Cover Story for July 28, 2005
Helena, Arkansas, sits in one of the poorest counties in the United States. But thanks to two former Virginia Baptists motivated by their commitment to Christ, residents of this depressed community are finding hope for the future.
By Carla Wynn
Downtown Helena, Ark., has all the buildings to prove it was once a vibrant economic center, booming with restaurants, a movie theater and other small businesses. But 50 years has changed a lot.
Now, there's only one downtown restaurant and few struggling shops. Some older buildings are being taken down because the city has embarked in a beautification program, where condemned buildings generate some business through the sale of antique brick.
The downward spiral that put Helena and Phillips County, Ark., on the list of the 20 most impoverished counties in the U.S. began in the late 1970s.
The community had resisted new industry in the area, eliminating the potential for sustainable jobs. The rise of the national highway system lessened the need for river transportation of goods, which aided the economy of this Mississippi River border town.
Large farm owners who once employed hundreds of workers began using automated methods, minimizing their labor needs. The people who could-about a quarter of the population-moved to other cities. Many people who stayed were left without jobs and with no other income than government checks. Even today, despite many area non-profits trying to meet community needs and provide job training, there is a dramatic absence of jobs.
“So many people are moving away trying to find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” said Vivian Hoskins, who was born and raised in Helena.
Chris Maloney, a physics teacher at the local community college, first came to Helena in 1991 with the Teach for America program. When he returned to live in the community in 2000, he said the area was even more economically depressed.
“In many ways, we are still 30 years behind,” he said. “Everybody knows something is wrong.”
Economic development is essential to turning the community around. Consolidation of Helena with neighboring West Helena, a hotly contested issue that divided the community for more than 30 years, was successfully resolved in March when the cities voted to consolidate beginning Jan. 1.
Some city employees might lose their jobs because of duplication; however, some hope the new combined population figure of approximately 15,000 will attract new businesses and create more jobs. According to local school teacher Kyle Miller, at least three outside businesses have shown interest in moving to the area so far.
In the worst part of downtown-across from the liquor shop and other bar-windowed buildings-is a garden created by out-of-town and local volunteers.
“It's light in the darkness,” said former Virginian Ben Newell, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's field personnel who works with Partners in Hope, the Fellowship's rural poverty initiative that is active in the 20 poorest counties in the United States.
The Garden of E.D.E.N.-an acronym for Empowering Development through Education and Nutrition-launched in 2003 and has provided food and learning opportunities for local youth, including the upcoming start of a junior master gardening program through the University of Arkansas. Across Walnut Street are a few vacant lots and few buildings, one of which is where a local church meets. But Ben Newell and his wife, Leonora-both former members of First Baptist Church in Richmond-have a vision for the block that could change the course of Helena.
The economic development project would include a ministry center, a small office complex, a retail center and a farmers market, Ben said. The project could jumpstart the local economy, providing jobs and marketplace for small businesses. While the idea is still just a dream, Ben envisions the complex constructed by PIH and local volunteer labor.
“We want to show [Helena] we don't have to have half a million dollars to do something special,” he said.
There is local precedent for success through teamwork. In the first year of the All Church Challenge, PIH volunteers restored Helena's community center, which had been inoperable because of a fire.
“The mission teams did all the legwork. The free labor saved us,” said Alvin Jones, who directs Helena's recreation program including the center.
Now the center has a new indoor basketball court, one of the few local playgrounds, a computer lab where children can do their homework, a book and toy lending library that opened in October, and an imagination station for arts and crafts. “What we need in our community is the ability to dream and to be creative,” Ben said.
The center also has a laundry room to draw parents as well as their children to the center and its programs. Eventually a partnership with Southern Development Bank Corps will allow eligible residents to apply their laundry expenses toward a matching savings program, Ben said.
Some community members have dreams, too. Jones hopes the consolidated city of Helena-West Helena will pass a sales tax that would enable the construction of a new multi-million dollar community center and outdoor sports complex.
Jones hopes for an indoor pool, which would allow the ACC swimming program to continue year-round; a fitness center and track to meet community health needs; and quality ball fields that could attract regional and national tournaments to Helena. In addition to potential economic impact from tournament hosting, self-esteem of involved children will increase.
“It'll build kids' morale by competing with other players. Kids also feel a whole lot better when they're playing on a nice field,” he said.
But the community isn't unified enough to make dreams happen, residents said. Racial reconciliation in this community of 70 percent African-American and 30 percent Caucasian still hasn't happened and “has in large measure brought us to where the city is now,” said Helena resident Linda Whitfield.
The political flip-flop of municipal leadership has left many residents hopeless that change will ever come. After all, the vote for consolidating into Helena-West Helena took 30 years.
“There are more people in Helena who feel hopeless than there are who have a vision for Phillips County,” Hoskins said.
Ben, Leonora and their three children moved to Helena in 2002, becoming a daily presence in the community. Community members describe the family as part of the community, not outsiders who will work awhile and then leave.
“He's trying to bring the community together,” said Helena resident Kyle Miller.
Unity is an uphill battle, though. Even rallying behind economic revitalization can be difficult because many residents don't understand economics, Hoskins said. Although Dot Carpenter has seen increased interaction between the black and white communities, “the change is very slow,” she said.
That pace might continue because the change cannot come only from what outside people contribute; it must come from within, according to Leonora. Thus, the Newells value strong relationships more than a project's success.
“We are willing to drop the quality of the outcome if the process builds community better,” Leonora said.
Because PIH is a 20-year commitment, local residents think it has potential to inspire and make a difference. “It doesn't do anything to have a spark and then nothing lit. It just dampens people's spirits. That can kill a person's desire if there's no real substance,” Whitfield said. “To make a real change they need to stick to it.”
One way to make a long-term impact is through today's children. During the All Church Challenge, children are given particular emphasis through daily camps, which could cause a significant change.
“They may be different adults because of it,” said Bob Carpenter of Helena.
Many residents agree that adult leadership will be what turns Helena around. And that starts with hope. “I'm just excited about it. I want to be a part of this thing. I don't want to come on the end and enjoy the benefits. I want to be there to make it happen,” Hoskins said.
Special to the Herald
Carla Wynn writes for the CBF.