BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The Salvation Army of Northwest Arkansas is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Bentonville shelter with a rededication. The community is invited to tour the shelter to get a look at what it’s like to be homeless in Northwest Arkansas.
This is part of the meet and greet tours hosted at the Fayetteville and Bentonville shelters on select Wednesdays this fall. Capt. Ashley Robinett, associate area commander, said that Salvation Army is hosting these tours to raise awareness on the homelessness in Northwest Arkansas.
As of 2017, there are approximately 2,951 homeless in Northwest Arkansas. Over half of this number is represented by children in K-12th grades. The homeless population in Northwest Arkansas has increased by 152-percent since 2007, whereas, the general population has only grown by 12-percent.
Bentonville Mayor Bob McCaslin said the Salvation Army makes Northwest Arkansas a better place to live in. In 2016, the Salvation Army shelters in Bentonville and Fayetteville gave 24,217 nights of shelter and served 93,590 meals. The remaining shelter tours will be on Sept. 13, Oct. 11 and Nov. 8 in Fayetteville and Oct. 18 in Bentonville.
The Fayetteville shelter is located at 219 W. 15 St. The Bentonville shelter is located at 3305 S.W. I St.