People of Northwest Arkansas
The People of Northwest Arkansas is an award winning podcast celebrating the power of storytelling by providing a platform for individuals living in Northwest Arkansas to share their unique and inspiring life experiences. We believe that every person has a story worth telling, and through our podcast, we aim to amplify these voices through thoughtful interviews and engaging storytelling.
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People of Northwest Arkansas
Building a Beacon of Hope: Jarrod Reeves on Sunshine School's Mission and Evolution
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Join us as we sit down with Jarrod Reeves, CEO of Sunshine School & Development Center, to hear about the school's inspiring evolution and its mission to support individuals with developmental disabilities since 1958. Jarrod shares his personal story, revealing how a legacy of education and volunteerism shaped his career in nonprofit work. Discover the remarkable societal changes in attitudes toward disabilities and the growing need for autism therapy services. This conversation dives deep into Sunshine School's foundational values and their commitment to early intervention, impacting over 150 children daily.
@people_of_nwa
@brockentertainment
@sunshineschoolevcenter
https://www.nwasunshineschool.org/
Thank you to our presenting sponsor @thefirstcommunitybank
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Sunshine School
Speaker 1We want to take a moment and thank First Community Bank for being a premier sponsor of the podcast .
Speaker 2Yes , we love First Community Bank . We sure do so , Danielle .
Speaker 1Yes .
Speaker 2Have you ever heard of the Sunshine School ? Sunshine and lollipops ? Nope , Sunshine School . It is a school here . I think that it's been around what ? 67 years , and we have someone here from Sunshine School that's going to tell us more about it .
Speaker 1Oh , I'm so excited .
Speaker 2And so Jared .
Speaker 4Yes .
Speaker 2Nice to have you here today .
Speaker 4It's great to be here . Yeah , thanks for having me .
Speaker 2And pronounce your last name , so I don't .
Speaker 4Reeves .
Speaker 2Okay , Reeves Got it . Yeah , so Jared Reeves , he's a CEO at Sunshine School and we just had the gala the Sunshine Gala and he was so nice to invite me to come and I got to see firsthand what it's all about and the families that are involved . And it's just an amazing school here in the area . So , jared , tell us a little bit more about it and how you got into it .
Speaker 4You're right , we're starting our 67th year in business . We were started in 1958 . So you know the big premise of what we do , or we provide supports , therapy services to individuals with developmental disabilities . Our main age range now is from six weeks to six years , getting them ready for school , and then we also have a adult program where we provide community supports and services so that they can live independently .
Speaker 4A little bit about our history . One of my favorite things to do at the school is to give a tour and because I always get to tell the history , I get to tell the history of disability services in general , whether it's to you know someone that may want to become a supporter , a volunteer , a donor , or you know we do a lot of tours with high school age kids and so in 1958 , when Sunshine School was started , there weren't services for individuals or children with developmental disabilities . You know , back in the late 50s if you had a child with a developmental disability Down syndrome , mental retardation , any of that you know the doctors kind of just said , you know our advice is to put them in an institution and just forget about them .
Speaker 4You can visit them . But all of the terminology were medical terms . That's where you hear it the retarded , the idiot , the mongoloid , all of that were medical terminology in the 50s . It's crazy to think that just 60 or 60 , 70 years ago that is kind of what we felt like their worth was . So we had a couple of parents that said , no , our kids deserve better , they deserve an education .
Speaker 4This is 20 years before Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA , that now entitles children with disabilities to education services . So this was years before that . They started in the basement of a church with two kids and said , no , we are going to just help them on their journey and just give them the best life possible . So that just evolved and evolved and evolved into kind of the services that we have now . In the 70s children were able to go to school and receive special education and then in the 80s funding came for services that we do now , which are six weeks to six years , which are early intervention services , just meeting people on their journey and helping them through therapy just reach those developmental milestones and get the kiddos ready for kindergarten . So you know , that's kind of a little bit about what we do in the history .
Speaker 1That's so awesome how we started .
Speaker 2Wow , and it's crazy to think that it really hasn't been that long since those changes have happened . Right , you know if you think about the beginning of time , how you know children with disabilities and families . You know the options that they were given , right they ?
