Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is announcing a new pilot program today called the 10:33 Initiative to help Arkansans in crisis improve their long-term self-sufficiency.
Named for the Good Samaritan passage in the Bible, the initiative is in partnership with the White House Faith Office, the Arkansas Department of Commerce, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services, along with others. It will last for 12 months and will be operate in Union, Pulaski, and Pope counties.
“The 10:33 Initiative isn’t another government welfare program; it’s a groundbreaking project carefully curated to give Arkansans a hand up, not a handout,” Sanders said in a statement.
“By leveraging the power of technology and connecting Arkansans in need with faith-based and community partners willing to help, this initiative will strengthen families and transform lives. I’m incredibly grateful to my Faith-Based Initiatives office for spearheading the launch of this program, and thankful for our stakeholders and the White House Faith Office for their support. Together, we will build a stronger future for every Arkansan—and help create a model for the nation,” the governor added.
Businesses and nonprofits will have a chance to invest in the program through assistance to a support team that will hold participants in the initiative accountable as they seek to reorient their lives. Additionally, they can donate to a mercy fund to help families deal with basic needs such as food, childcare, and transportation to work.
About 300 to 500 Arkansans are expected to take part in the pilot program. The initiative is planning on making use of the HopeHub platform, which connects individuals to an advocate that in turn can send them to Arkansas LAUNCH, an employment platform that can empower Arkansans to sharpen their skillsets and find job opportunities.
“Through HopeHub and the Restore Hope Model, we are honored to support this pilot by connecting families with caring advocates and resources that address both urgent needs and long-term opportunities. This initiative has the power not only to transform lives here in Arkansas but also to serve as a model for the nation,” Paul Chapman, the director of Restore Hope, explained.
“The 10:33 Initiative represents the best of Arkansas—government, faith, and community partners working side by side to help families move from crisis to stability,” Chapman continued.
The pilot program is just the latest in a series of efforts led by Sanders that has put Arkansas at the forefront of shaping what Republican-led governance can look like. Since assuming office in 2023, Sanders has enhanced Arkansas’s election integrity rating on The Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard, ended the use of food stamps to purchase junk food in her state, and advocated for legislation banning Chinese nationals from owning crypto mines. Those efforts were recognized by the Richard Nixon Foundation, which commended her for her “courage, clarity, and deep commitment to American values.”
Arkansas state officials are hoping to have a big effect with the new public and private initiative.
“This program will transform lives in each of the pilot communities, and we are incredibly excited and honored to support it,” Arkansas Secretary of Human Services Janet Mann explained.
“It takes all of us working together in communities across this state to help Arkansans emerge from poverty, attain economic independence, and truly improve their lives. That’s what the 10:33 Initiative is all about, and I’m so grateful to Gov. Sanders for her leadership and to our faith-based and community partners who understand the need and appreciate the potential we can reach when we come together to support those in crisis,” Mann continued.
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