(from left) Amanda Paladino, Lauren Schluterman, Joseph Langer and David Williams
The University of Central Arkansas Veteran Services Office recently received donations that helped to establish the Military Scholarship Fund.
Counseling Associates Inc. and Professional Counseling Associates, as well as Acxiom Corp., provided the funds to the campus Veteran Services Office. The fund will aid veteran students and families by bolstering emotional support and meeting their practical needs during the holiday season.
Lauren Schluterman, director of crisis and forensics for Arisa Health’s central region, presented checks on behalf of Counseling Associates Inc. and Professional Counseling Associates after contacting the Veteran Services Office about ways to support mental health for veterans at UCA.
Joseph Langer, an Air Force veteran and work-study student in the UCA Veteran Services Office, suggested that the funds might be used for veteran student scholarships as well. Langer accepted the funds on behalf of the office.
“Many veterans and family members of veterans suffer in many different ways in the civilian world and financial relief is one big way to provide mental relief,” Langer said. “These are the people we want to target for these scholarships.”
Along with funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the donations helped in the goal of obtaining a fully endowed military scholarship housed in the UCA Foundation.
In presenting the gift, Langer and Schulterman were joined by David Williams, UCA Veteran Service coordinator and members of the UCA Veteran Day Committee Susan Marcus, Student Center night and weekend supervisor, and Amanda Paladino, concurrent credit coordinator.
Counseling Associates Inc. is a community mental health center based in Conway and serves 10 counties in northwest and central Arkansas. Professional Counseling Associates is a community mental health center based in North Little Rock and serves three counties in central Arkansas. Both agencies are affiliates of Arisa Health, Inc.
