Omaha Magazine - September 2021 - The 2021 Giving Issue by Omaha Magazine

PRINCESSES NO LONGER: AKSARBEN WOMEN LEADERS • OPERA OMAHA • DIRTY BIRDS • THE BIG GIVE

S E P T E M B E R 2021 | U.S. $4.95

olympic-sized

spirit Addie Schiemann Swims Spot On +

T H E 2021

G I VING I S SU E

Redlin Art center

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FROM THE EDITOR // LETTER BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

GIVING TIME, GIVING MONEY, GIVING GIFTS S e p t e m b e r I ss u e H i g h l i g h t s O m a h a ’ s G e n e rosi t y

y first introduction to my now-husband’s extended family was in November in the late 1990s. I remember seeing a newspaper section from earlier that fall sitting on the coffee table, and Wade’s great-uncle noticed. It happened to be the special section of the Omaha World-Herald that revealed the court of Aksarben, and he proudly showed me the page that showed one of Wade’s cousins, who was a countess. That was my first introduction to the mythical kingdom of Quivira. Like many people in Omaha, throughout much of my career, I did not know much about Aksarben other than it included a large ball celebrating volunteerism in the state. This is one reason why, when we discovered women are serving ever-bigger roles in this group, I chose to write the article myself. I’m glad I did. Through interviewing several women, all of them also working full-time, often executive, jobs, I discovered this organization features many layers, all of which work together for a common cause of retaining employees in, and attracting employees to, this state. The photographs for this feature were taken at Charlie's on the Lake, and we thank them for their generosity in giving us space at the restaurant during the lunch hour. The other feature in this edition is about Opera Omaha. Opera is an art form about which many people have opinions, and the folks at the organization want to make sure those opinions are positive. The feature speaks to some of the innovative programs they have implemented, especially over the last year. There are several notable Omahan in this edition, including Annie Bird. She has volunteered her time for several organizations in this city, and the Arthritis Foundation is honoring her as their Woman of the Year on Sept. 30. Many Omahans may not have heard of our Gen O subject this round, but Jayleesha Cooper has been moving and shaking at Duchesne Academy and through Girls Inc. We at Omaha Publications have a feeling she’s going to continue doing great things. September in Nebraska means football season for many. Husker fandom extends to charity work in this state, from the noted TeamMates mentoring program, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, to Team Jack, which is less than 10 years old. Six Husker-related charities are highlighted as our Obviously Omaha this month. Those more into swimming can check out the article on Addie Schiermann, who was involved in a horrific accident her freshman year of high school. She has since continued with her preferred sport, and now swims at the University of Arizona. Wade brought home a pizza margherita from Frank's Pizzeria in West Omaha a couple of years ago. He had eaten there with colleagues, and liked the food so much bought a pizza for me before leaving. He knew I would love it, and we've eaten there many times since. The rest of the editorial staff got sick of hearing me talk about the place and reviewed this New York-style pizzeria while I was on vacation. There are a lot of great articles in this issue. I hope you enjoy them all. * Note: The hotel edition of Omaha Magazine has a different cover and does not include all of the editorial content included in the magazine’s full city edition. For more information on our city edition, visit OmahaMagazine.com.

SEPTEMBER

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2021

TAB L E of CON T E N T S THE USUAL SUSPECTS 03

From the Editor Giving Time, Giving Money, Giving Gifts

Between the Lines

Calendar of Events

113 Obviously Omaha Husker Charities

132 Explore! 135 Instagram 136 Not Funny

Space: The Final Nah

A R T S + C U LT U R E 014 Music

Aly Peeler

016 Music

Dominique Morgan

020 Visual

Bekah Jerde

022 Visual

Weston Thomson

PE O P L E 090 Sports

Addie Schiemann

090

F E AT U R E S

084 088 UNITING AS ONE

LEADERS AND PRINCESSES Women of Aksarben Advance Nebraska’s Workforce

Opera Omaha Engages Community Involvement

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SEPTEMBER 2021

114 Gen O

Jayleesha Cooper

GIVING 094 Calendar 098 Profile

Annie Bird

60PLUS 102 Active Living Janet Kratina

106 Feature

Ernie Stary

read online at omahamagazine.com PRINCESSES NO LONGER: AKSARBEN WOMEN LEADERS • OPERA OMAHA • DIRTY BIRDS • THE BIG GIVE

S E P T E M B E R 2021 | U.S. $4.95

olympic-sized

spirit Addie Schiemann Swims Spot On +

T H E 2021

G I VING I S SU E

108 Nostalgia

016

FoodIssue

A B O U T T HE COV ER Omaha Magazine traveled to the YMCA in Fremont to photograph swimmer Addie Schiemann, who lost her arm in an ATV accident and has since returned to the pool as well as given her time speaking out about her experience.

Tangier Shriner Corvette Patrol

110 Profile

Sara Crouse

112 Prime Time John Ryan

DINING 116 Feature

Dirty Birds

120 Profile

Nicole Jesse

122 Review

Frank’s Pizzeria

126 Dining Guide SPECIAL SECTIONS 025 Big Give

116

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Between

THE LINES A LOOK AT FOUR OMAHA MAGAZINE TEAM MEMBERS

CHRIS BOWLING—Freelance Writer Bowling has written for newspapers and magazines since he was a sophomore in high school in Cincinnati, Ohio. Recently, he’s written for Omaha Magazine as a freelancer and as a staff writer for The Reader. Bowling has also written for the Tampa Bay Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Atlanta Journal Constitution. In his downtime he likes to play music and hang out with his cat, Kevin.

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN—Managing Editor Hutzell-Rodman has worked in print media for more than 20 years. Her byline appears in publications ranging from the Omaha World-Herald to national trade magazines. Her favorite stories are those about people, whether a dedicated small-business owner or a passionate hobbyist. When not working at Omaha Publications, Hutzell-Rodman can be found hunting for good vegetarian food, reading novels, and spending time with husband Wade Rodman and their 3.5 cats (three are theirs, the fourth belongs to the neighbor, but don’t tell him that). Together they collect vinyl, attend music festivals, and travel in their 1963 Microbus.

SARAH LEMKE—Contributing Photographer Lemke has been contributing photography to Omaha Magazine since 2013. Lemke also operates her own photography business and currently works alongside Bill Sitzmann (since 2012). She previously worked as the photo editor for Fat Brain Toys, as a photographer for radio station KZUM in Lincoln, and recently returned from Los Angeles, where she spent a year working on music and commercial videos. On top of being a federally licensed drone pilot, she is an avid motorcycle rider (a trait inherited from her parents), a dog fanatic, and a music enthusiast who’s always looking for her next adventure through traveling or being outdoors.

MATT WIECZOREK—Creative Director Wieczorek earned a degree in graphic design, computer graphics, and illustration. In his 15-year career he’s worked in leadership roles at various firms, from startups to Fortune 1000s, joining Omaha Publications in 2015. The Ralston native grew up the youngest of four boys. With that much built-in competition and raw energy in the household, it’s no surprise that sports were a big outlet: he wrestled, played football, and ran track. He continues that active lifestyle with Chelsie, his lovely wife of 10 years; hiking, biking, and camping whenever they can get away. He also enjoys woodworking, metalworking, and acting as a shade-tree auto mechanic. When not creating on-screen or on the trail, Wieczorek can be found with his two cherished pups by his side, tasting fancy whiskies and, occasionally, a cigar. // 6 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 VOLUME 39 // ISSUE 5

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EDITORIAL Managing Editor

DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN Senior Editor

TARA SPENCER Associate Editor

LINDA PERSIGEHL Editorial Intern

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C A L E N D A R 8

EVENTS

» Exhibits « VIRGINIA OCKEN, MARGIE SCHIMENTI, AND JEAN WELBORN

Opens in September at Artists Cooperative Gallery Omaha, 405 S 11th St. Ocken paints lifelike people and animals, Schimenti works in mixed media, and Welborn creates whimsical, colorful paintings. These three artists are coming together for the September show at Artists’ Co-Op. 402.342.9617. –artistscoopomaha.com

ALL TOGETHER, AMONGST MANY: REFLECTIONS ON EMPATHY

Through Sept. 19 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. This exhibit explores the cultural and sociopolitical issues that define the United States. It is not identified as an exhaustive survey, but it provides a snapshot of America’s turbulent society today. 402.341.7130. –bemiscenter.org

AMERICAN ART DECO: DESIGNING FOR THE PEOPLE (1918-1939)

Through Sept. 5 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. This ticketed exhibit represents the glamour and optimism of the 1920s and the marginalization, devastation, and escapism of the 1930s. It is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: $10 adults, $5 college students with ID, free for Joslyn members and youth ages 17 and under. 402.342.3300. –joslyn.org

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SEPTEMBER 2021

JAMES CAMERON— FILMMAKERCHALLENGING THE DEEP

Through Oct. 3 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. The Durham Museum is extending this new exhibit that features the work of acclaimed explorer and filmmaker James Cameron. It made its North American premier at the Durham Museum when it opened in May. 1-4 p.m. 402.444.5071. –durhammuseum.org

GAME ON!

