http://www.ourhouseshelter.org

Inviting Arkansas - Index

Inviting Arkansas - magazine - Index

In the Spotlight Lee Anne Overall, Our House
Coral halter party dress and jewelry- Proposals
Shot on location at Beth & Mike Coulson’s home
Makeup by Peggy Spenser, B. Barnett
Photography by Nancy Nolan
For more information,
visit ourhouseshelter.org or 501.258.5122
Summertime Southern Supper
Different from many other fundraisers in its simplicity and laid
back nature, Dinner on the Grounds, the annual early summer
fundraiser for Our House, will be held in the gardens of the Arkansas
Governor’s Mansion June 6th, 2008! Great southern dishes, like
fried chicken, okra, black-eyed peas, and a sinful amount of desserts,
donated from local restaurants, comprise the evening’s casual southern
supper. There is no program – no speaking, no pitch; just eating,
drinking, socializing and listening to the great music of the Big John
Miller Band.
Lee Anne Overall is an easily recognizable and active participant in
the young philanthropic community. She serves as the Development
Chair for the organization and has had an active role on the board for
several years. One of the first, and Lee Anne’s favorite, quality about
Dinner on the Grounds, is the great diversity of people attending.
“People from many different walks of life, and in varying stages of
life, are all in one place meeting, celebrating, and having a good time
for Our House,” she proudly informed.
“Dinner on the Grounds, just like everything at Our House, is the
result of input and support from many, many people,” Lee Anne noted.
“The actual committee had 23 people, but we also received much
support from the Our House Board and the incredible Our House
staff.”
Lee Anne initially fell in love with the mission and vision of Our
House of providing invaluable resources to those who are willing to
help themselves. “In my own life I constantly seek out opportunities
to develop and improve myself, and I love that Our House provides a
means for others to do the same thing,” she added. “Our House provides
the resources to help a person improve the present and change
his or her future.”
Our House is a shelter for the working homeless, and is dedicated
to getting people “back on track” by helping them become contributing
members of the community. All adult residents are required
to work full time and to save 75% of their earnings. “We give them
a hand up, not a hand out,” Lee Anne explained. The organization
provides parenting classes, financial planning classes, and computer
classes. Residents also have the opportunity to receive training on interview
skills and resume writing.
Unique in the population it benefits and services it provides, Our
House is the only shelter in our area that provides housing to any
combination of family unit structures. Single fathers with children,
husbands and wives with children, single mothers with children, and
single male and female adults are all welcome at the organization’s
facilities.
Dinner on the Grounds, titled as such to indicate an outdoor event,
is intrinsically designed to maximize direct profit for Our House. Organizers
keep event overhead to a bare minimum, looking for venues
with low or no rental fee, so as much of the funds raised as possible
can go toward programs. For the first two years, the event was held
on the lawn and terrace areas of private residences: at the homes of
Beth and Mike Coulson in 2006 and Janell and Clark Mason in 2007.
“Our House is pleased that, from the funds raised in 2007, less than
5% went to administrative costs,” Lee Anne proudly announced.
Additionally, tickets to the event are at a reasonable price point, so
anyone can attend. “We encourage our supporters to throw on their
favorite casual summer wear, comfortable shoes, and just come have
a good time.”
Lee Anne’s level of practical sensibility is comforting; her interest
is genuinely based in serving the community and helping others. Her
increasing involvement with Our House has required her to decrease
the other philanthropic and volunteer commitments in which she is
usually involved. “Getting involved [in Little Rock] is the easy part,”
she quipped, “narrowing down which organizations you want to
support hard!” When she isn’t volunteering, she enjoys shopping and
dining in Little Rock’s fantastic restaurants with friends, love sports,
“especially LSU college football” (she catches a lot of flack around
here for that!), and plays kickball in the spring and fall. She is the
Administrative Officer for the Surgery Service for Central Arkansas
Veterans Healthcare system, and holds a Master’s in Health Services
Administration from UALR.
When she’s not at the gym or the most happening social event,
she’s at home spending time with her puppy, Comet, who is “the cutest,
sweetest little guy in the whole world.”
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Inviting Arkansas