Speaker 4didn how children with disabilities and families the options that they were given Right .
Speaker 2they didn't have many options . I love that it just took a couple parents standing up .
Speaker 4Right .
Speaker 2And they had to start small .
Speaker 4And now like yeah , now we're . We personally not only are there about 30 kids between six weeks and 30,000 kids , sorry , between six weeks and six years served in the state of Arkansas , we personally have 150 that come to our center every day for all of the services and it's just amazing .
Speaker 2Yeah , yeah , that's awesome that that's here , because I feel like maybe it's an underserved community before and I know that you had mentioned that there's still more and you know you're fundraising and trying to serve more of the need in the community you do and you know you're .
Speaker 4You're constantly just looking forward to what's next , what's the next service . You know we've added in the last three years autism therapy and you know , in the right in the early 90s , like one in 300 people were were diagnosed to be on the autism spectrum . Now it's like one in 36 . I saw that and so the increase for therapy services and developmental services . I mean they just continue to grow .
Speaker 2Yeah , wow , that's incredible Because I have so many friends myself that would love to take advantage of that and just even be connected with that . Are going through that Right advantage of that and just even be connected with that . Are going through that Just to know , like , what to expect and what the options are , and just to be able to communicate , absolutely Okay . So you told us a bit about the school . How did you get into the world of nonprofits ?
Speaker 4You know I was thinking a lot about this and you know I grew up I love the public school system . My dad was a teacher in the public school system for 38 years . My mom was in higher education at a college , and so I just kind of grew up with a volunteerism at heart . One specific case when I was seven or eight and you're really not one , it's all about you when you're seven or eight but we had a neighbor that went into assisted living or a nursing home and my mom made us go and it truly was a time where she made you go .
Speaker 4And it may not have had an impact on me right then , but just knowing that when you're going and you're visiting someone that may not have grandkids or a lot of visitors , and then you're running around the nursing home and just talking to different people , I really think that kind of sparked me and just sparked that in me because I just think it's important to you know it may sound trite , but just leave the world a better place than you found it , and you need to do that through any kind of volunteer activity that you can
Fulfilling Work Through Volunteering
Speaker 4. You know , and then when I graduated college , you know everybody's going to save the world in some you know aspect or whatever I thought you know I was going to be .
Speaker 4you know , take over the fashion world , or you know all of that .
Speaker 2You're taking over in the studio .
Speaker 4Thank you very much . I would agree . You know , I thought you know that was going to be the trajectory of what I was doing . But that was going to be the trajectory of what I was doing , but you never know , when you're in your 20s and I graduated with a degree in finance and so I went to work for a nonprofit . I had always volunteered through high school , went to work for a nonprofit doing their finances and it was actually adult disability services and really liked the work . And when I moved to Northwest Arkansas , my brother I ended up here because my brother started a business here . So I grew up in Kansas . My whole life , went to college in Kansas , moved here in 02 and to kind of help him with his business . And then I did a year in New Orleans after Katrina working for a company Calcon here actually it's an .
Speaker 4NWA company helping them on the cleanup efforts . And then when I got back I was kind of like what am I going to do ? And I just went into the corporate world and worked for Outdoor Cap for 11 years and it was there that I really was encouraged to volunteer and really get back into it . Outdoor cap encourages their people to volunteer their great corporate partner in the community .
Speaker 1So I had the opportunity to get involved with the sunshine school and the rest is kind of history that's amazing and you're actually you know you're saying the whole idea of , like , you graduate and you want to save the world you are .
Speaker 3You are saving the world well , you know it , saving their worlds .
Speaker 1You're saving their worlds too . Somebody's world it is . It is so amazing .
Speaker 4It's true , it's about you , I think , during your 20s and 30s , and it's making your way in the corporate world or doing something , and then there's just something so rewarding with where I'm at now in my life that you can connect the work to a mission . So it doesn't even really feel like work . It feels like being paid to volunteer and do good .