Through Dec. 31 at Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St. This interactive children’s exhibit brings well-known board games and video games into real life adventures. Families are able to play timeless playground games and other outdoor activities indoors when they visit. Visitors will explore the history, culture, and even the science of some games. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 402.342.6164. –ocm.org

CREATING COMMUNITY—EXHIBIT

Sept. 1 to Sept. 26 at HotShops Art Center, 1301 Nicholas St. At this month-long, progressive community exhibit, the visitors are the artists. It is an opportunity to create your own artwork at several creation stations inside the gallery. There will be still life, drawing, and painting stations, as well as 3D clay stations. All finished artwork will be hung in the gallery, and 3D work will be placed in a large clay city environment. Visitors should attend the closing reception on September 26 from 1-3 p.m. to see the completed exhibit and take home the artwork they created. 402.342.6452. –hotshopsartcenter.org

JUAN JOSÉ CASTAÑO-MÁRQUEZ EXHIBIT

Opens Sept. 3 at Petshop, 2725 N. 62nd St. Castaño-Márquez explores contemporary issues on historiography and archivization, as well as personal identity. Some of Juan’s projects directly engage with ideas of representation of “the other,” being both brown and queer, historical erasure, and situations of victimization in his country of birth. –juanjosecastano-marquez.com

DAVID MCCLEERY EXHIBITION BEGINS GOVERNOR’S RESIDENCE EXHIBITION

Sept. 23-24 at Fred Simon Gallery, 1004 Farnam St. This exhibit began in 1992 and allows civic leaders, citizens, school children, and other visitors to acknowledge the diversity of statewide artistic talent. Public hours are Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. Groups of 10 or more people are recommended to attend. 402.471.3466. –artscouncil.nebraska.gov

ALIENTO A TEQUILA

Sept. 1 to Oct. 20 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Aliento a Tequila, or The Spirit of Tequila, exhibition explores and celebrates the landscape, culture, and traditions that gave birth to tequila, Mexico’s mestizo national drink. 402.731.1137 –elmuseolatino.org

AMANDA BREITBACH, OIL AND WATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Sept. 7 to Oct. 8 at Creighton University Lied Art Gallery, 2500 California Plaza. The Oil and Water Photography exhibit features photographs taken along the Texas Gulf Coast that represent the dual nature of the Golf Coast as an important ecosystem that provides vital habitat for wildlife and a site of oil and gas developments. This exhibit is open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. –creighton.edu

AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST SOCIETY—22ND ANNUAL NATIONAL JURIED EXHIBITION

Sept. 9 to Dec. 12 at Gallery 1516, 1516 Leavenworth St. This exhibition will feature 200 impressionist artworks from artists across the country. Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to schedule an appointment online on the website, but it is not required. Admission: Free. 402.305.1510. –gallery1516.org

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SEPTEMBER 2021

// 9 //

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

» MUSIC « THE ALTERNATE ROUTES

Sept. 2 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Outdoor concert fans are in for a treat this fall. The Alternate Routes are an American rock band from Bridgeport, Connecticut. Fans have been in awe of their music for over a decade. 7 p.m. Tickets$18-$35. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

THE CADILLAC THREE

Sept. 4 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St. Suite 95. This musical act is presented by JSP Productions. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Admission: $35. 21+ event. 402.964.2021 –barnatolounge.com

AMERICAN AQUARIUM WITH KATIE PRUITT

Sept. 6 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. Country music lovers in Omaha are in for an exciting night with the American Aquarium band featuring singer/songwriter Katie Pruitt. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Admission: $20 GA, $100 VIP. 402.884.5353. –waitingroomlounge.com

MATCHBOX TWENTY 2021 TOUR

Sept. 9 at CHI Health Center, 455 N. 10th St. Matchbox Twenty is an American rock group who have become one of the country’s top-selling bands of the past 20 years. The opening act is The Wallflowers. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $36.50 to $876.50 for VIP Side Stage. 402.341.1500. –chihealthcenteromaha.com

HUNTERTONES

Sept. 9 at Holland Performing Arts Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. The Huntertones , based in Brooklyn, New York, started out as classmates, and now they are traveling the world together doing what they love most. 7 p.m. Tickets: $18-$35. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

SHADOW RIDGE MUSIC FESTIVAL

Sept. 10 at Shadow Ridge Country Club, 1501 188th Plaza This is the third annual Shadow Ridge music festival. It will feature performances from Blue October, Gin Blossoms, and Marcy Playground with Sponge as the opening act. 5-11 p.m. Admission: $49-$99. 402.333.4020. –shadowridgecountryclub.com

JUSTIN MOORE

Sept. 11 at Stir Cove, 1 Harrah’s Blvd. Moore’s debut singles and albums have ranked up to more than a billion on-demand and programmed streams during his career. His latest album is Late Nights and Longnecks. 8 p.m. Tickets: 712.329.6000. –caesars.com

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SEPTEMBER 2021

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

OMAHA POETRY SLAM AND OPEN MIC

Sept. 12 at Outrspaces, 1258 S. 13th St. Aspiring singers can show up and perform during the open mic segment and to watch the poetry slam. Open mic performers should prepare up to five minutes of material. Poets have the opportunity to perform one to three original poems that last for three minutes. 7-10 p.m. 402.403.9454. –outrspaces.org

OUR LADY OF LOURDES

CHURCH 2100 South 32 nd Ave. Omaha, NE 68105

TARA VAUGHAN’S SHE ROCKS: THE WOMEN OF ROCK

OUR LADY OF LOURDES ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL

Sunday, September 26th from 12:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Sept. 12 at SumTur Amphitheater, 11691 S. 108th St. Tara Vaughan’s handcrafted set list celebrates the classic women of rock ’n’ rollers, the singer/songwriters who are soft, vulnerable, and independent artists. 7-8:30 p.m. $35 stadium seating, $20 lawn general admission. –gosarpy.com

Live music, beer gardens, Stoysich sausages, enchiladas, games, rides, and much more.

Don’t miss this traditional Omaha festival – it’s fun for the whole family.

DEBUT OF BOOM BAND FEATURING KIMI

Sept. 12 at Dam Grill and Bar, 151 Freedom Park Road. This musical group are making their debut in Omaha this year. Their show will feature Kimi as the opening act. 2-5 p.m. Tickets: 402.342.7827. –rivercitystar.com

JORDAN SEARCY

Sept. 13 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. This up-and-coming artist is in the process of creating a new record, as well as booking gigs. He has been posting original music on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram. 8 p.m. Admission: $12 Adv. $15 DOS. 402.884.5707. –reverblounge.com

LARKIN POE

Sept. 16 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This live music event will be performed by sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell. They will both be performing songs from their Self Made Man album that they originally wrote for live performances. 8 p.m. Admission: $25 Adv. and $30 DOS. 832.724.4396. –theslowdown.com

SUNFLOWER DEAD

Sept. 14 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. Sunflower Dead has been working on a lot of new music during the pandemic. They are eager to share these new songs with their fans in person. 8 p.m. Admission: $10 Adv. $15 DOS. 402.884.5707. –reverblounge.com

Sept.

ARMAND HAMMER

Sept. 15 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This American hip-hop group is from New York City. It consists of artists Billy Woods and Elucid. The duo will be joined by their friends and fellow travelers on this journey. 8 p.m. Admission: $20. 402.884.5353. –waitingroomlounge.com

PIXIES

Sept. 16 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This alternative rock band is from Boston, Massachusetts. They are determined to play a different set at every show on tour this year. 7 p.m. Admission: $45 Adv., $50 DOS. –waitingroomlounge.com

HALL OF FAME CONCERT, RICHIE LOVE WITH SPECIAL GUEST TAMMY TYREE

Sept. 17 at The Jewell, 1030 Capitol Ave. Richie Love plays all saxophones and most other instruments. Love became the CEO of Saxworld Productions in 1985, and special guest Tammy Tyree is a studio triple threat. Doors open at 5 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. show. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show. Admission: $15. 917.748.4337. –jewellomaha.com

38 SPECIAL

Sept. 17 at The Waiting Room Lounge, 6212 Maple St. This band continues to bring their signature blast of Southern rock music to over 100 cities per year. 7:30 p.m. Admission: $40 Adv. and $45 DOS. 402.884.5353. –waitingroomlounge.com

PAYTON SMITH

Sept. 23 at Barnato, 225 N. 170th St. Suite 95. American musician Smith is making his Omaha, Nebraska, debut in this 21+ event. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets: $15-250. 402.964.2021. –barnatolounge.com

RAUL MIDON

Sept. 24 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. This artist has collaborated with musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and Bill Withers. 7 p.m. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

BAHL CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 7

Sept. 24-27 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. A new season of the Symphony is approaching and they are greeting it with a program of amazing works of art by Adams, Gershwin, Still, and Beethoven. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets: TBA. 402.342.3836 –omahasymphony.org

