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Long-Term Children’s Shelter Being Built

CHARLESTON (KFSM) – A new long-term children’s shelter is being built in the River Valley. What was once the Greenhurst nursing home in Charleston is bein...

CHARLESTON (KFSM) – A new long-term children's shelter is being built in the River Valley.

What was once the Greenhurst nursing home in Charleston is being remodeled to house abused and neglected children throughout the state.

The facility will be called “Maggie House,” named after Maggie Schaffer, who helped run the Greenhurst nursing home, and is known statewide for being a leader in caregiving, according to her son Fred Schaffer.

“We’re going to be taking care of kids here, just as though she was taking care of the elderly for so many years, in the same building,” Schaffer said.

The Maggie House will be split into four cottages, each housing an average of eight children, living with house parents who will take care of them.

"They'll provide them the love and support they need. We’ll have availability of all services that the children need for counseling and that sort of thing,” Bob Moody, executive administrator of the Arkansas division of Family Ministries, said. Maggie House will operate as a division of Family Ministries, a Christian organization based in Greenville, Tennessee.

Moody is one of several dozen people and organizations working to make the Maggie House a reality.
He said there are hundreds of children in need of a safe place to live.

Children from anywhere in the state will be welcome to the house, but organizers said they're expecting most children to come from Franklin, Sebastian, Crawford, Johnson, Logan, Scott and Yell counties.

“It’s one of the highest in the country, as far as the needs. It’s definitely the highest in the state. There is no area in the state of Arkansas that has a need for more foster homes and residential beds than right here in western Arkansas,” Moody said.

The doors of the Maggie House are expected to open early this fall. The exact ages of children who can stay in each cottage of the facility has not yet been finalized, according to Moody.

"She was a wonderful, caring, devoted mother and wife and I’m real proud to have this named after her,” Schaffer said.

Maggie House is one of nearly 400 organizations taking part in Arkansas Gives on April 2.

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