Speaker 2Because you have a bigger vision , instead of just maybe the little tasks , the small tasks that you have to do each step . Well , something you said kind of ignited a memory in me , because I really feel that when you do have kids or if you're mentoring a kid , it's important to introduce volunteer work , because my family was big on that . My grandma used to do endow meals on wheels . She would go , we'd go deliver meals and then she also did the women's hair . You know she had that little poof . You know she was the kind of never washed , her hair was just , you know , like once or twice a week . But she would go do that .
Speaker 2And I remember , like , like you at the time being , like I don't really want to be right , you know , because the older people they love little kids . You get a lot of attention , intense it is , and some of the people's homes weren't the most pleasant , but they were the joy that they felt . I'll never forget just seeing them light up . And so what you said really made a difference , because that's why I'm probably still involved today , because that was instilled in me too right , because it feels good to give .
Speaker 4It does . It does . I mean it just feels really natural , especially when you're fortunate to have the time or have the resources or have the energy to do it . It does . I did Meals on Wheels too , after after college , when I was working at my first job .
Speaker 4I wasn't great at it , because I'm a , I'm a talker , I'm a chatter , and you know when you have when you have six meals that you're supposed to deliver and you know you can't spend as much time as you want to , but I meals that you're supposed to deliver and people are hungry .
Speaker 1You can't spend as much time as you want to , but I can , so remember that and love it . That's so great . That is definitely something I can resonate with . That , too , is finding the right types of opportunities where you can use the gifts that you have and also love people and sometimes just even having a conversation with somebody .
Speaker 1And I remember one time when I was working with like teenagers and I had a teenager once tell me they were like you talk to me like I'm a person , like you talk to me like I'm an adult , and and it wasn't like we were talking about like adult things , like you know , heavy news things related . It was just like I gave them the opportunity to feel seen and I think sometimes just even that is so helpful in in a world that is messy and and just gross and you know we have this kind of like desire to be kind and love and to be fortunate .
Speaker 1You know we were talking about on the radio show a while back with brock about just this kid who gave a dollar to a man and that just like sparked something else you know , and just this kid wanted to give to the homeless and and I think that that's amazing and that's something I've always , you know , tried to teach my kids is , like you know , we want to help people , you know , help them in the right way , but nonetheless , like the world is more than just us and our little bubble , like there's , there's a lot going on yeah I think that that's important . The work you're doing is really valuable .
Speaker 2So I feel like this community is a really special one . I know we say that a lot , but but it is , it's such a special community
Community Support and Sisterly Bonds
Speaker 2. Everyone is just really nice here . Coming from the city , city , it's just .
Speaker 1Yeah , so if you're moving to Northwest Arkansas , you better become nice , absolutely .
Speaker 4And you're exactly right Everyone is nice , everything is new , new people , new places , all kinds of things to do , and everybody seems genuinely happy I know , yeah , and I maybe that's because everyone's nice , everyone's nice , it's not like the city .
Speaker 1You know everyone's looking a little smug and right I mean there is southern hospitality but and I also think that there's a little bit more happening in our cultural overall of the values here .
Speaker 2The values here's my balance . You know what are our priorities , just like the company you worked for , the valued giving valued giving , and you're right , work-life balance is so important and covid really taught us that like everyone had to take a step back and say , okay , I don't want to . You know like work to live . I want to live for my work .
Speaker 4Absolutely .
Speaker 2Right .
Speaker 4Right , and you know you , you saw so many people and I think for me one of the things about you know , things being shut down or whatever and masking , and although it was great and it was necessary , where you couldn't see people smile , you couldn't really connect on that level . And I think that was one of the hardest things .
Speaker 2Yeah , it really was hard . Well , I don't know if all teachers did this , but my girls' teachers wore the clear masks .
Speaker 4Right .
Speaker 2So they could see , because they said it affects young children's ability to learn . They needed to see .
Speaker 4They do Probably in high school .
Speaker 2they don't care . No , they don't Right .
Speaker 1Maybe not as much . They're school . They don't care ? No , they don't . Maybe not like we don't wear masks , we don't really care . Yeah , we're all gonna get it anyway . I know it's not funny sorry .
Speaker 2So tell us a little bit more about sunshine schools . So I know you said they provide services for kids and then also adults . So how does that branch off ?
