Junior Auxiliary to speak to Arkadelphia Rotary about Angel Tree

The Arkadelphia Rotary Club will meet Friday, December 5, 2014, at Western Sizzlin, 106 WP Malone Drive, for its weekly meeting. Nicole McGough and Robyn Godwin will speak to the club about Junior Auxiliary's efforts with Angel Tree in Clark County. Rotarians and guests are invited to attend. For more information on the guest speaker, please read his brief biography below. 

NICOLE MCGOUGH is in her 15th year teaching math at Goza Middle School. She earned a Bachelor's of Science in Education from St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY, and her Master's of Science in Education from Henderson State University. She is also a National Board Certified Exceptional Needs Specialist. Nicole serves as the Parent Involvement Coordinator for Goza Middle School and a representative on the Arkadelphia School District Personnel Policy Committee. Nicole is married to Cris McGough and they have two daughters, Caitlyn and Halle. Nicole has been a member of Junior Auxiliary for 4 years and has co-chaired Angel Tree each year of her membership. She also serves as the Crown Family co-chair. Nicole is in her second year as the president of the Arkadelphia Running Club. She is also in her second year as the Clark County Relay for Life chairperson. Nicole has served as a CASA volunteer for the past ten years. 

JUNIOR AUXILIARY is a service organization committed to helping children of Clark County. The members of Junior Auxiliary provide services to needy children through a variety of programs each year. Junior Auxiliary hosts Breakfast with Sana annually. This event allows families to enjoy donuts, muffins, coffee and juice with Santa along with Christmas crafts. Children can have their picture taken with Santa. This event is free despite the request of  canned food donations that are given to the local food bank. Breakfast with Santa will be this Saturday, December 6, a Perritt Primary School beginning at 9 am. Junior Auxiliary also partners with Men United each year to provide backpacks and school supplies to needy Clark County children. This event takes place annually the Friday before school starts in August. Each summer Junior Auxiliary hosts a summer camp for Clark County children as well. This camp runs for five straight evenings and has taken place both at the Camp of the Pines in Bismarck and Iron Mountain Marina. The children are bused out to the camp each evening and enjoy dinner, crafts, swimming, boating, fishing, and other traditional "camp activities." As an organization Junior Auxiliary seeks out those local children who may not traditionally get to enjoy summer camp. junior Auxiliary also awards two college scholarships annually (one to an Arkadelphia senior and one to a Gurdon senior) to applicants who have shown a desire to enter a field that will benefit children. Besides these projects Junior Auxiliary provides two more large service projects annually. First, JA chooses a Crown family each year that will be provided with additional assistance from them for one year. Traditionally this is a family that may have fallen on hard times and show a need for a little extra help. Our current family is a single mother with two children. The mother works two jobs to care and provide for her family, however one of her two children has extreme physical disabilities. This year we have helped to provide them with warm clothing, transportation to a rehabilitation center, and are assisting with their preparations to move closer to a medical facility that will help the child with physical disabilities. Finally, Junior Auxiliary's largest annual service project is Angel Tree. Angel Tree provides Christmas to families in need in Clark County. Angel Tree has been in existence for over a decade in Clark County. JA traditionally serves over 200 families, and close to 600 children, each year. Our goal is to provide each child in Clark County with a happy, fulfilled Christmas.