Children were the theme this week at the Master’s Table.
Saturday is always a special day at the Master’s Table, a local charity owned by Doug and Lain Rodgers and located on Park Avenue adjacent to Bathhouse Row.

Needy folk from around the neighborhood can count on a warm, balanced meal served by assorted volunteers with a penchant for service that is normally reserved for fine restaurants.

The only rule is that you can eat until you are full, desert is always part of the fare and there is never any charge.

This past Saturday had special meaning, however, as more than 300 children, accompanied by their parents, were given warm winter jackets and enough toys to make this Christmas very special, indeed.

“This all started 10 years ago,” said Doug Rodgers, who owns the Master’s table with his wife Lain.

“My childhood memories of Christmas had more to do with barely getting by, and the only toys we received were when the fire chief would stop by our house with gifts he had gathered from local contributions. Most of these families we serve are also barely getting by – so to have new jackets and a large assortment of toys to choose from can really put a smile on their face.”

Lain and Doug Rodgers, home builders in Hot Springs Village, operate the Master’s Table charity in Hot Springs to provide clothing and food to people who are cold and hungry. Feeding more than 500 people doesn’t happen without a lot of logistics and planning.

This year, the Master’s Table owners tagged the staff at Re/Max of Hot Springs Village to provide much of the volunteer support.

Re/Max staff also contributed many of the jackets and toys that were handed out by Santa.

Additionally, the Village Gideons were on hand to make sure that every man, woman and child had his or her own personal copy of the Bible.

Sisters Courtney (left) and Emily Hollansworth help spread cheer at the Master’s Table.

Doug receives help from several Village volunteers such as Kathy Markovic who has become a constant encourager to many of the regular patrons of the Master’s Table.

“It is not unusual to see Kathy making inquiries about family or friends of the regular crowd,” said Lain.

“When you see many of the same people each week, com- ing with their children and relatives, you tend to establish a bond that allows you to be a positive part of their lives. We have seen many of the children grow up into adults since we started on this mission many years ago.”

For almost three years, the Rodger’s home-building business, Carriage Custom Homes, has been the largest builder in Hot Springs Village.

Their entry into the Village in many ways filled the void left when Cooper Homes departed.

Carriage Homes has become recognized as a premier homebuilder in the Village because of highly desirable features, including gourmet kitchens, abundance of trim, vaulted ceilings and their use of rock and masonry exteriors.

Doug and Lain are natives of the Hot Springs area and began their journey together as high school sweethearts.

They left the area for several years to build homes in New Mexico and Texas and eventually ended up back in Arkansas near family and friends.

Lain is a Realtor at Re/Max in the Village and works closely with Doug on the design, floor plans and site selection of their homes.

In a tragic turn of events, the Rodgers’ son, Doug Jr., died from a hard-fought battle with cancer this year.

“Doug Jr. was such a part of our lives,” remarked Lain.

“He remodeled the entire kitchen at the Master’s Table a year ago and, in a special way, his contribution to these needy people that he loved so much continues on.”

Those wanting to volunteer at or contribute to the Master’s Table can assist in a number of ways.

Volunteers are always welcome to help serve meals each Saturday morning.

Additionally, tax deductible contributions and new clothing donations are always welcomed and can be dropped off at the Re/Max office at 1400 DeSoto Blvd.

For additional information about the charity, contact Lain Rodgers at 282-4830 or Jeff Hollansworth at 984-1212.