AGENT ORANGE WITH R.A.F AND THE SCABBY GHOULS

Sept. 26 at Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave. This Southern California punk/surf power trio is known as a small circle of musical rebels destined to form a movement. Their mission is to create American punk rock music. 8 p.m. Admission: $18 Adv. and $22 DOS. 402.884.5707. –reverblounge.com SEPTEMBER 2021

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OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

THE BROOK & THE BLUFF

Sept. 28 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This four-piece band is known for their four-part harmonies, and has headlined sold-out shows across the country. There is a six ticket limit per customer. 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 Adv., $18 DOS. 402.345.7569. –theslowdown.com

THE EAGLES: HOTEL CALIFORNIA 2021 TOUR

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

Through Oct. 10 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. A passenger is found stabbed to death in his private room aboard the Orient Express. The murderer is still on board, and a detective must solve the crime before the train reaches its destination. Wednesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets: TBA. 402.345.0606. –omahaplayhouse.com

LIL DUVAL

Sept. 17-18 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Born with the gift to make people laugh, Duval is currently on the MTV series Guy Code. Friday at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. and Saturday at 7 and 9:15 p.m. Tickets: $40. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE

Sept. 28 at CHI Health Center, 455 N. 10th St. This tour will feature songs from the album Hotel California accompanied by an orchestra and choir, and followed by a full greatest hits set. 8 p.m. Tickets: $96-$496. 402.341.1500. –chihealthcenteromaha.com

JASON BANKS

Sept. 3-4 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Jason Banks is a stand-up comedian from Columbus, Ohio. Friday at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. and Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. 21+ only. Tickets: $25. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

Through Sept. 19 at Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass St. A heartwarming recount of wartime romance between two strangers, stitched together from hundreds of real-life letters among the playwright’s parents. Times vary. Tickets: TBA. 402.345.0606 –omahaplayhouse.com

MINNESOTA

TIM BOYD

MENOPAUSE: THE MUSICAL

AN EVENING WITH MADELINE PEYROUX

DAVE ATTELL

Sept. 29 at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. This musical event was originally scheduled for last year, and all purchased tickets are still valid without any changes. 9 p.m. Admission is $22 Adv. $25 DOS. 402.345.7569. –theslowdown.com

Sept. 29 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. Peyroux is a folk-pop artist with a laidback style of folk-pop songwriting coupled with spellbinding jazz. Expect to hear tunes from her album Anthem, classics from her extensive back catalogue, originals, and much-loved covers. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: TBA. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

KEVIN GATES

Sept. 30 at Baxter Arena, 2425 S. 67th St. Gates is a rap artist signed with the Bread Winners Association. This concert was rescheduled from its original May 28, 2020, date and all tickets purchased for the original date will be honored. 7 p.m. Tickets: $45$153. 402.554.6200. –baxterarena.com

» Performances « CATS

Through Oct. 3 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. Cats is a record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is one of the longest-running shows on Broadway and tells the story of one magical night when a tribe of cats gather for their annual ball. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

DISNEY DESCENDANTS: THE MUSICAL

Through Oct. 10 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. The Isle of the Lost is home to the daughters and sons of the world’s worst villains. Their children have learned to survive on the challenging streets of the island where their families have been banished. A nearby shimmering kingdom of Auradon is full of children of royalty from a who’s who of famous fairytales. Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets: $15-$27. 402.345.4849. –rosetheater.org

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Sept. 9 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Boyd was raised in South Dakota and gained his comedy skills on the Tampa/Sarasota scene. His clean comedy style comes from his unique look at everyday life. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $20. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

Sept. 19 at Holland Center Outdoors, 1200 Douglas St. This hilarious musical parody is set to classic tunes from the ’60s, ’70s, and the ’80s. It is a celebration of women and change that will have the audience cheering and dancing in the aisles.. 2-4:30 p.m. Tickets: $40-$55. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

Sept. 10-11 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Attell was named one of the 25 funniest people in America. His caustic wit, rapid-fire delivery and choice of material can be best described as “very adult.” He has earned a reputation as a “comic’s comic.” Friday at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $30. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

GARY OWEN

LIVE “BIG CANVAS” IMPROV COMEDY SHOW

LEWIS BLACK

Sept. 12 at Big Canvas Theater, 3624 Farnam St. This performance is Omaha’s premier live improv comedy show. 2 p.m. Admission: $10. 402.915.3372. –bigcanvascomedy.com

Sept. 21 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Owen has performed to sold-out audiences in clubs and theaters across the country. He got his first big break on the multicultural comedy showcase, BET’s ComicView, a competition he won that launched his career. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $30-40. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

Sept. 23-25 at Funny Bone, 17305 Davenport St. Lewis Black is known for his appearances on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 and 10 p.m., and Saturday at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $40. 402.493.8036. –omaha.funnybone.com

OMAHA MAGAZINE | EVENTS CALENDAR

TAIKOPROJECT

Sept. 26 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. This group was the first American Taiko act to win the Tokyo International Taiko Contest. They have performed at the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and on The Voice, X-Factor, Jimmy Kimmel Live. 4 p.m. Tickets: TBA. 402.345.0606. –o-pa.org

» Family & More « PUMPKIN PATCHES:

Pumpkins and other in-season fruits and vegetables are ripe and ready to be picked. The following pumpkin patches, berry farms, and orchards plan to be open this season.

• Bellevue Berry and Pumpkin Ranch (11001 S. 48th St.)

• Ditmars Orchard and Vineyard (19475 225th St.)

• Harvest Moon Pumpkin Patch (1410 U.S. 77) • Pioneer Trail Pumpkin Patch and Apple Orchard (21534 Chestnut Road) • Scary Acres (17272 Giles Road) • Skinny Bones Pumpkin Patch (3935 NE-133) • Vala’s Pumpkin Patch (12102 S. 180th St.)

OMAHA LIT FEST

Sept. 3 at BlueBarn Theatre, 1106 S. 10th St. Omaha Lit Fest is a chance to hear from amazing authors and poets in the BlueBarn’s backyard. This festival will feature panel discussions and readers from a diverse slate of authors. This year it is going to be an in-person and virtual event, located in an outdoor amphitheater near downtown Omaha. 4-9:30 p.m. Tickets: $10. 402.345.1576. –bluebarn.org

BENSON FIRST FRIDAY

Sept. 3 at PetShop, 2725 N 62nd St. BFF is a monthly event that brings Benson area businesses, artists, and community members together over arts engagement on the first Friday of each month yearround. First Friday also encompasses BFF’s on-street artist markets, projections, and special events, such as the New American Arts Festival. 5-10 p.m. 402.813.7530. –bffomaha.org

SEPTEMBERFEST

Sept. 3-6 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. This year’s salute to labor includes a carnival, amusement rides, and a car show. 5 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday. 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Saturday through Monday. Admission: $7. 402.278.2951. –septemberfestomaha.org

AFRICAN CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Sept. 4 at Stinson Park, 2285 S. 67th St. The third annual African Cultural Festival will feature live music, traditional and modern dances, educational components, and a larger kids area. There will be 30 vendors, including food vendors. 2-10 p.m. Admission: $10, Kids 12 and under are free. 402.850.7515. –afromaha.com

FAMILY ADVENTURE DAYS

OMAHA SKY LANTERN FESTIVAL

THE BIG EPIC SHOW

CHALK ART FESTIVAL

Sept. 4 at Camp Wa-Kon-Da, 402 Forest Dr. Families are invited to join a fun-filled afternoon. It will consist of a brief archery 101 course for ages 8+, and a family friendly competition will occur after the class. Afterwards, a naturalist at the forest will guide a hike. They will teach the rich history of Fontenelle Forest and give some basic hiking and survival tips. 1-4 p.m. Admission: $10-20 for members, $15-25 for non-members. 402.731.3140. –fontenelleforest.org

Sept. 4 at Bayliss Park, 100 Pearl St., Council Bluffs, IA. The Big Epic Show will bring a live, COVID-19-friendly dance party that includes comical hip-hop performances, puppets, banana suits, and a dance contest. 5-7 p.m. Admission: Free. 712.890.5291. –thebigepicshow.com

Sept. 18 in La Vista, NE. 68138 The Sky Lantern Festival is a magical moment watching thousands of lanterns fly throughout the sky. At sunset, gather around the fire pit with friends and family to make s’mores and listen to music. When it gets dark everyone will release their wishes, hopes, and dreams for the future into the universe. Anyone is welcome to attend this event with the purchase of tickets prior to the event. 5-9 p.m. –www.lightsoveramerica.events

Sept. 18-19 at Midtown Crossing, Turner Blvd. and Dodge St. Local and regional artists and profes-

sional madonnaris will transform patches of Midtown Crossing pavement into pastel chalk masterpieces. Enjoy live music, food, drinks, and shopping. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 402-934-9472. –midtowncrossing.com

HUTCHFEST

OMAHA RIVER CITY ROUNDUP

TURNER PARK NIGHT MARKET

20TH ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST

Sept. 5 at Millwork Commons, 11th and Nicholas St. Attendees will get the opportunity to shop in vintage stores, get delicious food and drinks, participate in competitive games, and watch live music performances from local musicians. The first 3,000 people get free merchandise at the entrance. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tickets: $7-10. 402.926.6747. –hutchfestomaha.com

