‘Do my part’

Organizations partnering to provide microgrants

Shelley Mehl has served as executive director for the Faulkner County affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation since July 2018. Recently, the United Way of Central Arkansas, the Faulkner County Community Foundation and the Conway County Community Foundation partnered to offer microgrants of up to $500 to nonprofit agencies in Faulkner, Conway, Perry and Van Buren counties.
Shelley Mehl has served as executive director for the Faulkner County affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation since July 2018. Recently, the United Way of Central Arkansas, the Faulkner County Community Foundation and the Conway County Community Foundation partnered to offer microgrants of up to $500 to nonprofit agencies in Faulkner, Conway, Perry and Van Buren counties.

When Shelley Mehl was going through college at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, she was the recipient of scholarships and grants in order to graduate. She said that financial aid, along with being raised with the expectation of giving back to the local community, was one reason she got involved with nonprofits.

“When I earned my [Master of Business Administration degree], I could have gone and worked for any business, but I was looking for something meaningful,” Mehl said. “I may not get paid as much or earn as much recognition, but it is rewarding to see your efforts and your hard work have a positive impact.”

Mehl has served as executive director for the Faulkner County affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation since July 2018. This is her second time as executive director, having served in that position when the affiliate started in 2001.

“My way of paying back to people that helped me is to step up and do my part and not just sit back and enjoy the fruits of other people’s efforts,” she said.

Mehl served as vice president of Institutional Advancement at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway from 2010 until she retired in June 2018. She said she has always been involved in nonprofits in Faulkner County, including serving at the United Way.

“It is a part-time job, but it allows me to still be involved and have a positive impact within the community,” she said of her position with the foundation. “Our job as an affiliate is to find out what the needs are for the different organizations, find local donors and keep those funds here in Faulkner County.”

Recently, the United Way of Central Arkansas, the Faulkner County Community Foundation and the Conway County Community Foundation partnered to offer microgrants of up to $500 to nonprofit agencies in Faulkner, Conway, Perry and Van Buren counties.

In a press release, Jennifer Boyett, United Way of Central Arkansas executive director, said “nonprofit agencies are supporting the most vulnerable populations in our communities during this unprecedented time, and we recognize that the requests for those services and support are only going to increase.”

Each organization is using earnings from its endowments to provide funds for the microgrants.

“We all took some of the proceeds to put toward the grant program for the four-county area,” Mehl said. “The idea is to get some funds out there quickly and assist with the unexpected impact that our nonprofits are having.”

Bobby Riggs, current chair for the Arkansas Community Foundation, said the purpose of the foundation is to support nonprofits in the community.

“When COVID-19 hit, we started looking around to figure out how we could help during this unprecedented time of need,” Riggs said. “We decided to work together and benefit other organizations that are drastically impacted.

“By working together, we are able to expand our reach and benefit nonprofits by sending them a few hundred dollars here and there.”

She said, for example, the Soul Food Cafe Mission, which prepares food boxes, has to sanitize items and needs more gloves and masks. She said the microgrants allow for all those extra things and allow the nonprofits to continue to provide their services.

She said that so far, more than $11,000 worth of grants has been awarded in the past three weeks. She said $7,000 is still available to give out. The applications can be completed online at www.arcf.org/conwaycounty, www.arcf.org/faulknercounty and www.uwcark.org.

“This is why we exist,” Mehl said. “We don’t know when things like this are going to happen. When the tornado hit in Vilonia, we were able to collect donations and distribute them to families. Or when the Mayflower oil spill hit, we were that neutral third party that was there to help local organizations be better.”

Mehl said that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are facing food insecurity or being evicted from their homes or apartments. She said that within the Conway city limits, Conway Corp is suspending all shutoffs for utilities.

“Our county is pretty wide and rural in some places, and all these people face getting through one more month,” Mehl said. “Part of the problem is not knowing how long [the pandemic] is going to last.”

Mehl and her husband, Peter, helped found Habit for Humanity of Faulkner County in the 1990s.

“I didn’t grow up here,” she said. “My husband and I moved to Conway in 1990 from Chicago. I grew up in Ohio, and we moved to Chicago before my husband became a professor at UCA — that’s what brought us here.”

Jerry Adams, a founding board member of the Arkansas Community Foundation, has known Mehl for more than 20 years.

“She makes things happen,” Adams said. “She is very thoughtful, and she is good about finding solutions. It was evident with her leadership in City Council. She puts community first and collaborates well with nonprofits.

“She is a leader within the church and is well respected as someone who wants to solve problems.”

Adams said Mehl has extraordinary insight into the community and the county.

“She understands how nonprofits can make things happen on a social basis. It is just who she is and how she sees the world. I think this community is extra appreciative of her. She is a real gift to the community,” Adams said.

“She communicates extremely well and has a background with nonprofits in the area,” Riggs said. “She has held a variety of positions in the community, she is well connected, and she handles herself well.”

Adams said that whatever the local, state or federal government is trying to do to help the general population during this time of crisis, “there are lapses where these nonprofits can have an impact.”

“Microgrants identify areas that have not been taken care of and provide some kind of help where things are exposed,” Adams said.

“Working from home is restricting how we provide a lot of these services, but this is a very honorable and impactful organization,” Mehl said. “We are trying to address any issues in our state. I’m proud of our organization.”

Staff writer Sam Pierce can be reached at (501) 244-4314 or spierce@arkansasonline.com.

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