Speaker 4so we do . So you know adults when they . You know adults when they , you know , are 18 , 19, . They're graduating from high school . You know , it's kind of like what's next . There are a lot of alumni from our program that may have come to us , that are when they were younger , that are now graduating from public school and public education , and what are they going to do , you know ? Do they want to live independently ? Do they want to live with mom and dad ? What supports and services do they need ? Do they need continued therapy ? Do they maybe just need shopping and self-help skills or personal care ? And so what CES waiver or community employment services means is that you can make the choice to live independently .
Speaker 4Staff will come in and help you . You can choose to have a roommate , you go grocery shopping , you do all of those things about being part of the community , and so that's what our staff in adult services does . They just help the integration the inclusion process .
Speaker 2I want my mom to come and work with .
Speaker 4Sunshine .
Speaker 2School , because my mom is an LPC and she provides services to adults at like day habs and she actually helps them with , you know , organizing outings or to get their prescriptions , Like she doesn't get there , like she can't , but like she facilitates that to help them have independent and teaches them just life skills . And so I was like now I want to have Connector try to get her job at her social media .
Speaker 1Absolutely I think that's really neat , I think . That I think about your just made me think of a memory of my mom and when I was in early college my mom was a nanny to a little girl with Down syndrome and she became really close with that family and part of that family and it was really neat , I think , for my sisters and I to kind of watch my mom do that and to give selflessly like , yes , it was a job , but it wasn't just , you know , a typical nanny job .
Speaker 2She not everyone can do that job .
Speaker 1Yeah it , I mean , is pretty impressed . Impressive and just the work that she was doing and it always made an impact on me and my sisters of how important it is to just love people .
Speaker 2Danielle has twin sisters . I do have twin sisters .
Speaker 4Oh , that's amazing , they're identical twins .
Speaker 1Yes , they're younger than me , and then my husband has younger sisters who are also identical twins , but we did not have twins . I know so many twins in , but we did not have twins . I know so many twins in our family .
Speaker 4So many twins in your family ? There really are .
Speaker 2I've like aunts that are twins .
Speaker 1He has cousins that are twins .
Speaker 2Can you imagine being a sibling of twins ? No , I don't .
Speaker 4No , I can't .
Speaker 2It wasn't .
Speaker 1It wasn't what some people might think it's cracked up to be .
Speaker 2No , I didn't think it was . I feel like they're always ganging up on you .
Speaker 4Right , oh right .
Speaker 1What each other's thinking , oh , they 100% always ganged up on me .
Sisterly Bonding and Fashion Discussion
Speaker 1They called me the worst names too , but the one that I can probably say . They called me Lumpo all the time .
Speaker 4I was Lumpo growing up . I know they were mean Do you have siblings . I do . I have an older brother , oh , that's nine years older , and so I kind of grew up , you know , from the time I was nine , as like an only child , I guess .
Speaker 2I mean we're still close , but yeah .
Speaker 4He was gone in college and moving on , but yeah , I can't imagine having , you know , twin siblings . You know that , you know they have that twin bond anyway , and then kind of ganging up on you , oh , and they not only ganged up on me , they stole my clothes , they stole up on .
Speaker 1Oh , and they not only ganged up on me , they stole my clothes , they stole my makeup , they took everything of mine .
Speaker 2It wasn't just one of them . They're gonna call you up to this episode .
Speaker 1Oh , I know they're gonna be like what's funny is I was just talking to them because we we lost both of our parents in the last decade our dad first , and then our mom during covid , and so I'm getting a tattoo with my dad's handwriting the word love and also with a flower a poppy flower , which is his birth month flower , and the state flower of California , which was where we are from . And now they're all like oh , we want to get the same tattoo . And I was like all right , do it . So , even though they tortured me growing up and they were my younger sisters .
Speaker 3There's still there's a lot more love now I mean it just is really .
Speaker 1You know , we do a monthly sister lunch date and so it's been really . You know it's really good , like growing that relationship and we all live out here in northwest arkansas now and that's amazing too .
Speaker 4He lives in kansas city and so , but you know I mean three . It's three and a half hours at the road , so I mean's back and forth and stuff , so yeah just close enough , just close enough .