Sept. 10 at Midtown Crossing, 31st Ave. & Farnam St. The Turner Park Night Market is family and dog friendly. Local vendors, food, games, and live music will be available at this market. Free and open to the public. 6-10 p.m. 402.345.5401. –omahafarmersmarket.com

BITCOIN DAY OMAHA

Sept. 10 at Modern Work, 8790 F St. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and the Coinbase IPO—this is an opportunity to learn more and hear from industry experts on a variety of subjects. –bitcoindayomaha.com

50TH ANNUAL ART FAIR

Sept. 11-12 at Rockbrook Village, 2800 S. 110th Court. The Rockbrook Village Art Fair will feature paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photography, wood carvings, and more from local artists. This year marks their 50th anniversary. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. Free admission. 402.390.0890. –rockbrookvillageartfair.com

137TH GERMAN DAY-OKTOBERFEST

Sept. 17-18 at German American Society, 3717 S. 120th St. The 137th Oktoberfest features authentic Bavarian foods, including Bratwurst handmade by their Wurst Klub, and pretzels. There will be bands playing in several locations, performances by singing and dancing groups, and several beer tents offering German beers. 5-11 p.m. on Friday. 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. on Saturday. Free admission. 402.333.6615. –germanamericansociety.org

Sept. 24-25 at CHI Health Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. The Omaha Rodeo will feature all seven rodeo events, such as steer wrestling, team roping, and bull riding. World champion cowboys will compete for their official entry into the National Finals. 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Admission: $45, $35, $25. 402.341.1500. –omaharivercityrodeo.org

Sept. 24-25 at Crescent Moon, 3578 Farnam St. This event will have lots of German beer and food. Live music will also be included. The Bier Garden will open at 4 p.m. on Friday, and at 12 p.m. on Saturday. The entrance fee is $5 per day, cash only. Guests under 21 with parents are free. 402.345.1708. –beercornerusa.com

30TH ANNIVERSARY FORT OMAHA INTERTRIBAL POWWOW

Sept. 25 at online. This powwow will honor traditional dances, music, artistry, oral history, and foods of various tribes across Nebraska. 1-7:30 p.m. This virtual event is free and open to the public. 531.622.2266. –mccneb.edu

Event times and details are correct as of presstime, but are subject to change. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many events are canceling and/or changing dates/time/ places as needed. Most venues base these decisions on direction by the Douglas County Health Department and Nebraska’s publication of guidance on canceling events and limiting the number of people in public gatherings. Omaha Magazine encourages readers to visit venues' websites and/or calling ahead before attending an event or visiting a museum. SEPTEMBER 2021

// 13 //

SIDE

DOOR T O

CENTER STAGE

ALY PEELER DOES THE WORK

A+C MUSIC // STORY BY VIRGINIA KATHRYN GALLNER PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

In college, Aly Peeler was shy about her singing. Every Sunday, she would go to the open mic at Boheme Bistro in Ames, Iowa, with her musician friends and watch them play. Now, she offers support and encouragement for others who are starting out. Peeler earned her bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology from Iowa State University, where she ran several political clubs on campus. In 2008, she had opportunities to meet every presidential candidate who came through, from both sides of the aisle, including John McCain and Barack Obama. At the same time, she was writing her senior thesis. In the midst of this stress, Peeler discovered the ukulele when a friend received one as a birthday present. Peeler strummed it and felt the tension leave her body. He told her to hold onto the instrument.

“I could see my life had these two paths,” Peeler said. “There’s so many things I wanted to put my passion through. But it was going to be 80-hour weeks [at Green Corps]. I don’t think I would be a happy person.” She chose music. The first song Peeler wrote was about suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. “It felt so good to sing and perform songs I had written,” she said. “I could feel these songs just coming out.”

“

A COMMUNITY TAKES CARE OF EACH OTHER, CARES ABOUT WHEN SOMEONE’S HURTING. PEOPLE DESERVE TO HAVE THIS HUMAN DIGNITY.” -ALY PEELER “Once that ukulele hit my hands, it was so amazing,” she said. “It’s been a companion. It brings me a lot of peace and comfort.” Peeler graduated in 2009 and returned to Omaha the following year, moving into a house behind the old Side Door Lounge. The owner at the time, Steve Jamrozy, offered her a Tuesday show. Although the venue wasn’t normally open Tuesdays, Peeler packed the house. It was a transition point in her life. Before she started playing shows, she had applied for Green Corps, an environmental organization. She was disheartened by her placement in Minneapolis, a city where she had told herself she could never live because of the overwhelming winters.

Peeler started hosting the Side Door Lounge open mic in 2011. She sought to cultivate a safe environment for new performers, especially young people. Peeler knew how much the open mic at the Boheme had meant to her and wanted to create that space in Omaha. “It’s always been about promoting everyone else,” she said. “Having a place for people to share themselves.” When the Side Door closed in 2014, she moved her open mic for a short period to The Hive downtown. Now the Down Under Lounge resides in the former Side Door space, and Peeler’s open mic is back and going strong 10 years later. One of the most important aspects of the (now-Wednesday night) open mic, for Peeler, is hearing others’ stories and respecting everyone’s lived experiences. She felt the absence of the open mic during the pandemic. “What COVID made us really do is think locally, and focus on our neighborhoods, our communities. But also how our city is working as a whole,” Peeler noted. “We have such a disconnect between the haves and have-nots.” The open mics provide space for local community organizations and nonprofit members to spread the word about their services. Omaha Autonomous Action and Revolutionary Action Party are grassroots organizations seeking to fulfill survival necessities for those most in need. “A community takes care of each other, cares about when someone’s hurting. People deserve to have this human dignity,” Peeler said. Black Bird Flii, founded by Tricey Chea, collects new and gently used clothing every Wednesday at the open mics. According to Chea, Peeler practices what she preaches. “Aly Peeler is a phenomenal woman,” Chea said via email. “She is a role model and inspiration to myself and a lot of other people. She is a prime example of showing up for the community and using your voice and platform to make a difference.”

For Peeler, community means people doing the work, and that needs to include creative minds. Throughout the pandemic, she performed with guitarist Andrew Bailie and drummer David Hawkins, fundraising money for those in the service industry and creative sector who were most impacted by the pandemic through online performances. “Those Saturday livestreams became a sense of normalcy during a really not-normal time,” Peeler said. She also set up a porch concert series with her friends Rod and Jana Howe. Each performer picked an organization to support through their tip jar, including Black and Pink and Culxr House. “Our community is full of artists who are helping us face our history and heal,” she said. Lately, Peeler has been playing with cellist David Downing, who can often be found in the Old Market with his “otherworldly” cello and loop station. “His music has a way to take you somewhere,” she said. Another music venture is Glitterbush, which features Peeler and Valerie Electricradbolt as core members, with a rotation of additional voices. Frequent collaborator Collin Smith has played lead guitar for several of Peeler’s shows and music videos over the years. He said working with her is a “wonderful experience.” “[Peeler’s] voice and songwriting style deliver profound stories,” he added. Within the last two years, Peeler has become a board member of the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards and the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. Peeler is also excited to continue hosting the Omaha Performing Arts Singer-Songwriter Showcase. “It’s time for the city to hear these people,” she said. She collaborated with donor relations senior manager at O-pa Victoria Ortega, also a musician, to select performers. “There’s something so cool about the way communities find each other,” Peeler said. “We can celebrate these moments we have together and really be present.” Search Aly Peeler musician on Facebook for more information.

Creating spaces, Dominique Morgan is

BUILDING COMMUNITY THROUGH LYDON HOUSE

A+C music

SIGN BY DEREK L SITZMANN • DE

STORY

BY BIL • PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN MCCARTHY

JOY

n spring 2020, Apple asked Dominique Morgan to model their new Pride band for their Apple Watch. Within two weeks, she had to be in Los Angeles but couldn’t tell people why. During the shoot, as Morgan looked over the cityscape of Los Angeles, a club mix of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” came over the speakers. It took her back to a time in the early 2000s, walking in the prison yard listening to the original version on a tape player, sharing it through a split headphone connection with her friend T.J. King. It was one moment in Morgan’s journey—from prison yard to Harvard, from executive director of national nonprofit prison abolitionist organization Black and Pink to Apple spokesmodel. Morgan teared up as everything hit her at once. “You don’t always realize how far you’ve come,” Morgan said. On Father’s Day of 2021, Morgan sat at a table in the commons room at Lydon House near 45th and Leavenworth streets. In a few days, she would be in New Orleans, helping promote House of Tulip, an organization dedicated to providing housing to transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. Their goals are similar, but Lydon House exclusively focuses on helping formerly incarcerated LGBTQ+ individuals. ►

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 17 //

“If I never do an album again, I’m proud as f**k of this,” Morgan said. The pandemic put the brakes on promotion, but Morgan performed some tracks virtually at last year’s Lincoln Calling. She plans on releasing some club mixes from Pisces and plans to perform at the Nashville Pride festival this month.

