Volunteer Site: Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock, AR
Host Site Coordinator: Emily Hooker
Contact: 501-821-3063
Email: emily@ferncliff.org
Website: www.ferncliff.org
Address: 1720 Ferncliff Road, Little Rock, AR 72211
Presbytery: Arkansas
Work Partner: Church World Service (CWS) & Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) through Ferncliff’s Disaster Assistance Center; Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center; various local organizations
Disaster: multiple/various - this host site provides ongoing service opportunities nonspecific to a particular disaster
Cost: $45 per person per night for the Ferncliff Experience package; $27 per person per night for the Central Arkansas Impact package (read below for more information)
Sleeping Accommodations: Mission teams stay in our lovely Retreat House!
The Retreat House can sleep 25 people in five bedrooms. Downstairs there are four bedrooms that have a total of eight bunk beds and two single beds (18 total beds.) Upstairs there is a fifth bedroom with two bunk beds and three single beds (7 total beds.) There is also a full bathroom upstairs. The bottom bunks and the single beds all have Tempurpedic mattresses.
Groups must provide their own pillows, linens, and towels; however, Ferncliff can provide linens for an additional fee of $8.50 per person.
Showers/Bathrooms: There are two full bathrooms and a half-bath downstairs. There is also a full bathroom upstairs. The full bathrooms have showers.
Kitchen/Meals: A full-service kitchen is available for your use. It is equipped with a coffee maker, stove and oven, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, dishwasher, cookware, utensils, cups, dishware, and flatware. There is a large dining area with a table and chairs off the kitchen, as well as a small dining room that could be used for buffet-style serving.
Mission teams are responsible for providing their own food and preparing their own meals. We encourage you to embrace mealtimes and meal preparation as valuable community building time. We are happy to provide resources to group leaders to assist with best practices when planning meals, shopping in bulk, and sharing the labor of cooking and cleaning among the group.
There is a Dollar General less than a mile from Ferncliff for basic supplies. Within a 15-minute drive is a Walmart, Kroger, and Costco.
Meals in Ferncliff’s dining hall may be added to your experience for additional fees and at Ferncliff’s availability. This must be arranged in advance!
Other Lodging Amenities:
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The Retreat House is fully furnished. It has two communal living room areas, one upstairs and one downstairs. The downstairs living room has a fireplace.
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There is a washer and dryer available for your group’s use in the kitchen area.
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The Retreat House has a wooden deck, patio furniture, a grill, and a firepit with benches outside. The house is equipped with WiFi.
Other Site Amenities:
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The Retreat House has walking access to lots of green space and activity options for your free time, including our farmstead, a 9-hole disc golf course, a large open play field, a circle of hammocks, and a fishing bridge.
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Mission teams that stay at Ferncliff are encouraged to take advantage of our site and surroundings! The schedule for all mission teams includes unscheduled time for activities around the Retreat House or group devotions, a “free day” to explore the local area, a site tour, up to two facilitated camp activities (boating, fishing, hiking, low ropes/teambuilding, archery), and up to two private swim times in our pool (Memorial Day-Labor Day).
About Our Work: Ferncliff is a unique mission team destination due to our ongoing service opportunities. We welcome mission teams year-round and we can tailor projects to suit the needs of your group. Most mission teams come for five nights, Sunday-Friday.
We offer two mission team “packages.” The Ferncliff Experience has mission teams staying on-site and serving their entire time at Ferncliff: working in our Disaster Assistance Center, in the farm & garden, and on building/landscaping/maintenance projects.
The Central Arkansas Impact has mission teams staying on-site, serving one day at Ferncliff, and serving the rest of their time with various organizations in the local community (off-site service must be booked by the mission team in advance; Ferncliff can provide recommendations for organizations in the area.)
About Ferncliff: Ferncliff is a PC(USA)-affiliated center located just 6 miles west of Little Rock. Founded in 1937 as a camp for Presbyterian youth, Ferncliff has since expanded its operations to include not only summer camp experiences, but conferences, retreats, a Nature Preschool, year-round events and outdoor worship, a farmstead, a product redistribution ministry called Sharing the Goods, and of course our Disaster Assistance Center and outreach operations. Ferncliff sits on 1,200 acres that include woods, trails, fields, mountains, creeks, lakes, and more. We invite mission teams to enjoy its scenic beauty and activity opportunities on our site! Our proximity to the Little Rock airport (30 minutes), grocery stores and restaurants, and places of interest in Central Arkansas make Ferncliff an ideal location for all kinds of mission groups.
To learn more about our PDA Host Site or to schedule a mission team, contact Emily Hooker at emily@ferncliff.org or 501-821-3063.