Students answer call to Restore Hope

Aug. 18, 2016 | Impact |

Incoming Harding University students will conduct a service project this weekend in support of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Restore Hope initiative. Restore Hope is a statewide call to action to address the issue of growing numbers of incarcerated adults and children placed in foster care.

As part of the University orientation program Impact, approximately 1,200 new students will spend a 90-minute block authenticating contact information on the listing service Good Grid, a directory of resources such as parole offices, departments of human services and various charities with services aimed to better equip recently released inmates to reintegrate into the community.

“Those services are there and they are so important, but those who need them have to be able to access them,” said Quentin Parker, Impact service co-director. “When they access [Good Grid], it has to have accurate information in order for them to have a chance to be successful.”

Volunteering students will be given hard copies of Good Grid listings and will call to verify contact information for each service listed. If each student worked through five to 10 listings, most of the service providers would be verified. Parker said he hopes that the effort will be a time and money saver for Good Grid, and make it a more effective resource for users.

“Good Grid has a great thing going and we would love to further their efforts for the future,” Parker said. “Part of Restore Hope’s vision is to restore hope to individuals and communities by addressing the increased numbers of incarcerations and reincarcerations. We feel that this project is going right along with that vision and plan.”

This service project is the beginning of semester-long efforts by students to facilitate Restore Hope in the community. Students will be able to connect to various projects using the University’s community service app.

“One of our hopes is that new and current students will see there is a problem of reintegrating people into the community after imprisonment,” said Madison Burks, Impact service co-director. “Through this, we can show students they can make a difference with their time at Harding, no matter how big or small.”