Purchased with funds raised by Black and Pink, Lydon House opened Feb. 16, 2020, coinciding with the 11-year anniversary of Morgan’s release from prison. It serves as a temporary home for up to three people (bedrooms are in the upstairs area). People have traveled from Chicago and Memphis to stay there. Morgan envisioned it having a more social aspect before COVID-19 hit. “I wanted graduation parties…I wanted weddings to happen in the back yard for queer families. I wanted to see Fourth of July and Pride month, us grilling out here, so I felt like that was taken from us due to COVID,” Morgan said. During quarantine, Morgan continued to travel for Black and Pink. She remembered being on a plane to Austin in March with fewer than five passengers.

For Lydon House, the plan is to focus on self-care. Individuals are not given curfews or daily quotas for job applications. If someone has a hard day, they can shut the door to their private bedrooms. “To not have that option is something that I know is not conducive to people feeling comfortable and supported,” Morgan said. King was released from prison in January 2021, after serving a four-and-a-half year sentence for possession of ecstasy and theft by deception. King, who operated T.J. King Interiors and Design out of Lincoln, resisted coming to Lydon House. As someone who had run his own business, he was used to being self-sufficient and reluctant to ask for help. “I may have broken the law…still, I felt that me needing any type of assistance coming out was beneath me,” King said. King currently works two full-time jobs, one as an outreach specialist for

Despite only making up 4% to 6% of the general population, a 2016 report by the Williams Institute revealed that 20% of the youth population in the juvenile justice system were LGBTQ+ individuals. One of the biggest contributors to the disparity is the large rate of homelessness among the community, especially in the transgender population. “I wanted to build this very queer answer in North Omaha. I wanted this to feel very Black. I wanted to invest in my community,” Morgan said. Black and Pink hopes to raise $2 million to cover the costs, including renovations of a former church and attached duplex. Morgan’s national profi le has made her one of the most visible Black trans leaders in the country. In Omaha, Black trans individuals are not in spaces of leadership in the largely white nonprofit community, Morgan said, adding that the city needs to do more investing in Black queer leadership to prevent future leaders from leaving. “I can lay down the list of people that are still here, but the list of people who have left is 10 times as long,” she said. Morgan said as long as the face of the people in charge of distributing donations to the community is different than the people receiving the aid, there’s going to be a gap in care.

“I WANTED GRADUATION PARTIES…I WANTED WEDDINGS TO HAPPEN IN THE BACK YARD FOR QUEER FAMILIES. I WANTED TO SEE FOURTH OF JULY AND PRIDE MONTH, US GRILLING OUT HERE SO I FELT LIKE THAT WAS TAKEN FROM US DUE TO COVID.” -DOMINIQUE -DOMINIQUE MORGAN Morgan turned to music as a healing outlet. While flying, she recorded vocals to her smartphone. When not traveling, she made it a point to end her workday at Black and Pink at 5 p.m., then work in the studio for three hours. The result was Pisces in E Flat Major, a sprawling, 22-track album that passes the 80-minute mark. The album addresses how the lockdown affected her, her medical transitioning that made her “feel like [being] 19 all over again,” and self-discovery. It’s also a love letter to the 1990s R&B she grew up on.

Nebraska AIDS Project, the second as a customer experience specialist at Marriott. He has been sober for almost five years after battling addiction for nearly 30. “I don’t know if I would have had my sobriety if it [wasn’t] for Lydon House,” King said.

“How can the face of giving not reflect the face of the people we need to give to?” Morgan said. To donate to Opportunity Campus, visit blackandpink.org/programs/ opportunity-campus-capital-campaign

Morgan hopes the site of a new campus at 25th Avenue and Evans Street will provide housing, counseling, and educational services to individuals ages 14-24. SEPTEMBER 2021

// 19 //

A+C Visual • Story by Kim Carpenter • Photography by Bill Sitzmann • Design by Derek Joy

BEKAH JERDE AT GROUND LEVEL

“Sixteen years. I keep telling myself to just focus on the excitement of a new house, new adventures. But. Sixteen years. Drunk. Sober. Single. Married. Lost. Found.” Bekah Jerde’s Facebook post from mid-June highlighted her long fall from grace and her equally arduous crawl back to redemption, with all the grief, pain, and self-loathing in between (the “lost”), and ultimately, the love and joy that she’s experiencing now—her hard-earned “found.”

The 43-year-old artist and assistant director at Radio Talking Book Service has been through hell and back, and wound up happier than she ever thought she had a right to be. But those who know her realize just how much she deserves everything she’s earned. Jerde grew up on a cattle ranch in Reva, South Dakota, on the same land her Norwegian great-grandfather homesteaded. It was, she said, “an amazing place to grow up.” A voracious reader, she and her younger brother, Micah, a budding artist and her “soul companion,” attended a tworoom schoolhouse from kindergarten through sixth grade, later commuting 70 miles a day to attend high school. After graduating from high school in 1996, she left for Creighton University, where she majored in the classics, including Greek, Latin, philosophy, and more. She was on her way to earning her degree when everything was put on hold. In 1999, while away at college in Sioux Falls, Micah died unexpectedly of complications from diabetes. Jerde was utterly bereft. She coped by self-medicating with alcohol. Full-blown alcoholism—and DUIs—weren’t far behind. “Something died in me,” she recounted. “I even stopped reading.” Although she managed to complete her Creighton degree in 2006, she was still heavily drinking, enabled by jobs in the food industry, where she waited tables and overindulged at the bar with friends and colleagues. A turning point came in May 2012. “I went to jail at night, and when I woke up in the morning, I felt utterly exhausted and defeated to my core,” she said.

On July 22 that year, Jerde began outpatient treatment. “Maybe I won’t drink this time,” she thought. She didn’t, but she had to face consequences for her multiple DUIs and returned to jail, this time for a little over a month, in the beginning of 2013. Still, Jerde had turned a corner and was “walking to recovery,” as she puts it. Th at walking was literal. After losing her driver’s license and having to take public transportation, she began noticing her environment from a new perspective. It was also the fi rst time she had a smartphone, and she started documenting what she was noticing. “When you’re walking to the bus stop, you pay attention and walk differently than when you’re just out walking to enjoy a lovely day,” she said. “You walk with purpose and you see all these fantastic tableaus that you wouldn’t see otherwise.”

Those tableaus included everything from vine-choked doorways to discarded undergarments. Jerde started commemorating her fi nds and sharing them on Instagram under her “bobekah” account. Pedestrian Perks was born. The series captures what most people never notice, such as shattered glass strewn across a sidewalk or a single, battered pink stiletto. Clever captions often accompany the images, such as the witty #poofofl ife under some puffy alliums. While working on this project, other momentous changes occurred. In 2015, Jerde landed at Radio Talking Book Service, which serves some 10,000 people in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. “I’d never worked in the nonprofit world before,” she said. “It’s been fantastic.” Within a year, she worked her way up from an office manager and grant writer to assistant director. In the meantime, Jerde returned to the activities that made her life whole, particularly reading and writing. In March 2016, she participated in an Amplify Arts workshop, where she sat next to Bart Vargas, one of Omaha’s better-known artists. He was immediately smitten. Within 30 minutes of the workshop’s conclusion, he messaged her. They texted back and forth for an hour and went on three dates the first week. They married 18 months later. Vargas adoringly calls his wife “The Lady Jerde,” because, he noted, “It’s a royal title that counters her humility and recognizes how strong, capable, and selfless she is.” He is immensely proud of her recovery, career, and art. “The compositions in her photos are so strong,” he said. “She’s a true street photographer. I am so glad she’s getting recognition.” Th at recognition happened rapidly. In 2016, Jerde had her fi rst show at Howlin’ Hounds Coffee. Th at same year, she participated in an international street photographers showcase at the Des Moines Art Center—an unprecedented jump for any artist. In 2019, she gave a talk and led a workshop at Kaneko. Since then, other shows have followed, featuring both Jerde’s photography and her vibrant architectural paintings. Today, she’s represented by Landlock Gallery. Molly Hobson Vaida, Landlock’s curator and manager, loved the story behind Pedestrian Perks, and, when she opened her gallery, immediately reached out to the artist. “What strikes me about her project is that she takes the time to notice what is unique and look at it in a different way,” Hobson said. “What I really appreciate about Bekah and her work is how honest it is. It reflects who she is as a person. When I see the beauty and simplicity in her work, I see her.” Jerde continues to see the world around her. Looking ahead, she said, “I’m staying an active participant. If I’m present in the moment, I can see—even though it scares the bejesus out of me. I’ll take a full breath and come through the other side. I’m picking up what the universe is laying down.” Visit pedestrianperks.com for more information.

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 21 //

WEST Thomsо TuRNS BUs ST S InTo SPECTAC S

A+C VISuAL

STORY BY SEAN ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

odge Street’s got a whole new look. The long center drag dividing the city from east to west has been made over into an open-air museum—one bus stop at a time.

