Joe Flaherty, the founding Executive Director of Our House, passed away this week, and I wanted to share the news with the broader Our House community and to reflect a bit on Joe’s life and legacy.
Joe lived a life marked by service to others. He had a distinguished career in the armed forces followed by an impactful career in the central Arkansas nonprofit community. He was hired by the founding board of Our House to be our first Executive Director in 1987, and over the next 18 years he led the organization with ambition, integrity, and heart. Starting a new nonprofit is no small task, and nurturing one that is successful and continues to grow even after 33 years is truly an inspiring accomplishment. Joe led Our House to acquire our current property and consolidate our programs here, and our seven-acre campus has borne his name since his retirement in 2005. Beyond our physical environment, Joe’s legacy can be seen and felt every day as we go about our work, from the structure of our housing programs, to the high standards we uphold not only for our clients but also for ourselves, to the way we build relationships with supporters and partners from all across our community to drive our mission forward.
I am so grateful that I got a chance to know Joe over the past 11 years. He was a very kind and gracious man, and was always so supportive and encouraging of the ongoing work of Our House. In our conversations he shared many valuable words of wisdom and pieces of advice that I will continue to hold closely through the rest of my life. Our House will honor Joe’s legacy by continuing to strive to be a force for positive change in the lives of our clients and our community.
More information about Joe’s amazing life can be found in this obituary. Please join me in extending condolences and well-wishes to Joe’s family in their time of mourning.
Sincerely,
Ben Goodwin
Executive Director
