Welcome to the VEBF September newsletter!

Greetings for September and hoping for some cooler days soon! But even as lower autumn temperatures arrive, the VEBF will be heating things up with our annual appeal for donations. 

The letter we send to every household in the Village in early October drives the bulk of our donations, which are sent to our post office box. That said, the printing, mailing, and postage for that letter is also the largest single expense we make in an effort to raise money.  

We supplement the appeal letter with advertising in the HSV Life magazine, the Hot Springs Village Voice, and on KVRE radio. The owners of both of these media outlets support the VEBF with in-kind advertising. Meaning, whatever we spend with them, they double that to increase the reach of our message. We are grateful for their support.

And, for the first time this year, we are going to place some ads on Facebook, which will be targeted to Facebook users in the 71909 ZIP code. 

The board agreed with our marketing committee that the emphasis for this year’s advertising should attempt to acquaint Villagers with specific POA employees who benefit from the VEBF cash appreciation gifts. To that end, and with thanks to our graphic designer Dannet Botkin, every newsletter introduces you to different employees in the POA’s many departments. And, with the help of Carley Wiley in the HR department, we were successful in recruiting one POA employee to be featured in our appeal letter and in our radio advertising. 

I mentioned in last month’s newsletter that the marketing committee came up with a slogan we felt would be appropriate for our advertising: “Nothing happens in Hot Springs Village until a POA employee comes to work.” The board agreed, so you’ll see and hear that slogan in the ads, the appeal letter, and in this newsletter. 

As a newsletter subscriber, I promised you would receive “behind-the-scenes” information about the VEBF and how the board conducts our business to get the most out of your donations. In addition to the above information, there’s a “sneak peek” of the magazine ad that will appear in the Voice and the HSV Life magazine in October and November at the end of this newsletter. 

Again, thank you for your support (and please consider making your donation soon, by using the secure credit card link on our website. Save a stamp!)

Thank you for your support!

John Chapman - President, VEBF  

When you think about it, no trash gets picked up, no golf is played, pickleball and tennis courts are not maintained, no concert is performed at the Woodlands, streets are not maintained, water and sewage won't get processed, and our beaches wash away.

Nothing happens in Hot Springs Village until a POA employee comes to work.

With your help the VEBF supports those who support us in Hot Springs Village.

Thank you to each HSV POA Staff Member for all that you do.

We All Appreciate You!

90% of donations received are used for our worker’s year-end appreciation gifts.

Meet Lloyd Little, Golf Shop Manager Cortez

Hot Springs Village Golf Department would like to re-introduce Lloyd Little to the HSVPOA Golf Community. Lloyd has been with the HSVPOA Golf department since the spring of 2016. Lloyd began working at Magellan golf course and was later promoted to the position of Golf Shop Manager at Cortez in January of 2018. Lloyd prides himself on his work ethic, attitude and creating an atmosphere in the Golf shop that instills in the patrons the feeling of value. Lloyd is married to Ellie, and they have two sons and two granddaughters. When not at work, Lloyd enjoys spending time with friends and family.  

"Thank you, Lloyd, for all you do!" - VEBF

Meet Matt Edmonds, Lead Operator at Cedar Creek Sewer Plant

Matt Edmonds has been with the POA for 10 years. He uses part of the VEBF annual cash gift to provide Christmas gifts for his family and to pay some bills. He and his family very much appreciate the annual cash gift from the VEBF and Hot Springs Village property owners. It makes a great difference.

"Thank you, Matt, for all you do!" - VEBF

NAME: John Chapman      

SPOUSE’S NAME: Celinda

WE MOVED HERE FROM: A suburb of Portland, OR, in 2006 (but we both grew up in the Cleveland, OH, area) because we were looking for a “retirement” community in Oregon but couldn’t find anything we liked. My sister and brother-in-law visited here frequently to see his mother. They bought a house here, and once we visited, we were hooked.

MY HOBBIES OR INTERESTS ARE: Bicycling

WHAT WAS YOUR PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATION BEFORE YOU RETIRED? Regional Account Executive for a national media duplication company

WHAT PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT(S) ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Earning a private pilot’s license; climbing to the summits of Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helen’s, and a 14,300 ft. peak in Colorado.

MY BIGGEST SOURCE OF INSPIRATION CAME FROM: My father, who taught me through example about dedication, persistence, and honesty. 

PEOPLE WOULD BE MOST SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT ME THAT: I once played golf, for many years, but never became good enough at it to really enjoy the game. 

WHAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT THE VEBF, AND SERVING AS A BOARD MEMBER? The VEBF gives Village residents an opportunity to recognize and thank POA employees in a meaningful way. I am honored to be a member of a board that makes that happen.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A VILLAGE RESIDENT WHO THINKS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE VEBF IS NOT NECESSARY? Just think about what it is you like about living here, then consider how it all comes about. Sure, there are POA managers and department heads who make the big decisions. But it’s the hourly POA workers who are the “boots on the ground” who implement those decisions, most of whom are paid only a few dollars above minimum wage. They deserve to know we appreciate them.

When you’re a front-line worker, “Thank You” means a lot. 

The people who work hard every day to make sure everything in Hot Springs Village – from the East Gate to the West Gate – is well-cared for and maintained, are the hard-working hourly employees of the POA. They are the line staff, workers who groom your golf courses, collect your trash, maintain your roads and buildings, pump water into your homes, operate your wonderful facilities, patrol your streets, extinguish your fires, and yes, process your sewage.  

Let’s show our appreciation for a job well done! Your donation will ensure that our POA employees are supported with emergency funds and continuing education all year long plus holiday monies at the end of each year.

You can mail your donation check to Village Employees Benefit Fund, P.O. Box 8503, Hot Springs Village, AR 71910 or donate via secure credit card, CLICK HERE. 

Help us help those who serve our community!

Donations are appreciated all year long.

Hot Springs Village Employees Benefit Fund was established on September 22, 1999, to receive and disburse appreciation funds contributed by the property owners of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas.

These funds are for the benefit and support of all qualified POA employees (excluding Top Management) as defined in the by-laws.

Our intent is to demonstrate the recognition, appreciation, and respect that our property owners and others have for all those who work to support and maintain Hot Springs Village.