NWA Children’s Shelter renamed to EverHope, expands services

Bentonville nonprofit Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter announced Wednesday (Jan. 29) that it has changed its name to EverHope, released a new logo and expanded its services following a strategic planning process.

Since Benton County Juvenile Court Judge Terry Crabtree founded the nonprofit in 1993, it has supported more than 13,300 Arkansas children in crisis, providing 24-hour residential care to children and teens who are victims of abandonment, abuse or neglect. When children are removed from their home, it is often the first place they go before being placed in a foster home.

According to a news release, the nonprofit remains grounded in what defines it: the children’s shelter. EverHope represents the shelter and the continuum of care it provides to support Arkansas children at each stage of their journey, including its new and expanded services.

EverHope Foster Care recruits and prepares foster families through licensing, training, and support to provide safe, stable homes for children. EverHope School Project comprises a trauma-responsive education partnership that equips schools to foster resilience, connection and positive learning environments for students and families.

Also, EverHope Path to Adulthood is a developing initiative to strengthen life skills, stability and connection for youth in foster care as they move toward adulthood.

According to the release, the new name, EverHope, reflects the organization’s belief in every child’s potential and their right to a future filled with possibilities. During the strategic planning process, four Threads of Hope were developed: strengthen, support, shelter and stabilize. These four threads position the nonprofit as a statewide partner dedicated to building “a fabric of care” that strengthens children, families and the systems around them.

“EverHope is more than a name; it’s a promise,” said CEO Rebekah Mitchell. “A promise that every child in Arkansas deserves not just safety, but enduring hope and a future filled with possibility. For more than 30 years, we’ve stood beside children in crisis, and today, that commitment grows even stronger as we expand our services and deepen our mission to provide stability, support and healing that lasts.”