Speaker 2Absolutely . When you're not sunshine school , where , like ? Where would we find you ? Where would you find for fun ?
Speaker 4So you know , like I do love to travel I know everyone says that , some people don't you know I do love it and I think and I think you know what kind of sparked that too is my old job at Outdoor Cab . I worked in sourcing , so I traveled all over the world and I was very fortunate to be able to do that , and so I think now a lot of my travels just kind of happen within the United States . I mean , there's so many things to see . I do love , you know , to go to a big city . I love the big city vibe ?
Speaker 4I don't want to move there . But you know I love to go and just kind of immerse yourself in the culture that has to do . But you know , whether that's traveling to Mexico or , you know , taking a beach vacation or New York or Atlanta or whatever , you know , I just like you know kind of the smaller , you know kind of the smaller .
Speaker 2Smaller big cities , or what's next .
Speaker 4What's next on your itinerary , you know actually . So I am going to Vegas next week .
Speaker 2I absolutely .
Speaker 4I have seen the sphere . I love Vegas , I love blackjack , so that's kind of you know like you know I go to Vegas for you know , just really . For you know the blackjack , the food , the shows , the whatever . And you know it's usually twice a year and people are like I can't believe you go that much . But my best friend , angie , she's a Blackjack player too and we just like to go and you know it's easy to get there and easy to get back and we just like the little longer weekend trips and so that's what's next for me .
Speaker 1That's awesome . That sounds a lot of fun . I want to talk about fashion . Oh yeah , I love it .
Speaker 2Oh , you just got excited . Let's talk about it . I'm not fashionable today , but I do have my choice brands that I store in Louis Vuitton .
Speaker 1She's like a minimalist , this one over here I'm more of the classic Classic . That is so good .
Speaker 4Very waspy . You know , it's always fun to look back how it changes . You look back on pictures and you're just like , wow , I thought that was very fashion forward and you know it was like it's not always about keeping up with the trends . I'm more of , just you know , like whatever your personal style is , just own it .
Speaker 2That is something a stylish person would say . Of course I agree with that though .
Speaker 1I think , once you find and I feel like I've kind of started to find and learn to define my fashion a little bit better and just like what I love and I love . I love a lot of black . I also went and got my colors done , oh , you did the color , have you done that ?
Speaker 4I have not . I want to do that . No , it does sound amazing . But , you know , you quickly , you , like you said , you're kind of defining it and you just realize that you know , if you're always chasing that fast fashion , I don't do that anymore . You're going , you know you're going to spend a fortune and you're going to end up with things that you don't love what she says .
Speaker 1She doesn't do that , but she's totally got the half tucked in shirt . This is a fast fashion . Oh no , right , right is the way it's made this is a french tuck this is just a style .
Speaker 2This is a French tuck , this is just a style .
Speaker 1This is the French tuck .
Speaker 2I'm just teasing you , because I was just I buy quality pieces . I know . I'm just saying trends , oh yeah , I will go with a trend .
Speaker 1I'll try it out .
Speaker 2Oh .
Speaker 4I will too . I'm just teasing you , I do , and sometimes you'll try out a new trend and I'll stand in front of the mirror and I'm thinking I might be a little bit old for that .
Speaker 2But yeah , I love this , it's just owning it . Am I too old to be here ? And it's moms with young out ?
Speaker 1Right on Right . Well , I think , when you get older too , and you and a younger generation is going to still criticize you , no , matter what .
Speaker 4It doesn't matter . But you don't care anymore , it's so freeing .
Speaker 1I don't care that you don't agree with the clothing choices that I'm making , or the words that are coming out of my mouth .
Speaker 2Well , let's say what our favorite designers are . So what's your go-to ? I know you're wearing a designer belt . What's your ?
Speaker 4go-to , I would say , you know , like accessory wise , it would definitely be louis vuitton . I do , you know , have a thing for gucci as far as shoes and belts and accessories . But then you know , I'll , I'll mix that with you know , my clothing might be , you know , jackets or whatever . I love jackets . I have an obsession in a huge collection of not only suit jackets but casual jackets .
