Introducing The Refuge, Conway’s innovative solution to emergency shelter. It's time! We've identified the place. We received the City's approval. We are now positioning ourselves to launch the City of Conway's First Family Emergency Shelter.
While there are a few emergency beds available for children in Little Rock, there are zero in Faulkner County. Our community has 4 family rooms available at Bethlehem House, which offers an amazing transitional housing program, but no emergency beds for children. The City of Conway plans to open an emergency shelter in 2024, but will not provide shelter for families with children.
*Service area includes Faulkner, Perry, and Conway Counties.
“I'm a 31-year-old mother to five beautiful children. I have struggled most of my adult life with addiction and, as a result, I was living in poverty. In November 2021, my best friend lost her battle with addiction. It hit me hard. I decided it was time to get clean to better my kids’ lives and mine.
The [Conway Ministry Center] Staff were so very kind and welcomed us with open arms. They provided housing for me and my five kids from December 1st to January 13th. That gave me the time I needed to regroup without having to live in my vehicle.
If it wasn't for this ministry, I don't know what we would have done. They helped us find a home and on January 13th, we moved into the most beautiful house we could ever dream of. I'm forever grateful for Conway Ministry Center and the good Lord putting such amazing people in our lives.”
Here’s how we’re converting a motel into an emergency shelter:
We are in the process of purchasing a 22 unit motel to convert into studio shelter units that will house families with children and vulnerable individuals with medical needs. Someday soon, our city will have a place to send its most vulnerable citizens! Please join us on this journey!
Phase 1: Purchase Price $2,000,000
We are raising funds to pay for a 22 unit motel and office complex on 2.53 acres that will allow space for playgrounds, gardens, educational rooms, and future expansion.
Phase 2: Renovation $400,000
These funds will allow us to add kitchenettes to each room, a playground in the yard, fencing for security, and other minor upgrades needed for programming.
Phase 3: First Year Operating Budget $500,000
In order to launch an excellent program, we need to add additional excellent staff and support.
We have such a beautifully clear biblical model for pursuing children and the sick. We see time and again our Jesus calling little children to his lap, touching the untouchable, and healing the sick. We believe we are called to step into this gap that exists in our community and care for “the least of these.”
We believe that God has prepared us in advance through relationships with the Church and our community to fully embrace this calling. We believe the time is now.
–Spring Hunter, Executive Director
Still have questions? Click here to book a meeting with our executive director!
When a homeless patient is ready to leave the hospital, the hospital submits a form to CMC for discharge to our recuperative care shelter. The form includes details about the patient's diagnosis, follow-up care, medications, insurance, care needs, and expected recovery time. Hospitals may commit to a daily fee for recovery days.
CMC reviews the request, interviews the patient, and approves them for a recuperative care bed. During their stay, a CMC case manager works on permanent housing solutions and can extend the stay based on the client’s case. While we don't provide medical care, our overnight staff helps with basic needs and medication regimens.
CMC case managers offer social services, helping clients apply for SNAP, disability, social security, obtain documents, fill prescriptions, connect to ongoing healthcare, and apply for low-income housing and home health services.
We've learned from shelters in other states that families with kids and recovering individuals can live together successfully. CMC offers special support for each group through personalized case management, addressing their unique needs.
Both recuperative care residents and families need similar services, like:
Medical care
Counseling
Help for addiction
Therapy (physical, occupational, and/or speech)
Budgeting assistance
Cooking and meal planning
Job readiness support
Church connections
By connecting residents of all ages and abilities to these services, we make sure they continue to get care even after leaving the shelter. In shelters that house both recovering individuals and families, we make sure to keep the groups separate while providing the attention they need.
When someone in recovery gets well enough to leave our care, we'll help them move to the city's emergency shelter quickly. We can't keep beds occupied by those who are fully healed. These beds are needed for others in Central Arkansas. If someone has a permanent disability, they might get more time based on their progress and the case manager's advice. Some people will go to other programs, and some will go home.
Families with kids who need more help will wait for spots in transitional family shelters in Conway and Little Rock. They'll stay until they find their own home or move to other housing programs. Our goal is to guide everyone to the right next steps and keep providing emergency shelter in Central Arkansas.
We’ll share our shelter progress and current needs with you each month.
