Heartbreak, Hope and Passion

Hope and Passion: How A Gift of Life Insurance Became a Lifeline for Abused and Neglected Children.

Beverly Keener's story is one of heartbreak, hope and passion.

As a long-time volunteer and friend of Arkansas Children's, Beverly Keener has seen a lot of heartbreaking things. Newborn babies shaking and crying because their mothers were addicted to drugs or alcohol. A child with two broken arms that were a result, not of a childhood accident, but of maltreatment at the hands of a parent or guardian. Infants wearing a certain color wrist or leg band indicating a parent is not allowed to see their child.

Witnessing these experiences firsthand, ignited Beverly's life-long passion for making a difference in the lives of the children of Arkansas.

Beverly first became involved with Arkansas Children's in 1999 after retiring from a phone company in her hometown of Russellville.

After her first tour of Arkansas Children's Hospital with her Circle of Friends group, Beverly was hooked--she became the first volunteer to ever rock babies in the NICU and has continued in her service since that time.

Beverly's beloved husband David, who was a staunch supporter of her passion for helping children, passed away in April of 2016. During this incredibly difficult time Beverly began thinking of ways she could continue her support of Arkansas Children's far into the future. With help from her financial advisor, Shane Knoernschild, and her CPA, Kenny McKnight, Beverly achieved this goal by gifting a life insurance policy to Arkansas Children's. This transformative investment established the Beverly and David Keener Family Endowed Fund in Child Maltreatment Prevention.

Her goal was to make Arkansas a safer and healthier place to be a child, but this creative gift also provided some significant benefits which has allowed her to continue making investments to advance the mission of Arkansas Children's. "Gifting life insurance is a great way to make a substantial philanthropic investment," said Knoernschild. "If structured correctly, gifts of life insurance can provide for immediate tax deductions at the time the policy is transferred and on-going tax savings when the annual premium payments are made. It's smart way to give and one that creates a big impact."

The Keener family's generous, transformational gift will give hope to children and families affected by abuse and neglect by supporting the David M. Clark Center for Safe and Healthy Children on the ACH campus which is dedicated to the care and treatment of neglected and abused children and their families.

"Kids who have been mistreated are so vulnerable, so innocent," said Keener. "The fact that they can go to one place and tell their painful, traumatizing story one time instead of going to several different places repeating their story over and over is so important. That child has been through enough. The sooner they can get everyone involved who needs to be, the sooner that child and family can begin to heal."

Beverly hopes her gift will inspire others to give, even those in her own family: "My children have never needed Arkansas Children's. My grandchildren have never needed Arkansas Children's. I want them to give back also because they're going to be fortunate enough to do that. That's what I'm trying to instill in them."