Speaker 2Where do you buy them ? Zara Express Okay .
Speaker 4You know , express has kind of been my go-to . Now Banana Republic all of it , and so it's just kind of like you said your style evolves and it really does just become style .
Speaker 2What do you think about ? Man bags , man purses .
Speaker 4I love a good man bag , you do . Okay , I have several .
Speaker 2okay , I'm just curious because there's two schools of thought there . Some men are totally opposed to the man , like a briefcase is kind of similar , but then some rocket right , yeah , well , but then you know you look at .
Speaker 4So you look at a great outfit , right , and people don't . You know , you have the guys that are like I wouldn't carry a murse or a man bag or is that another name for it ? Yeah , murse , murse , I'm like , you can call it whatever you want . I don't have a big , you know giant ipod phone stuck in my front pocket I don't have a big wallet I'm not carrying .
Speaker 2You know something else my husband should wear when it's all there putting stuff in my purse exactly right .
Speaker 4It just is a way to just keep it all there .
Speaker 1I love mine . Just carries my purse , so we're good I love that .
Speaker 3Yeah , why not ? Jeff owns it . He can own it , my husband has like zero fashion sense though it was mine's getting better , yeah , and I .
Speaker 1I wouldn't say that I'm like super fashionable , but straight men struggle with fashion well , some not all right
Speaker 2but it's known , I mean , that's why they need to show queer eye for the straight guy , absolutely , and you know you're all right , but it's known , I mean , that's why they made the show queer eye for the straight guy absolutely , and you know you're right .
Speaker 4I mean it's , but it's like they're . You're kind of lucky because you think about it . If there's two of you into fashion , that's gonna get pretty pricey oh , that is true , that is so true you kind of just have to think of it , and I know you guys , you made such , you can just , you know , grab the shirt and the thing Right , we're throwing you an air .
Speaker 1High five for that . Only one of you .
Speaker 4Only one of you can have the expensive taste .
Speaker 1Oh , my gosh so do you ? Have a significant other . I don't .
Speaker 4And I don't have children . So that's what makes it . You know that's even better . I can , I can pick out , I can do whatever I want , I can go wherever I want , I can buy whatever I want , because I'm not having to support someone else . I know right .
Speaker 1I love you family .
Speaker 2It does sound nice it does sound nice .
Speaker 1I think it's because you get to again , get to a point in life where you just kind of don't care what other people think as much , and so it's like dang it . Why couldn't I have had this mentality before ? I would have lived in life to the fullest .
Speaker 2But I'm okay , living life to the fullest , just like when I made my honeymoon in the French Riviera . Why didn't I just you know , top optional ? Absolutely now you would have just done it , and that's what happened .
Speaker 1I won't do this in your pool , but I did it in my friend's pool where I totally went topless .
Speaker 2I did it was a france it was a girl's
Fashion Journey With Community Support
Speaker 2night .
Speaker 1We were having a good time .
Speaker 3We're hanging out it's fun and I was like I'm taking my swimsuit top off .
Speaker 1Are you gonna be offended ? And they were like no .
Speaker 2And I was like yeah , then I kept like checking and making sure the window that the kids they're making it okay now because they're just like nude on every runway . Now that's funny .
Speaker 1Yeah , no , go ahead . I was just going to ask you a little bit about you know you said you wanted to go into fashion . Yeah , so what was that journey ? So , instead of going into fashion , it became kind of a staple for you as a personal brand . Like what was that journey ? Like ?
Speaker 4So you know when I went , so I had when I graduated from high school . There is a fashion school in Texas called Botter .
Speaker 1Okay .
Speaker 4And it's a . It's a huge . It was a huge fashion school and I thought that's what I wanted to do . I didn't know if I really wanted to be on the design or the stylist side or whatever , but you know , I mean it was an expensive endeavor to do and so , you know , I finally just said , you know , when I'm in , I quickly realized that that really wasn't what I was going to be passionate about . I liked it personally , but I think it's .