Spanning across both Dodge and Douglas streets, more than a dozen electrical boxes next to ORBT stations now double as canvases for street art. There are oversized wildflowers, abstract patterns in every hue of the rainbow, and portraits of people smiling at passersby. Weston Thomson serves as one of the lead artists, along with Betni Kalk. Thomson is the creative brain driving the project. These bold, bright boxes are part of Art + Infrastructure, a public art initiative focused on turning urban spaces into unique creative expressions. The project was organized by Omaha by Design and funded by the Faith Charitable Trust. “We’re taking the negative space of our city and turning it into something that’s inviting and makes you feel good,” Thomson said. “But it also runs deeper than that.” The second purpose of this project was to put local artists to work during the pandemic. Thomson isn’t the only one painting for pedestrians. Once completed, there will be 23 boxes transformed in total by 18 artists. His role in the project was to fi nd a diverse group and oversee designs. “We thought, ‘What if we put artists to work so that when people reemerge after the pandemic there will be something new in public spaces that inspire us to get outside and feel something exciting,’” Thomson said. There are few people in the Omaha area better suited for this job. Since moving to the heartland from California in 2009, Thomson has been heavily immersed in the Omaha art scene—not just as a creative but also as an educator and in nonprofit leadership roles. “Weston is extremely talented himself but also pays attention to what others are doing and making in our city. He has the connections as well as the planning and patience it takes for large projects,” Kalk said. “Because of all those abilities, he [was] especially helpful in setting this project up for success.” Just a little over a decade ago, Thomson was teaching a mixture of digital art classes at California State University, Chico, before he was drawn to Omaha. At the time, he had the opportunity to visit Nebraska, and something caught his attention when he did—Omaha’s bustling nonprofit art scene. He was looking to try something new, make a greater impact, and thought this community might be the way. So, he decided it was time to trade in palm trees for cornfields. He fi nally made the move // 24 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

“WE’RE TAKING E NEGATIVE SPACE oF oUR CITy ANd RNING IT I O S E ING AT’S INVITING AnD MAKES Y FEEL GooD.” -WEST Thomsо

A+C VISUAL after landing a job as the education manager at The Kent Bellows Studio and Center for Visual Arts, an interdisciplinary studio and education program that matches teens with professional mentors. “I got my start at Kent Bellows, and that just kind of opened all the doors and introduced me to Omaha in a really impactful way,” Thomson said. “I haven’t seen another program like it. It’s this creative powerhouse where former students are going off to serious art schools or to start their own businesses. Some of those students are currently working on the ORBT project. I owe a lot to Kent Bellows.” Since that introduction to Omaha, Thomson’s career has flourished. His impact in the art community is undeniable, too. He went on to become the community outreach manager at Kent Bellows, where he oversaw murals and other public art projects, and later became the executive director. More recently, he served as the director of community learning at Do Space. “Do Space was me getting back to my digital arts wheelhouse,” Thomson said. “In this role, I got the chance to work with incredible teachers to create programs that had to do with digital literacy.” Th rough nonprofit and education work, Thomson has helped oversee more than 40 public art projects. Today, 15 years into his career, his creative heart beats as loudly as ever. He currently works as an independent artist for Chromatic Black Studio. Th is studio is the umbrella that all his current creative ventures fall under—of which there are many. His work includes project planning, community art administration, creative services, murals, portraits, graphic design, comic illustration…the list goes on. “Weston is probably one of the most diversely talented people I know,” Kalk said. “He can do computer-generated art and almost anything by hand. The fact that he can plan a long graphic novel then also go out and spray paint a design spontaneously—how many other people can do that?” Thomson just wrapped that novel, titled System, Book 1: Th e Light Bearer. And once the ORBT boxes are complete, he hopes the Art + Infrastructure project continues to fi nd opportunities that empower local artists to create social environmental experiences. “Art can offer the whole community a language to speak and process what’s happening in our lives. We are seeing the value of that in our community,” Thomson said. “When you see a piece of powerful work out in the public, it recontextualizes the environment. It reminds you you’re not alone in how you feel. There is more to see and understand than what’s at the surface. I think those things are really important.” Visit westonthomson.com for more information.

SPONSORED SECTION

al u n n th A

PRESENTED BY OMAHA MAGAZINE

MAHANS GIVE BIG. Omaha Magazine takes pride in this annual special section, which highlights the nonprofit sector’s work to provide food, medicine, a place to sleep, a place to pray, and more to those in need. These sponsored pages give readers information about different organizations—their missions, backgrounds, points of pride, and special events.

26.

Aksarben Foundation

42.

Fontenelle Forest

27.

American Midwest Ballet

43.

Goodwill Omaha

44.

28.

Assistance League of Omaha

Great Plains Black History Museum

45.

The Hope Center for Kids

46.

Immigrant Legal Center

47.

The Jewish Federation of Omaha

61.

Omaha Parks and Recreation VIP

62.

Omaha Public Library Foundation

63.

One Omaha

64.

Open Door Mission

65.

Opera Omaha

66.

Pottawattamie Arts, Culture and Entertainment (PACE)

29. 30.

Autism Action Partnership Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands

31.

Boys Town

32.

Business Ethics Alliance

48.

KANEKO

33.

Carole’s House of Hope

49.

Memories for Kids

34.

CenterPointe

50.

35.

Centro Latino of Iowa

Merrymakers Association

51.

36.

Children’s Square U.S.A

Metropolitan Community College Foundation

37.

College Possible

52.

MICAH House

38.

Completely KIDS

53.

39.

Cross Training Center

Midwest Geriatrics, Inc.

54.

Mosaic

40.

Do Space

55.

41.

Douglas County Deputy Sheriff’s Foundation

56.

57.

Nebraska Wildlife Rehab

70.

Santa Monica House

58.

New Visions Homeless Services

71.

Saving Grace

72.

Scatter Joy Acres

59.

Omaha Children’s Museum

73.

Sheltering Tree, Inc.

60.

Omaha Human Rights and Relations Department

74.

Sienna Francis House

75.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha

76.

Stephen Center

77.

Together

78.

Visiting Nurse Association (VNA)

79.

YMCA of Greater Omaha

80.

Youth For Christ

81.

I Be Black Girl

67.

Nebraska Children’s Home Society

Pottawattamie County Community Foundation

68.

Rejuvenating Women

Nebraska Humane Society

69.

The Salvation Army

Child Saving Institute Conceive Nebraska 82.

Omaha Mom Prom

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 25 //

WISH LIST

MISSION STATEMENT Aksarben is a unified network of business and community leaders committed to preserving and expanding prosperity in our heartland communities through advancements in education, workforce development, and civic projects born from effective private, public, and philanthropic partnerships.

Support of the Aksarben Foundation initiatives help further the betterment of the heartland in areas of education, community, and workforce development – the most important issue facing Nebraska today. By working together, we can continue to help improve the condition of the heartland economy and strengthen communities across the state for a better, more prosperous tomorrow.

UPCOMING EVENTS Aksarben Stock Show Sept. 24-26 Aksarben Ball Oct. 23

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

For over 125 years, the Aksarben

Among the work being done,

Aksarben supporters make several

Foundation has convened leader-

Aksarben has awarded significant

programs possible. The Aksarben |

ship across the state to tackle chal- sums in both scholarships

Horatio Alger State Scholarships are

lenges threatening the prosperity

and community grant giving.

for students throughout Nebraska

of Nebraska and its residents. The

Additionally, Aksarben recognizes and western Iowa who plan to attend

needs of the state have changed

and celebrates Nebraskan’s

four-your colleges within Nebraska.

over time in both size and scope,

who go above and beyond for

Aksarben awards 50 of these

but the focus of Aksarben has

their communities, and those

scholarships each year. Aksarben

remained unchanged. The legacy

hardworking farmers who have

annually awards 100 Aksarben

of the Aksarben Ball continues to

achieved the milestones of having

Career Promise Scholarships to

celebrate and honor those families

owned and worked the same

students attending MCC. Ag

who give of their time and trea-

farmland within their families for

Leaders Scholarships are awarded

sure to both their communities

100 or 150 years consecutively.

to 4-H student exhibitors during

and the state. This event is held

To put it simply, Aksarben is

the Aksarben Stock Show, and

each October and has long been

focused on Nebraska’s successes

Aksarben Community Grants help

Aksarben’s headlining event.

and taking measures to ensure

communities throughout Nebraska

successes of tomorrow.

and western Iowa realize their goals.

// 26 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

AKSARBEN FOUNDATION 7101 Mercy Road, Suite 320 Omaha, NE 68106 402.554.9600 aksarben.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

American Midwest Ballet (AMB) is the region’s professional dance company, bringing work beyond words to audiences in Nebraska, Iowa, and beyond. Their mission is to provide cultural enrichment through dance programs of the highest quality: breathtaking performances, inspiring education, and uplifting community engagement.

