Cindy Mahan

Cindy Mahan came from a family that owned a small business, but “I wanted to work on my own. I loved serving children and enjoyed building. I really think I could go into anything that had a really good purpose and I could build it.”
She found that good purpose — and the opportunity to build — 38 years ago at Friendship Community Care in Russellville.
In addition to her desire to excel, Mahan said, she is pushed by her “passion for having a balanced life. I truly believe that people should have a place to work and be able to take care of their children and have a lot of fun.”
Mahan said that didn’t drive her. Instead, “I’m very, very passionate about making sure things are done correctly, I want to be the best at it, and I’m very diligent.”
One of the nonprofit’s greatest achievements, she said, occurred about 10 years ago, when Medicaid was “at risk across our whole nation.” The program, Mahan said, is vital to Arkansans, particularly the disabled, allowing them to remain in the community rather than be institutionalized.
Bill Clinton was president at the time, and Mahan made several trips to the White House to speak to his advisers. Friendship Community Care, with the help of families it served, put together a book of letters and pictures of families that were going to be affected by changes to Medicaid. She left the book at the White House for Clinton to read and shortly after “we could see change in the rhetoric that was coming out.”
She’s also proud that the organization has helped many children with developmental delays progress to the point where they can enter public school at age 5 and no one knows that they’ve had learning difficulties.
Helping families care for their loved ones without giving up and keeping families intact continue to inspire her. And she’s proud of the Friendship team. “I do not know of one goal we haven’t met.”

Previous Honorees