 Conway, AR – On April 1, 2025, community leaders, advocates, and economic developers gathered at the Arkansas Community Development Society (ACDS) Annual Conference at the University of Central Arkansas to explore strategies for sustainable growth. This year’s theme, Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), emphasized the power of local resources and partnerships in driving meaningful, community-led change. The conference featured in-depth discussions on affordable housing, public-private partnerships (P3s), and economic development, highlighting the ways communities can leverage their existing strengths rather than focusing solely on deficits. Attendees shared best practices, innovative approaches, and strategies for building more resilient and equitable neighborhoods. “Building strong communities starts with recognizing and utilizing the assets already in place,” one attendee noted. “It’s about shifting the focus from what’s missing to what we already have and building upon it.”
For CoHO (City of Hope Outreach), a nonprofit in Conway committed to empowering underserved communities through housing, education, and economic development, this approach is at the core of our mission. By applying the principles of ABCD, we can strengthen our efforts to provide sustainable housing solutions, create economic opportunities, and create thriving neighborhoods where individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency to flourish for future generations. The insights gained at this conference will help us refine our strategies, expand our partnerships, and deepen our impact across Faulkner County. “When we focus on what communities already possess in their people, talents, and local institutions we create real, sustainable change. That’s the foundation of our work at CoHO,” said Tara Ward, COO of CoHO. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) directly aligns with CoHO Hope Village by emphasizing the strengths and capacities already present within the community to foster sustainable growth. Rather than focusing on deficiencies, CoHO leverages the talents, relationships, and local institutions in Conway to build housing, promote economic opportunity, and empower individuals toward self-sufficiency. This approach mirrors ABCD's philosophy of community-led transformation, making CoHO Hope Village not just a housing initiative but a catalyst for holistic neighborhood renewal. The insights from the ACDS conference reinforce CoHO’s commitment to nurturing resilient, people-centered communities. Networking and collaboration were central to this year’s event, with professionals from across the state coming together to align efforts and share solutions. With a strong emphasis on grassroots leadership, collaboration, and resource-driven development, the ACDS conference reaffirmed that Arkansas’s future is built from within by the people and for the people. Tara Ward is the Chief Operations Officer of The City of Hope Outreach (CoHO), a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Conway, Arkansas.
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 The issue of homelessness in Arkansas and across the nation has grown increasingly visible in the wake of the pandemic. Individuals and families who once enjoyed stability have been thrust into uncertainty due to soaring housing costs, medical hardships, and an inability to secure employment that reflects their pre-pandemic earning potential. What was once an abstract societal challenge has now become a lived reality for men and women from all walks of life.
In Arkansas, 2,783 individuals experience homelessness, seeking shelter in emergency facilities or transitional housing. This experience is indiscriminate—crossing lines of gender, ethnicity, and health status. However, while homelessness is often framed as a category, a social issue, or a statistic, it is, at its core, an intensely personal experience. Behind every number is a name, a story, and a person whose dignity remains intact despite their circumstances. Philosopher John F. Crosby reminds us that each human being is “unrepeatable” (Crosby, 2019). This profound truth compels us to see beyond the broad label of homelessness and recognize the irreplaceable worth of every individual. The man on the street corner collecting spare change for shelter is not merely a figure in the margins of our city; the child in the classroom struggling with instability is not just another at-risk student. These individuals are unique, irreducible, and inherently valuable. They are not problems to be solved but persons to be acknowledged, respected, and supported. Yet, all too often, their richness and dignity are obscured by stereotypes that prioritize discomfort over understanding. Crosby challenges us to look beyond fatigue-lined eyes, unkempt clothing, and disruptive behaviors to recognize the profound worth of the human being before us. This March, The City of Hope Outreach (CoHO) will launch its 10th annual Unseen Campaign, an initiative designed to awaken awareness, cultivate education, and inspire action. This campaign does not seek to place the burden of solving homelessness on any one individual but rather to invite the citizens of Conway and Faulkner County to engage with their neighbors in a new way. The challenge is simple yet profound: to see. To pause long enough to recognize the unrepeatable dignity in the face of another, to move beyond passive acknowledgment and toward active compassion. Being seen matters. To be acknowledged, to be valued, to be treated with dignity—this is a fundamental human need. And just as we desire to be seen, we must also commit to seeing others. This March, let us embrace the challenge to see. Dr. Philip D. Fletcher is the founder and executive director of The City of Hope Outreach, a 501c3 nonprofit organization in Conway, Arkansas. To learn more, please visit the website coho58.org |
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(501) 205-1614 (Home Office/Outreach) (501) 358-6822 (Hope Village) |
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608 E Robins St
Conway AR 72032 |
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