American Red Cross in Arkansas offices open Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Please give them a call before stopping by in the event they may be out of office on response. Emergency calls are answered every day and night around the clock.
The American Red Cross provides help for members of the military, veterans, and their families to prepare for, cope with and respond to the challenges of military service. Learn how our nonprofit helps active military members and veterans in Greater Arkansas.
The American Red Cross offers a selection of classes where you can learn and become certified in various lifesaving skills. Our nonprofit near you has both online and in-person options for CPR certification and CPR classes, first aid and water safety training, and child care training.
It’s easy to get involved with the Red Cross in Greater Arkansas. Local opportunities include becoming a trained disaster relief response volunteer helping people affected by home fires; supporting trauma, cancer, and other patients in need by donating blood, platelet, and plasma at our local blood donation center; and learning CPR, First AID, and other lifesaving skills that will prepare you to respond to emergencies.
The best way to provide immediate relief to your neighbors facing emergency situations is through a monetary donation. Our disaster assistance programs rely heavily on the generous financial support of citizens in the Arkansas region. Even if you only have a few dollars to spare, your donation to the American Red Cross disaster relief will make a significant difference in the lives of those facing disasters. Make a one-time donation today either online, by phone, or by mail, or set up a recurring monthly donation to make an even bigger difference.
The humanitarian work that we do at American Red Cross would not be possible without our volunteers. We have a variety of disaster relief volunteer opportunities available, as well as potential positions focused on facility management, health and safety, service to the Armed Forces, and professional specialties like photography, IT, and more. Check out our current volunteer opportunities near you in Greater Arkansas!
Host a charity stream by playing your favorite video games while raising life-saving funds to help those in need. You can also fundraise your way by energizing your community through celebrating a special occasion or being creative to help to those in need. Click a button below to get started!
American Red Cross Serving Greater Arkansas
Lori Arnold-Ellis, a central Arkansas native, has spent most of her career working with nonprofits and volunteering for organizations close to her heart. As the Executive Director of the American Red Cross Serving Greater Arkansas, Lori is proud to serve the mission of the Red Cross in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies, large and small.
After graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Lori spent nearly a decade in the United Kingdom, where she developed a passion for communications, public affairs and volunteering. There she worked in communications and marketing for a school, volunteered with a national nonprofit organization and co-founded a local charity dedicated to raising public awareness related to maternal and infant health. Upon returning to central Arkansas, Lori continued working in public health communications at Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) before joining the American Red Cross as Regional Communications Director in 2016. She began serving as Executive Director for Greater Arkansas in 2017.
Lori feels immensely blessed to be a part of an organization that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of others, often on their darkest days, through disaster relief, service to the armed forces, and international services, as well as life-saving blood products and health and safety training. Since joining the Red Cross, Lori has deployed to multiple national disasters, including Hurricanes Irma, Laura and Ian, and the wildfires in California, offering hope and comfort to survivors on the ground.
Lori is also a certified CPR instructor and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) training facilitator. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Little Rock and serves as the Vice Chair for the Arkansas VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Whenever she can find the time, Lori enjoys hiking the beautiful trails of Arkansas and reading multiple books at once. She lives in Sherwood with her husband Matt and is raising four children to be the next generation of volunteers.
Staff
Executive Director
Lori Arnold-Ellis
Phone: (501) 516-6709
Regional Philanthropy Officer
(Position Vacant)
Business Operations Specialist
Phyllis Vanderbilt
Phone: (501) 553-1400
Volunteer Recruitment Representative
Dexta Rodriguez
Phone: (501) 900-2363
Regional Manager, Services to Armed Forces
Stephanie Vardaman
Phone: (501) 529-7946
Regional Communications Manager
John Brimley
Phone: (870) 206-4741
Senior Disaster Program Manager
Mike Ingram
Phone: (501) 553-7524
Disaster Program Manager
Andrea Sellers
Phone: (501) 623-9321
Board of Directors
Board Officers:
Price Feland, Chair - Pinnacle Structures, Inc. – Cabot
Wesley Manus, Vice Chair - Attorney – Little Rock
Judy Pile, Secretary - AR Community Health Worker Association – Little Rock
Board Members:
Jonathan Adams, Nabholz Corporation – Little Rock
José Aguilar Salazar, Consulado de México – Little Rock
Laura Bates, UALR Bowen School of Law – Little Rock
Riva Brown, University of Central Arkansas – Conway
Mike Callahan, Cromwell Architects Engineers – Little Rock
Larry Cloninger, Central AR Veterans Health Care System – N. Little Rock
Molly Deere, Stephens Inc. – Little Rock
Barry Jefferson, CARTI Cancer Center – Little Rock; NAACP - Jacksonville
Apral Johnson, Baptist Health Preschool Center – Little Rock
Gene Klaasmeyer, Klaasmeyer Construction Company – Conway
Lauren Lovelady, Simmons Bank – Little Rock
Ernie Paulson, KARK 4 & FOX 16 – Little Rock
Nathan Price, Community Insurance – Batesville
Marty Schack, THV11 – Little Rock
Mary-Tipton Thalheimer, Rose Law Firm – Little Rock
Brian Thompson, Descartes Underwriting – Cabot
Emeritus Board Members:
Chris Doolittle, FORV/S – Little Rock
Joe Hilliard, Cromwell Architects Engineers – Little Rock
Lance West, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corporation – Little Rock
