Every day, each of us get to be inspired by our founder and president, Millie Ward. Her creative drive and passion for clients, family and the community are inspiring on their own merit, but it’s her desire to make Stone Ward a fun place to “Build Good” together that makes all of us feel right at home.
This month, Soiree Magazine named Millie as its “Little Rock, Big Hero” for her tireless commitment to the success of the annual Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches Children’s Award Dinner. It’s her work behind the scenes that ensures that Little Rock’s business scene not only attends the event, but also contributes financially toward the Ranch and its mission to help support the young men and women in our state. This year’s Children’s Award recipient was Ray Dillon and Deltic Timber, both generous contributors to the quality of lives in children in Arkansas.
In case you missed it, here are four key takeaways from her interview with Soiree regarding the Ranch:
The Ranch’s mission is to address, remedy and prevent child abuse and neglect by creating safe, healthy and permanent homes for children. The Ranch reminds us all that “it is far easier to raise a child properly than it is to repair an adult.”
Many don’t realize that the Ranch is a real working ranch, complete with horses and cattle that must be tended to. Most of this responsibility falls on the children, known as the Ranchers.
The Ranchers recently started raising a herd of Hereford cattle, a program that in addition to teaching life lessons, also provides healthy meals to the Ranchers and others that purchase the herd’s 100 percent grass-fed beef. Funds are currently needed for a hay barn for the cattle.
Right now, there are more than three times as many foster children in Arkansas as there are foster homes (5,000 homes vs. 1,500 children). The Ranch provides homes for several of these kids, employ house parents who love them, offer counseling they need and the chance to live life like the children they are.
We follow a “Building Good” philosophy that encourages all team members to give back to the communities we serve. We’re proud to help support the Arkansas Sheriffs’ Youth Ranches and many other nonprofits that share our passion for “Building Good.”
