Surprise! Amy Williams was shocked to learn that she won the 2015 Mom’s Day Off—mainly because she had no idea that Brad, her husband of over 16 years, entered her into our annual contest. The humble and generous spirit—who spends her time spearheading community service projects, working full-time on her master’s degree and raising two young daughters— also felt that there were more deserving moms out there.

But after reading Brad’s sweet nomination letter praising his wife, the staff at Little Rock Family felt that this mom with a wonderfully full life deserved a day off: “My wife is one of the most compassionate people I know. She works with helping the homeless and volunteers with various outreach programs. [She is] a hard worker for influencing this world for the greater good,” Brad wrote, going on to tell us all about his wife’s accomplishments and service projects.

Indeed, Amy does have a heart for community service. She is active with the Arkansas Homeless Coalition, and through outreach projects at Central Church of Christ she has volunteered with local organizations like Our House, The Call, Arkansas Rice Depot, Ronald McDonald House, River City Ministry and others.

“After I went to Honduras for missions with Central Church of Christ in June 2012, I came back with an even stronger desire to ‘do something more,’” Amy says. So in 2013, she joined Renada Burt to cofound the Little Rock chapter of Laundry Love, which pays for low-income families and homeless individuals to wash and dry their laundry. Each month the group visits two local laundromats—the Funwash at 3702 S. University in Little Rock (6-8 p.m. third Friday of the month) and the Funwash at 116 E. 15th St./Curtis Sykes in North Little Rock (6-8 p.m. last Friday of the month).

It’s not just about sending families home with a little extra change in their pockets, either: “You build relationships. They’re stuck there for an hour and a half, so you get to learn about them,” Amy says. Those conversations have turned into additional services during the monthly laundry nights. One volunteer provides activities for children while others take prayer requests. And this year, they’ve added resources—supplying information about shelters and where to look for employment.

In the spring of 2014, with the lyrics of Matthew West’s song “Do Something” running through her head, Amy took her passion for service work one step further. Inspired by empowering women like Amazima Ministries founder Katie Davis and Our House Executive Director Georgia Mjartan, Amy started researching social work. “The next thing I knew, I was applying for UALR’s Social Work program and quitting my day job to go back to school full-time. I have not looked back, and my studies and internship this past school year have cemented my decision. I am so excited to have a career I am so passionate about doing!”

During her recent internship at a local juvenile detention center, Amy worked with 11-17-year-olds with behavioral issues. Next year, she’s excited to intern at Our House, a Little Rock shelter for the working homeless, which also provides services and resources to low-income families that are nearing homelessness. As rewarding as her studies have been, Amy says it’s also been a tough transition. “I’ve discovered that full-time classes, a graduate assistantship, and an internship are a completely different story as a wife and mom of young kids compared to my prior college experiences. But, I have a wonderful husband who has supported me every step of the way and has stepped up as ‘Mr. Mom.’ I could not do it without him!”

In between school, church and volunteering, Amy spends plenty of time with her musically-inclined family. Brad is a singer/songwriter and member of local country band, The Salty Dogs. Amy is learning to play ukulele for an upcoming performance, as she sometimes sings harmony alongside her husband. Their 9-year-old daughter Sadie is quite the actress and singer, too, recently making it into Central Arkansas Christian’s high school talent show and performing in a school production of “Beauty & the Beast.” Even 3-year-old Aubrey has shown a flair for music. Aubrey was adopted through the foster care system, and the family knew she fit into their musical home the first time she started bopping in her highchair to a song.

“The best thing about being a mom is hearing the unsolicited ‘I love yous’ and ‘Thank yous’ and knowing that God entrusted me to raise these girls by gifting them to me,” Amy says. “It’s a lot of pressure and I have made so many mistakes along the way, but it is an honor and one I pray I can live up to in a way that He sees fit.”

Clothing for Amy’s photo shoot was provided by Beyond Cotton II in Pleasant Ridge Town Center. Above: striped Jersey knit dress by Nicole Miller; galvanized quartz necklace by G. Spinelli. Top: Essentiel Antwerp Ishop Dress in Poppy; handwired black necklace with pyrite by G. Spinelli; gold snake leather heels by Dolce Vita.

Behind The Scenes

The stores at Pleasant Ridge Town Center showered Amy with an amazing day and a generous prize package. Here’s what she won:

SHOPPING

First, Amy stopped by Beyond Cotton, II to play dress up. Owner Mandy Schuster helped pick out several ensembles that fit Amy’s personality and style—simple, yet fun. Amy left with multiple photo shoot-worthy outfits, from a black-and-white Yoana Baraschi party frock to a more comfortable look—a pair of white 7 for All Mankind Relaxed Skinny Girlfriend Jeans paired with a flowy coral top by Yoana Baraschi and beautiful gold and freshwater pearl Chloe necklace (both outfits pictured above). For info: 221-1539.

HAIR

The next morning at Salon Scarlet, Amy sipped a Café Mocha from Sunrise Café while stylist Jessica Smith washed and styled Amy’s locks. To tame Amy’s thick, curly hair, Jessica added an array of Oribe products, including Sculpting Cream for control, and Curl Control Silkening Crème to hydrate and control frizz. The Royal Blowout Heat Styling Spray sped up dry time and smoothed stray hair. Finally, the R + Co Aircraft Pomade Mousse added definition to Amy’s waves. For info: 221-1191.

MAKEUP

Amy’s favorite service was getting glam at the beauty boutique, Pout, and she plans to return for pointers on an “everyday look.” Makeup artist Kristin Ivey used an array of Laura Mercier products, including the line’s Silk Crème Oil-Free Foundation, Matte Radiance Bronzer and Crème Coral lipstick. She accentuated Amy’s eyes with Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Alloy, Ballet Pink on the lid, Cashmere on the crease, Vanilla Nuts under the brow, and Coffee Ground in the outer corner. Amy was thrilled with the Extra Lash Mascara in Black Onyx. For info: 224-8222, PoutOfLR.com.

PHOTO SHOOT

After a leisurely lunch at MarketPlace Grill with the Little Rock Family staff, we headed westward to Meredith Melody Photography’s new studio. Now located at 16607 Cantrell Road, the serene, light-filled studio is the perfect venue for a glamorous photo shoot—and Meredith knows how to make her subjects feel like models. Meredith changed out backdrops to match Amy’s outfits, and directed her into flattering poses to create natural, beautiful portraits! For info: MeredithMelody.com.

The Prizes

In addition to her Mom’s Day Off, Amy received this gift package from the stores at Pleasant Ridge Town Center.

  • Beehive: $50 gift card
  • Blue Rose Beauty, Lash and Brow Bar: $100 towards eyelash or brow extensions
  • Bonefish Grill: $25 gift card
  • Fleet Feet Sports Easy Runner: 12-week half marathon training program
  • Jeante: $250 Wine & Cheese Private Party for six or more friends
  • June’s Hallmark: Tyler Candle gift basket in “High Maintenance” scent, featuring candle, room spray, car air freshener, laundry detergent and mixer melt
  • Just Blow—A Blowout Bar: One hair blowout
  • The Label Men’s Clothing: $30 gift card for Amy’s husband, Brad!
  • Little Greek Restaurant: $25 gift card, plus Little Greek hot sauce and salad dressing
  • Pinot’s Palette: Original 30 x 40-inch painting, a Girl’s Night Out gift package for Amy and five friends, and a bottle of champagne
  • Unique Threading Salon: Free eyebrow threading, sugar body scrub, rose water natural toner, makeup remover tissues
  • Vesta’s: Chan Luu ethical fashion bracelet