Speaker 4You know , when you work in fashion or whatever , you have to take all of kind of the personal opinions into account and that wasn't really something . You know that . You know I had a defined idea of what I liked and what I didn't like . And so , you know , after I was in college for five years and it was my dad going like , listen , you know , it's been fun , I mean , it's been fun for you , but we need to decide something right , let's , let's get you graduated , you know , and do something . And so you know I went the finance route and you know always kind of thought I guess I would get back , maybe into some sort of fashion . But you know I just decided that . You know , once you start making money and you can do your own personal fashion . That was enough for me , so I'm really glad that I didn't .
Speaker 2Can you make clothes ?
Speaker 4I can't , I really am not crafty .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 4Yeah , I'm not either , but it's just , yeah , it's about the styling , and you had mentioned something earlier about having a lot of basic pieces or having a lot of quality pieces , and that's one of the things you know , you , you build like this library of all of these clothes and then it's just the fun part about keeping them fresh . It's just putting them together some different way , right ? Yeah and just knowing where you're going and what you need .
Speaker 1You need to go model for Northwest Arkansas Fashion Week .
Speaker 4That's what I was thinking oh fun Gosh , that would be so much fun we need to connect to him .
Speaker 2And he can fundraise for Sunshine School at the same time , and you know , yes , I know I might .
Speaker 4And it's funny , brock and I laugh because you know , he is always so gracious to do the Sunshine Gala , which is our largest fundraiser . He always emcees it and DJs it and is so great to give back and you know like you might see me there and I'll have on like a full sequence jacket and you know something like that and you'll you'll see me at work and you know I'll be pretty dressed up . I always feel and I think it was my , my mom . So my mom was always like you always should look your best . You never know who you're going to run into .
Speaker 4You know we were like yeah , we were the , we were the . Take off your school clothes , yeah . You have play clothes and you know iron and iron everything still , and you know all of that . But I can wear sequins to Vegas and you know glittery pants or jeans and a jacket and feel just as comfortable . And you're right , the older you get , the easier it is to just own it .
Speaker 2To just own it Under percent . I need more sequins in my life . You do , I know it's funny .
Speaker 1I look at my kids who they wear things and I just I have to just like let it go . You know they're figuring things out .
Speaker 2It drives me crazy . One time ella wore a jojo siwa outfit to like kindergarten . It was an over-the-top outfit because you know jojo yes and I was just like she's rocking it so confident , didn't care what anyone thought , and I'm just like , wow , I could really take a page out of her book yeah , like all about confidence , right ?
Speaker 1yeah , I know , one time I said something to my daughter about what she had on and she was like it's my opinion .
Speaker 4And I was like okay you're like , I get it right .
Speaker 1I'm like I'm scared of my eight-year-old . No , she just .
Speaker 4You know , I think that's the thing I've learned from parents , or you know from being at the school you know we'll have kids come in and you know a christmas headband and you know the middle of summer and you know we'll have kids come in and you know a Christmas headband , and you know the middle of summer and you know frog rain boots and shorts and a shirt . And you just look at the parents and it's like pick your battles right .
Speaker 4Why not let them be individuals . You know that's what we preach , and so let them be individuals . You know that is really not the most important part of the day , and so I can see it .
Speaker 1I've given up on battling with my daughter over socks and Crocs .
Speaker 2Yeah , oh me too . Yeah , socks and Crocs . I am like Victoria Beckham . I think Crocs are just a crime against humanity .
Speaker 4I agree .
Speaker 2My daughter hikes in Crocs . Okay , when I volunteered at Field Day last year , I said I can't do it again this year because I can't take the crocs oh no like all the kids , they wear crocs to field day .
Speaker 1Right , they fly up everywhere right you're gonna have such bad and some shoes and socks I .
Speaker 2That's when they I say , put some shoes on . She's like look , I put socks on with the crocs .
Speaker 1I know this is my daughter too 100 . She is hilarious with her shoes . Today she wore or she got some shoes that are like croc similar to crocs , but they're like sharks and they're like all over , I guess , youtube or something and she wanted them and got them for her birthday and she just is like owning it and I'm like yeah don't look up the Ronald McDonald Crocs all day , you're gonna wear this all day .
Speaker 2She's like , yeah , I'm fine , and I'm like okay , okay okay , if that's how you want to be seen , that's on . You . Pick your battles , 100% pick them . So how can the community support Sunshine School ? Like , how can we do better ?
