Arkansas CARES Receives $100,000 from Hardin Family
| LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas CARES (Center for Addictions Research, Education & Services) announced today that it has received $100,000 from Jane and Bill Hardin in honor of the Arkansas CARES staff. “Without their commitment and tireless dedication to the families served, many women and children would not have the better lives they enjoy today,” Jane Hardin of The Hardins have been volunteers for Arkansas CARES since 1998. Jane Hardin is the daughter of Johnelle and J.B. Hunt, of Fayetteville, who made a $100,000 donation to Arkansas CARES in honor of Jane’s service and volunteer leadership two years ago. The donation will be used at the discretion of Cynthia Crone, Arkansas CARES director, to sustain or enhance the program. The announcement was made at the gymnasium at the Methodist Children’s Home in Crone told the gathering at the celebration that the Hardins are “special people who believe in you and in Arkansas CARES and who do their work quietly, lovingly and without seeking recognition. To help others without expectation of reward is one of the noblest actions one can take.” Crone described how Jane Hardin spends time rocking babies in the nursery, and brings others, such as first lady Janet Huckabee, to volunteer in the nursery. “She brings Poinsettias to get us in the holiday spirit, Halloween costumes for the children and helps graduate clients in transition. Last Christmas, when we had a new family, Bill and Jane went shopping and drove on icy roads so that the family would have gifts when they awoke. These are just a few examples of their long-term service.” “We are deeply indebted to the Hardins for their support and most of all for their caring for those in our community who have the greatest needs,” said UAMS Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D. Arkansas CARES is a national award-winning nonprofit residential prevention and treatment program for mothers and their children who are affected by substance abuse: alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine or other drugs. The program is unique because children come into treatment with their mothers. The mothers’ treatment serves in part as a prevention measure for their children to break the cycle of addiction. Arkansas CARES is a program of the UAMS College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry. UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, five centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has more than 2,200 students and 660 residents and is the state’s largest public employer with almost 9,000 employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in UAMS centers of excellence are the