Faulkner County Sheriff's Office appreciates everyone who joined us yesterday for the Boots & Badges Blood Drive to support the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association Youth Ranches. We have some incredible people in Faulkner County, and we appreciate them taking the time out of their busy afternoons for this extremely worthy cause!

This Blood Drive was a part of the Greater Good Program, which is a charitable giving reward program. Arkansas Blood Institute will be donating to the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association Youth Ranches based on the number of blood donations received in the drive. 

Since 1976, the Arkansas Sheriffs' Youth Ranches have provided children a place to call home. Children often come to the Ranch with a history of child maltreatment. They usually lack nurturing family relationships. The Ranch is a transformative family-style foster care program. It provides a healthy, emotionally-supportive home environment. Children at the Ranch learn to cope with emotions while learning responsibility, gaining life skills, building healthy boundaries, and improving self-confidence. Residents may stay at the Ranch for as long as they need a home, up to age 21. Ranchers may continue through post-secondary education until they feel socially and financially prepared for independence and/or obtain stable employment. Since 1976, more than 2,200 boys and girls have called the Youth Ranch home. More information about Arkansas Sheriffs' Association Youth Ranch is available at the following link: https://www.youthranches.com/ 

In addition to supporting the youth ranches, these donors supported the many Arkansans in need of blood. The donation gap is not sustainable in Arkansas. Currently, we are using more than double of the volume of blood that Arkansans donate each year. The Oklahoma Blood Institute has been gracious enough to supply us with the difference, but this cannot continue forever. As Arkansans, we need to step up to the plate and support our neighbors in need of blood donation.

Again, thank you to the wonderful donors who took time out of their busy schedules to join us yesterday!