Sometimes making a difference begins with something remarkably simple: listening.

For Arkansas Crisis Center, that human connection is at the heart of everything they do. Whether it is a crisis specialist answering a 988 call, a teenager supporting another teenager through a difficult moment or hundreds of community members gathering for Challenge for Hope, the mission comes back to one central belief: people need to know they have somewhere to turn.

Arkansas Crisis Center, or ACC, is a statewide nonprofit working to prevent suicide and create stronger pathways to connection and support for Arkansans. As an Arkansas provider of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, ACC provides free, confidential crisis support while also investing in prevention, education and innovative programs designed to reach people before a crisis occurs.

For Debra Capps, Director of Advancement & Strategy for Arkansas Crisis Center, that emphasis on connection is especially meaningful.

“What inspires me most about this work is connection,” Debra shared. “We live in an incredibly fast-paced world where technology is everywhere, yet genuine human connection can sometimes feel harder to find than ever.”

Sometimes, she says, just a few minutes of being present and listening can change the direction of someone’s day, or even their life.

Arkansas Crisis Center provides support across the spectrum, from early prevention and education to immediate crisis intervention.

Through 988, people experiencing emotional distress, mental health challenges or suicidal thoughts can connect with trained crisis professionals by phone, text or chat. Support is available free and confidentially, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year.

ACC also provides suicide prevention and mental health education and training for schools, organizations and communities across Arkansas, with particular attention given to expanding resources and awareness in rural and underserved areas.

But one of the organization’s newest programs is focused specifically on Arkansas teens.

AR Teen Connect is a free peer-to-peer support line created for teenagers who may simply need someone their own age to talk to.

Highly trained high school students provide a safe, supportive place for their peers to talk about friendships, family challenges, school stress, loneliness, mental health concerns or whatever may be weighing on them. Trained adults and crisis professionals provide oversight and additional support when needed.

The concept is intentionally simple: young people do not have to wait until a situation becomes overwhelming before reaching out.

ACC describes it as “connection before crisis.”

The impact extends beyond the teens calling or texting the line. Peer supporters spend dozens of hours learning how to listen, communicate, recognize when someone may need additional help and simply be present for another person.

Those skills then travel with them into their schools, friendships, families and communities.

For Debra, that ripple effect is one of the most exciting parts of the program.

“It is watching a teenager realize they can make a difference for another teenager,” she said. “That is when you realize we are not simply providing services. We are helping build a community where reaching out is easier, listening matters and more people know they have somewhere to turn.”

Here in Northwest Arkansas, many residents may already recognize Arkansas Crisis Center through Challenge for Hope, the organization’s signature fundraising event.

For 36 years, Challenge for Hope and Arkansas Crisis Center have shared a connection with the Pinnacle community.

The event brings people together through golf, tennis and pickleball while raising critical funding for ACC’s crisis services, youth programs, prevention efforts and community education.

Yet the event represents much more than fundraising.

It reflects the same spirit of connection that drives the organization itself.

Businesses, volunteers, athletes, community leaders and supporters come together around a shared purpose, creating both financial support and greater awareness of the resources available to Arkansans.

That long-standing success has been made possible through tremendous community leadership, particularly within the Pinnacle community. Longtime Challenge for Hope leaders Patti McGill, Karen and Richie Roberts, and Sandy Dellinger continue to lend their experience and guidance to the event in an advisory role. And this year, Melissa O’Carroll, Suzanne Lankford, Billy Courtney and Mike Theile are also lending their time, relationships and enthusiasm to the event.

For Debra, community involvement is essential to the work.

“The more connected our organization is to the community, the more effectively we can connect people to support when they need it,” she shared.

Like many nonprofits, Arkansas Crisis Center continues to face the challenge of securing sustainable funding as the demand for crisis intervention, prevention, education and youth programming grows.

But financial contributions are only one way to help.

ACC welcomes people willing to share their time, talents, relationships and ideas. Someone might volunteer at an event, introduce the organization to a potential community partner, share ACC resources with a school or workplace or simply help another person understand that support exists.

“You do not have to be in crisis to be part of this mission,” Debra said.

And you certainly do not have to be a crisis counselor.

You can listen.

You can notice someone who may be struggling.

You can share a resource.

You can help create a community where asking for support feels normal and where people know they belong.

At its core, that is what Arkansas Crisis Center is working toward every day: people showing up for people and creating connection long before anyone feels they have to face a difficult moment alone.

AR Teen Connect
arteenconnect.org
Call or text 479-558-9889

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Partnerships, Sponsorships & Ways to Get Involved
Debra Capps, Director of Advancement & Strategy
debra@arcrisis.org
864-266-6136

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The 2026 Challenge for Hope Tennis & Pickleball Tournament returns to Pinnacle Country Club October 3 and 4 for a weekend of competition, connection and fun, all benefiting Arkansas Crisis Center.

The two-day event brings together tennis and pickleball players for tournament play, clinics with celebrity tennis professionals and regional pickleball pros, special exhibition matches and plenty of opportunities to connect off the court.

For organizers Suzanne Lankford and Melissa O’Carroll, the event combines their love of tennis with an opportunity to support an important cause right here in Arkansas. Proceeds from Challenge for Hope benefit Arkansas Crisis Center and its work to restore hope, empower people and save lives through connection, crisis support and prevention.

October 3–4, 2026
Pinnacle Country Club

And be sure to watch for our November issue of Stroll Pinnacle, where we’ll be sharing photos and highlights from this year’s Challenge for Hope!