day of Caring will be held Aug. 1, and Feltrop said those who want to get involved can call the Unity Health marketing department at (501) 278-3230.
The Day of Caring is a big day for Feltrop, even outside of her role with the Unity Health Foundation. This will be the third year the Searcy Kiwanis Club has made a concentrated effort to collect shoes for the Day of Caring, and as current Searcy Kiwanis president, Feltrop said she is proud of the club’s work.
“Kiwanis is known for helping children,” she said. “We’re a worldwide organization of volunteers, and we’re dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time. We did small projects here and there, but we were looking for big projects to make a big impact. With my experience with Day of Caring, I knew there had always been a need for shoes.”
The first year Kiwanis gathered shoes for the Day of Caring, the club was able to donate 275 pairs of shoes for the event. Last year, with the beginning of the club’s mud volleyball tournament to help with the collection, Kiwanis presented 345 pairs of shoes to Day of Caring organizers. This year’s goal is 500 pairs of shoes, and Feltrop said she is excited to see what the club will be able to accomplish.
Feltrop has been a member of the Searcy Kiwanis Club since 1999. She served on the board for several years before becoming president of the club.
“I’ve been involved in a number of different ways,” she said. “I’ve been involved in everything from our Christian Youth of the Month program to our Sunshine School Christmas party to Pancake Day and then, of course, the shoe project.”
The Searcy Kiwanis Club is actively involved in the Key Clubs at local schools, and Feltrop said she believes it is important to foster a sense of community and service among teenagers in the city.
“I think it’s important that we continue to work with those young high school students to understand what civic organizations are about and how they make an impact in the community,” she said. “A lot of civic clubs are struggling with membership these days, so we’re focusing on gaining new members so we can share more of what we do and make a bigger impact.”
The Kiwanis Club also provides scholarships for students and sends teens to Boys State and Girls State in the summer.
Pancake Day is another major fundraiser for the club, and Feltrop said it is an important part of the club’s history. Selling $5 tickets for the annual pancake breakfast is what funds a lot of the club’s programs, and Feltrop said the club will be changing the event up a bit this year by having the meal from 4-8 p.m. on Election Day.
This year is an exciting time to be president of the club. Kiwanis International celebrated its 100th birthday earlier this year, and the Searcy club will recognize its 90th birthday with a luncheon on Wednesday. The event will be held at the Hubach Conference Center at Unity Health-White County Medical Center, 3214 E. Race Ave. The luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests do not need a ticket to attend, but they are asked to RSVP by Monday at (501) 278-3191. Donations will also be accepted at the event, and all funds raised will go to the shoe project.
“We were chartered July 8, 1925, so we are able to celebrate on that date,” Feltrop said. “We’re going to be honoring our past presidents, and we’ve got remarks coming from key community leaders. We’re also hoping to have some Key Club members there, and Miss Mary Lou [Dunn] from the Sunshine School will be there to talk about our partnership with them.”
There are around 45 active members in the Searcy Kiwanis Club, Feltrop said, but the club’s numbers are rising. Six new members will be installed at the 90th-anniversary celebration, which Feltrop said is encouraging.
“We’ve definitely got some excitement going,” she said.
For more information on joining the Searcy Kiwanis Club, contact Feltrop at (501) 278-3191 or cfeltrop@wcmc.org.
Staff writer Angela Spencer can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or aspencer@arkansasonline.com.