Stacy Harper is the Founder of Lighthouse Solutions, an organization that helps people in need. Harper talks about her success story and how she is working with organizations to bridge the gap between resources and the community. The primary focus is on teenagers, and the strategy is to use art and life skills mapped together to assist them in opening up. She also talks about two sisters partnering with Trails of Love since 2012 to bless families through back-to-school events and Christmas giveaways. Their efforts are directed at helping those in need without judgment and providing sustainable emotional well-being.
All this and more on this episode of the I am Northwest Arkansas podcast.
*Note: some of the resources mentioned may be affiliate links. This means we get paid a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.
IANWA - 124 - Stacy Harper is the Connector of Needs in Northwest Arkansas
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IANWA Open [1:06] It's time for another episode of I am Northwest Arkansas, the podcast covering the intersection of business, culture, entrepreneurship, and life in general here in the Ozarks. Whether you are considering a move to this area or trying to learn more about the place you call home, we've got something special for you. Here's our host, Randy Wilburn.
Randy Wilburn [1:37] Hey folks welcome to another episode of I am Northwest Arkansas. I'm your host, Randy Wilburn and I'm excited to be here today. I'm sitting in front of Miss Stacy Harper, and Stacy is the Proprietor/Founder of Lighthouse Solutions. They are a really cool organization that I learned about through Nate Walls. Most of you have heard me talk about Nate in the past. He has Secondhand Smoke BBQ and Second Helping NWA. And since this pandemic has started, he has uncovered the issue with folks struggling with food insufficiency, and he has just thrown his whole heart and his whole back into serving people in a unique way ever. And I know there are a lot of people out there that are doing that in Northwest Arkansas., but Nate is certainly one of those individuals, and he is making a difference. But it's always interesting to see people who make a difference attract other people who make a difference. And Stacy Harper is one of those people, so without further ado, I want to welcome Stacy Harper to the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast. How are you?
Stacy Harper [2:45] I'm doing well, Randy. Thank you for having me.
Randy Wilburn [2:48] So, I told you this before we started, as we always do on the I am Northwest Arkansas Podcast. We always try to get an individual superhero origin story because we are all superheroes. So I'd love for you to share with our I am Northwest Arkansas audience your background and how you got to where you are now?
been a blessing where, since:
Randy Wilburn [7:19] Let me ask you a question about that. Growing up there, were you aware of Maya Angelou? You're a poet yourself. So I mean, how did that impact you, knowing that you were just five miles down the road from where she grew up?
Stacy Harper [7:35] I did not know the history of Maya Angelou until I was older. They didn't talk about it in schools where I grew up at all. And as I got older, that's when I started to understand who she was. I didn't become a poet until, like, my late 30s. I dabbled in it in college, but nothing to this magnitude. And to know that we walked the same streets, we breathe in the same air, we had the same fears, and we also had the same confidence because we couldn't understand that everyone was just walking in fear in that area, and nothing was changing. It was like the old was not recycling out, and the new was not coming in. It's beautiful to know that I can understand everything she talked about now listening to her poetry. She used to say when a white person would say something to her, and it was offensive, she would just tee hee hee and grin. I've had to tee hee hee and grin for a very long time, so I understand the root of that statement.
Randy Wilburn [8:51] Well, I mean, Maya had such a way with words. She was a wordsmith in terms of her ability to take a word and wrap it around your brain. I remember somebody actually telling me a story recently about that she was supposed to come here and speak. And this was right before she got really sick. She had agreed and told David Johnson, the head of the Fayetteville Public Library, that yes, I would come and speak. I think tickets sold out in like, 28 minutes or something crazy like that. I wish I'd been here for that, but of course, it never happened because she was unable to. But she was actually really big about giving back to her state where she was born and where she grew up. I just think the stories that she had to tell, and you see so much of Arkansas in between the lines of I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and so many others. So, and of course, this is not a podcast about Maya, but I mean, certainly, there are those people that come into our lives, either through our physical experiences or through written or verbal experiences, that impact the way that we see and do things. So I'm sure she had a profound effect on you?
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