» Sponsorships » Individual donations » In-kind donations » Guild volunteers

UPCOMING EVENTS The Nutcracker Nov. 20-21 and Dec. 4-5, 2021 (Sensory friendly performance Nov. 21) Momentum Feb. 26 and 27, 2022 Swing, Swing, Swing! April 2 and 9, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

INSPIRATION. BEAUTY. ATHLETICISM. ENERGY. American Midwest Ballet plays a key role in the cultural vitality of the region, inspiring people with stunning productions performed by their talented roster of 24 dancers from around the nation and abroad. At AMB, they live their commitment that dance is for everyone, partnering with more than 100 schools and 30 community partners to bring the inspiration of dance to people from diverse backgrounds.

As the region’s professional dance company, AMB’s work is truly beyond words.

AMB is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

» » » » »

PAY IT FORWARD

» Attend a performance or take a class » Become a season subscriber » Make a donation Founded in 2009 by visionary artistic director Erika Overturff » Join the AMB Guild Professional dance productions » Partner with AMB to bring dance to your audience that uplift, inspire, and bring » Follow AMB on social media people together Over 30,000 people reached in the community and on tour Engagement with over 7,500 students and 1,000 people in need Partnerships with over 30 social service agencies Collaborations with fellow arts organizations AMB School fosters a love of dance for students of all ages

AMERICAN MIDWEST BALLET 1001 S. 6th St Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712.890.5590 amballet.org info@amballet.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 27 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Assistance League volunteers transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs.

» Monetary donations » Volunteers » Tax deductible donations of housewares, adult clothing, and accessories to the Thrift Shop » Books for young children » Donations and Grants

UPCOMING EVENTS Operation School Bell® October 2021 ALO, in partnership with JC Penneys, provides clothing and shoes to thousands of Omaha area school children. Christmas Caravan Tour of Homes November 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Assistance League® of Omaha

ALO’s wonderful new thrift

(ALO) is an all-volunteer 501(c)

shop at 8502 Center St. has now

(3) nonprofit service organization

opened to a full schedule.

» Operation School Bell® – 2,403 students were served in spite of an ongoing pandemic.

whose members identify, develop,

The shop hours are Wednesday

implement and fund ongoing

through Friday 10am-4pm and on

philanthropic programs to serve

Saturday 10am-2pm.

specific needs of local children

Donations are accepted anytime

and adults in the Greater Omaha

during those hours, as well as

Area. Assistance League of Omaha

Mondays from 9am-noon.

receives no federal, state, or

ALO also won the Omaha’s

city funding.

Choice Awards contest for best thrift/consignment shop.

» Operation Teen Parent – 157 students served » Assault Survivor Kits® – 220 total delievered » Operation Bear Hug – 710 teddy bears delivered to agencies and hospitals that service children who are in physical or emotional crisis situations » Operation Literacy – 3,246 books were distributed to children in the community. » Operation Recovery – Support given to Santa Monica House residents

// 28 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

ASSISTANCE LEAGUE® OF OMAHA 8502 West Center Rd. Omaha, NE 68124 402.342.4288 alomaha.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To improve the quality of life of persons on the Autism Spectrum and their families through education, advocacy, and support, thereby enabling them to be an integral part of the community.

» Corporate partners » Employment opportunities for Prosper Workforce Services » Inclusion event opportunities » Guild members » Volunteers » Donations

UPCOMING EVENTS A Vintage Affaire XIII Gala Sept. 25, 2021 Sensory Santa at the Omaha Children’s Museum Dec. 12, 2021 Common Senses Festival April 9-30, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Autism Action Partnership (AAP)

In 2021, AAP launched new

The world has continued to

has served the needs of the Nebraska

branding, to better encompass

embrace autism more than

autism community for over a decade. how their agency has evolved since

ever before. Communities and

AAP offers programming focused on

its inception. The branding takes

businesses are turning their focus

support, inclusion, and prosperity.

into account their planned growth

to the unique abilities of autistic

and expansion of programming in

individuals and the significant

the coming years. As the needs of

contributions they can make in

the autism community grow and

all areas of life. Autism Action

diversify, so too must AAP in order

Partnership is seeking support

to achieve their mission.

in all forms to help harness and

The diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder continues to grow, worldwide and locally, with one in 54 children diagnosed. AAP provides programs and services for autistic individuals and their families and

AAP experienced steady growth

remains dedicated to working with

across programming in 2021,

community partners to create more

including Prosper Workforce

inclusive environments that allow

Services, inclusion trainings,

the autism community to thrive.

and Making Memories events for families.

sustain opportunities to fulfill their mission. Contact them today to learn more about how to make a positive impact that can help change lives!

AUTISM ACTION PARTNERSHIP 10110 Nicholas St., Suite 202 Omaha, NE 68114 402.763.8830 AutismAction.org info@AutismAction.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 29 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands’ mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, healthy and caring members of society.

» Internships for Club Members » Corporate Event Sponsors » Business Tours for Club Members » Volunteers » Guild Memberships » Monetary Donations

UPCOMING EVENTS Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands has a number of exciting events. Those interested in a sponsorship or more information are encouraged to visit the website.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

For more than 59 years, Boys &

Boys & Girls Clubs of the

A contribution to Boys & Girls

Girls Clubs of the Midlands has

Midlands has continued to provide Clubs of the Midlands would

provided youth with the support

essential programs and services

allow them to continue to provide

needed to reach their full potential.

for kids in our community, even

essential services to Boys & Girls

Serving thousands of youth across

during the pandemic. In 2020,

Clubs of the Midlands members

14 locations in Omaha, Bellevue,

2,535 members participated in

during this unprecedented time.

Carter Lake and Council Bluffs,

academic programming at Boys

Your gift ensures that Boys & Girls

programs are led by professional

& Girls Clubs of the Midlands,

Clubs of the Midlands youth have

and caring staff. Each Boys &

2,590 members participated in

the vital programming needed to

Girls Clubs of the Midlands

healthy lifestyle programs and

become positive role models and

offers services to help young

913 participated in character and

peers, while enabling them to learn

people succeed in school, develop

leadership programming. Boys &

powerful life skills.

leadership skills, and maintain

Girls Clubs of the Midlands also

healthy lifestyles.

awarded $330,000 in scholarships to seniors and alumni to attend postsecondary education.

// 30 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE MIDLANDS 2610 Hamilton St. Omaha, NE 68131 402.342.1600 bgcomaha.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Boys Town’s mission is to change the way America cares for children and families.

» Make a donation at BoysTown.org » Support of our Suicide Prevention Hotline » Games for family game night » School supplies

UPCOMING EVENTS Light the Town on Giving Tuesday: December 2021 Youth Athletic Program: April 26, 2022 Memorial Day Run: May 28, 2022 Donor Appreciation Day: July 13, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Since 1917, Boys Town has given

» Boys Town invests in their Education Center to ensure youth on campus have the best educational support available. » Last year, Boys Town National Hotline Counselors stopped 579 suicides in progress. » Boys Town programs and services affect more than 2 million people nationwide every year. » Boys Town conducts research focusing on understanding and identifying effective ways to help families. » Boys Town conducts applied research that focuses on understanding the problems children and families face in today’s world and identifying the most effective ways to help them.

Boys Town kids and families are

thousands of at-risk and troubled children the love, support, and education they need. Every day, abused and neglected children, and broken and struggling families, find help at Boys Town. The care provided is effective because it is driven by the belief that every child and family has the potential to succeed. When Boys Town saves a child, the positive effects make society a better place for all.

everywhere. They come from all walks of life and have unique experiences and challenges. Given help and a second chance, they can triumph. Boys Town needs support to continue the life-changing work it does—and has been doing for more than 100 years. Those who get involved can help a child break free from the cycle of abuse and neglect so they can enter adulthood prepared to succeed.

BOYS TOWN 14100 Crawford St., Mod 1 Boys Town, NE 68010 531.355.1508 Boystown.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 31 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Business Ethics Alliance builds leadership, strengthens organizations, and elevates Greater Omaha through positive, practical business ethics.

» In-kind services (marketing, PR, strategic planning, financial, social media, data/ research) » Event volunteers » Event sponsors » $28.54 monthly, the value of one hour of volunteer time » $250, sponsor an Emerging Leader - Youth » $500, sponsor the Emerging Leaders Young Professional Program » $1,000, sponsor an ethical leader workshop for a nonprofit leader

UPCOMING EVENTS BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Established in March 2008, the

» Host of the only Business

Help build a more ethical

Business Ethics Alliance, with

Ethics focused conference in

Omaha—an Omaha where

the support of founding partners

the Midwest – EthicSpace

everyone feels valued, respected,

Creighton University – Heider College of Business, the Greater Omaha Chamber, and the Better Business Bureau of the Midlands, has led the way in helping businesses and business leaders see how doing business ethically is not only good for business but good for the community at large. An ethical Omaha is an Omaha where everyone feels valued, respected, appreciated, and heard.