Speaker 4of course , you know , I think , with all of the great things that are happening in Northwest Arkansas right , I think what the latest census is , one in , or 36 people a day are moving to Northwest Arkansas , which is great .
Speaker 4It's fantastic for the access to all of the new things and the trails and the restaurants . But I think what people forget about are the nonprofits that have been here forever and kind of the struggle that they have , both financially , with volunteerism . Volunteers are the lifeblood of what we do . It doesn't matter if you're coming in to help us wash a bus which is something that we don't have to do so that our kids have access to services or coming in and reading to the kids , or just coming in and doing all kinds of volunteering that we love , because the more volunteers we get in , the more people that hear about what we do . They'll tell someone else and it just kind of grows exponentially like that . So it's not always about giving money . Yes , money you have to . Every nonprofit is a business . Business you have to have money to operate , but volunteering is is really one of the the ways that the community can get involved for us .
Speaker 1I think that's a really great message to send out , because it is easy to give your money , sure , and it takes a little bit more to give of your time .
Speaker 2And now the high schoolers have to volunteer more before they can graduate . That's really good .
Speaker 4That has been great for us because you know any of them , that any high schooler that may you know , want to work in children's services or become a special education teacher , a therapist , anything like that They'll come in and volunteer . And so we look at it as we welcome it , because you know we're building the next level of advocates , you know , for people that have disabilities and we think it's great so yeah , I love it .
Speaker 2Awesome . What's in the future for you guys ? What are you guys working on next or yeah ?
Speaker 4So right now we're full . Okay , I think you had heard what are you guys working on next ? So to add on to our campus , and that's what we're doing . So , you know , in the next six months we'll launch a full capital campaign , just you know , so that we can start getting some of the kids off our waiting list , Because you know we have , you know , between 50 and 70 rolling on our interest list all of the time . Wow , and it's really sad and it's really a testament to the growth of .
Speaker 4NWA . So what is next for us is what do we do in the interim until you know we have a new building and we have more access to services . What can we do to help those families ? And that's really what we spend a lot of time , you know , especially with . Our leadership team is just working on . You know what is next and we're not exactly sure , but we're just continuing to work on it .
Speaker 2Sure , yeah next , and we're not exactly sure , but we're just continuing to work on it , sure , yeah , yeah it'll probably evolve as it will . It will as the school evolves .
Speaker 4So yeah , because we have so many parents that , um , we do what we can to help them , but any kind of um , no medicaid funded service .
Speaker 4You know there's anything kind of you know related to government . There's a vast amount of paperwork and navigation of the system , and you know that's what we're good at , yeah , and , and we help anyone , regardless of whether it's children's services or or you're just struggling with you know my , you know food stamp application or something you know . Come in , call us . Yeah , we have specialists and we have experts on staff that will help you with anything and we have experts on staff that will help you with anything .
Speaker 1That's incredible , so awesome . Yeah , I love that .
Speaker 2So how can our listeners find you guys online ? What's your handle ?
Speaker 4You know most everything that we do . Of course , you can find us on Instagram , facebook , linkedin , tiktok , even now Really , yeah , you can , and you can get through all of those through our website . So mwasunshineschoolorg and there's a contact us . So I had said earlier , I love to give tours , because anything to get the word out about what we do or what other agencies like us do right , there's no competition . We're all in the business of helping children and adults with developmental disabilities and so we all help each other . But whatever we can do to help , we want them to contact us .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 4And stop in .
Speaker 2That's awesome , jared . Thank you for coming in and just telling us more about it .
Speaker 4Yeah , it's been amazing , thank you .
Speaker 2Yeah , thank you , thanks . Hey . Thanks so much for listening today . If you liked what you heard , please consider subscribing to the podcast so you never miss an episode . You can also follow us on Instagram at people of NWA . Thanks so much .
Speaker 3People of Northwest Arkansas with the two Daniels produced by me . Brock Short of Civil Republic Productions . Please rate , review and like us on any podcast platform where you listen . For more information about today's guests and the show , please check the show notes . Thanks for listening .