Kaila Emery, the new county coordinator at a local nonprofit The CALL, is settling into her role at the organization and, later this month, plans to introduce her new leadership team to the public.
The CALL is an Arkansas-based nonprofit that works to match foster children with Christian families in the community and provides assistance to those families, including supplies, support and education.
Emery took over as the county coordinator for the Union and Calhoun counties' branch of the organization in May, after former coordinator Karen Hicks departed the role for a new job. Hicks led the local chapter for nine years.
Emery has focused, in her first weeks, at building her leadership team and continuing community outreach.
"[Hicks] became the face of The CALL in Union County because she didn't have a choice due to COVID-19... We're building a new team. The old team has served and been incredible and it's time for a new season," Emery said.
The CALL will hold a "mix and mingle" event on the second floor of the First Financial Bank headquarters on Peach Street on June 27 at 6 p.m.
That event is open to all and will allow Emery's leadership team and foster family trainers to introduce themselves to local foster families and members of the general public who attend.
"Basically everybody you will meet are people in Union County who have hands in The CALL. More people might want to jump in when they see people who are serving and can ask how they can be a part of it," Emery said.
The members of the leadership team are Chuck Flurry, Genie Humphries, Elizabeth Glass, Joshua Emery, Melinda Verdesca and Michael Verdesca.
Currently, the biggest foster care-related need locally is for families to open their homes to kids in need of care.
"We need homes, whether it's somebody from local churches through us or people going through the state -- these kids need a place to stay," Emery said.
Serving as a foster parent is not the only way volunteers can help with The CALL's mission, however.
Emery -- who started off as a volunteer herself -- said it can be as simple as "[showing] up to fold clothes" at the organization's location on
She and her husband, Joshua, served as foster parents for seven boys when they lived in Nashville, Tenn.
Emery met Hicks when the couple moved to El Dorado and was eventually recruited as a foster family trainer for The CALL.
"[The organization] posted the job and I called [Hicks] and asked her 'is it crazy if I submit for the job?' She said she believed that God equipped someone to take over and that it could be me," Emery said.
Emery said she saw first-hand while serving as a foster parent in Nashville that resources and help are invaluable to foster families.
"The CALL meets those needs. We recruit from churches but we serve every kid in care, and it's a cool and personal thing to me," she continued.
"It's incredible what [Hicks] has done to establish The CALL here and I'm incredibly thankful to carry the banner for her."