» A trustee group of over 300

Omaha-based business leaders » Become a senior advisor to » Winner of 2020 B2B Best » Over 33 ethical workshops conducted in 2020 » Over 1,000 leaders trained in ethics in 2020 » Over 3,000 minutes of ethicsfocused workshops in 2020 a high-value networking program for entry to mid-level professionals » Host of Mind Candy Dialogues, free community-based forums

SEPTEMBER 2021

young professionals

Networking Event – EthicSpace » Lend your professional

» Founders of Emerging Leaders,

// 32 //

appreciated, and heard:

experience or in-kind service

Fall Executive BreakfastSeptember 21, 2021 7:30 a.m.–8:45 a.m. (In-person), Kiewit University EthicSpaceNovember 9, 2021 11 a.m.–5 p.m. (In-person) CHI Health Center, Omaha

Support the mission and programs financially. The Business Ethics Alliance is a 501 (c) (3) organization that relies on the charitable support and contributions of the Greater Omaha community. Bring ethical topics and discussions to your business, church, or organization.

THE BUSINESS ETHICS ALLIANCE 2500 California Ave, Harper Center, Suite 3029 Omaha, NE 68178 402.280.2235 businessethicsalliance.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Carole’s House of Hope provides transitional living for young women and mothers who have aged out of foster care or become homeless. CHH’s home-like environment, paired with innovative programs and services, encourages self-sufficiency and independence, promotes healing, and ultimately restores hope.

» Financial support

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

Serving women primarily from

In 2020, 64 women and children CHH encourages people to

Douglas and Sarpy counties,

found stable, supportive housing

donate to ‘Beyond the House,’

CHH provides participants with

at CHH, which accounted for

and help young families who have

the resources to build successful

3,425 shelter nights for the

found independence outfit their

lives. In addition to supportive,

young women alone. These

new apartments. Items can be

safe, and secure housing, women

women, some of whom were

purchased from online registries

are provided with life skills

dealing with the consequences

or at local stores. The “Urgent

training, on-site mental health

of abuse, addiction, and mental

Needs” page of CHH’s website

assessments and the opportunity

illness, saw amazing successes;

has more details. Monetary

to participate in therapy sessions,

some were reunited with their

donations allow CHH to continue

12-step programs to support those

children, others achieved

offering a stable home and the

in recovery, financial literacy and

educational goals such as earning dynamic services families need

after-care program

UPCOMING EVENTS Interested persons can visit Facebook, Instagram, or CHH’s website to stay up-to-date with the organization’s upcoming events!

PAY IT FORWARD

sustainability coaching, educational a GED or becoming certified

to find hope and independence.

assistance and workforce readiness,

as a CNA. Four women chose

People can visit the website,

case management support,

CHH to be their home while

caroleshouseofhope.org, and click

parenting education, and an active

welcoming babies.

on “Donate.”

after-care program.

» Houseware donations for

CAROLE’S HOUSE OF HOPE 7815 Harney St. Omaha, NE 68114 402.991.HOPE (4673) hello@caroleshouseofhope.org

caroleshouseofhope.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 33 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

CenterPointe helps the people we serve get better, sooner, for longer.

» Hygiene and personal care products » Socks, underwear, sports bras (new) » Unisex sweatpants (new) » Board Games/Puzzles » Monetary donations

UPCOMING EVENTS CenterPointe’s Virtual Fundraiser Fall of 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Open since 1973, CenterPointe

In the 1980s, CenterPointe was one

» Attend CenterPointe’s

provides care and treatment options

of the first in the nation to offer

for individuals in communities

integrated care for substance use

who are experiencing mental

and mental health disorders, and

illness and substance use disorders,

began its “housing-first” model

with a focus on low-income and

in 1991 to meet basic needs so

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

homeless populations. With 37

treatment can succeed.

and LinkedIn

programs covering a range of

» Every night, CenterPointe

Annual Gala » Donate as an Individual or a Corporation » Follow CenterPointe on

» Shop for our clients’ basic

services, including treatment,

provides 240 units of safe and

needs on our Amazon

rehabilitation, housing and crisis

supportive housing.

Wish Lists

response, CenterPointe believes in empowering people to discover their own path to well-being and that the people using their services should receive the highest quality care.

» Last year, CenterPointe provided services to more than 4,000 individuals. » Recently completed a $7 million renovation without any philanthropic support from the community.

// 34 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

» Name CenterPointe in your Planned Giving strategy

CENTERPOINTE CAMPUS FOR HOPE 1490 N. 16th St. Omaha, NE 68102 402.827.0570 centerpointe.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Centro Latino of Iowa’s mission is to educate and empower Hispanic/Latino individuals and families towards thriving, self-sufficient, and healthy lives.

Centro Latino of Iowa has set up a store called “La Tiendita del Centro Latino” on Amazon Wish List, which makes shipping directly to the center easy. Other requested in-kind donations during the year include office supplies for their Centro Latino Training Center and Christmas gifts for adults for their Christmas Family Celebration.

UPCOMING EVENTS Iowa Latino Festival Sept. 25, 2021 Day of the Dead Tequila Tasting Fundraiser Oct. 31, 2021 Un Regalo de Navidad Dec. 11, 2021 Cinco de Mayo Party May 5th, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Since 2002, Centro Latino of Iowa

» Centro Latino serves more

The gift of time has a lasting impact

has been the premier bilingual and

than 2,000 clients every year

on welcoming the new Americans

bicultural nonprofit in Council

in southwest Iowa.

into local communities. Serving

Bluffs/Pottawattamie County serving » Centro Latino provides the

as a community advocate and/or

the Latino community in Southwest

only Spanish HiSET (GED)

resource navigator is one way to

Iowa. Current programs are: (1)

program in southwest Iowa.

make a difference helping others

Community Outreach and Support

» Centro Latino hosts the

feel at home and have a sense of

Services; (2) Workforce Development

largest cultural festival in

belonging to the community. Those

and Entrepreneurship; (3) Leadership

southwest Iowa.

who wish to help can also help

Formation and Civic Participation;

financially by becoming a member

and (4) Cultural Competency

of the Friends of Centro Latino.

Education. They also provide

Give securely online.

CENTRO LATINO OF IOWA

Helping their clients become self-

Executive Director Ramon Calzada 712.256.6009

sufficient is a key goal for the agency.

director@sucentrolatino.com

immigration services in collaboration with Immigration Legal Services.

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 35 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To teach, every day, the values and life skills essential to a successful life—one full of caring, contribution, and commitment.

» Bedding » Board games » Sporting goods » Art supplies and other school supplies. » Foster Parents » Monetary donations to care for the basic needs of children and young adults in the foster care system

UPCOMING EVENTS Jason Awards Gala Nov. 4, 2021 Giving Tuesday Nov. 30, 2021 Chipping In for Children Golf Event June 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Children’s Square U.S.A. is

Children’s Square is a diverse orga-

Help a child build resilience and

a private, nonprofit, non-

nization of professional caregivers

break the cycle of violence in

denominational organization with

dedicated to serving at-risk children

their home and transition into

a history of caring for children and

and families. The executive leader-

adulthood with the life skills

families for nearly 140 years.

ship team has over 80 years com-

and values needed to succeed.

bined experience in child welfare

Children’s Square welcomes

Every day, nearly 1,000 children, youth, and families in Iowa and Nebraska who are in or near crisis and have behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric needs are served through programs including counseling, emergency services for children, early childhood education, foster care, and residential treatment for children with emotional and behavioral disorders.

and behavior health. Programs help employees, volunteers, mentors, children and families learn essential

foster parents, and donors to

life skills and achieve self-sufficien-

provide children an opportunity

cy. Children’s Square has nearly

to reach their potential and

150 amazing employees who make

achieve social and emotional

a difference in the community offer- wellness. ing programs and services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Their main campus is located in Council Bluffs, with an office in Omaha, offering counseling and foster care programs.

// 36 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

CHILDREN’S SQUARE U.S.A. 520 N. 7th St. Council Bluffs, IA 51503 712.322.3700 childrenssquare.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

College Possible’s mission is to close the degree divide and make college possible for students from low-income backgrounds through an intensive curriculum of coaching and support.

» Young Professionals seeking nonprofit opportunities to serve as committee members and support College Possible initiatives. » Community Partners seeking opportunities to enhance education equity for students in the community and provide professional development opportunities for students and AmeriCorps coaches. » Recent college graduates interested in AmeriCorps service with College Possible. » Financial contributions.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

UPCOMING EVENTS

For the past 10 years, College

College Possible contributes to a

A gift to College Possible today

Possible Omaha has been at the

diverse and inclusive workforce

is an investment in Omaha’s

10th Anniversary Event Spring 2022

forefront of college access and

by supporting first-generation

future workforce. College Possible

success. Grounded in data-driven

college students and students

students are the motivated,

practices and measurable results,

from low-income backgrounds on

talented and skilled leaders this

College Possible partners with high

their journeys to earning a college

community needs to thrive. Many

schools, colleges, and communi-

degree. During the 2021-2022

of their alumni return to their

ties to unlock opportunities for

academic year, College Possible

home communities—disrupting

underserved students. They recruit

will serve nearly 2,000 students at

the cycle of poverty and inspiring

recent college graduates to serve as

nine partner high schools across

future generations of leaders.

AmeriCorps coaches who provide

the metro and on 63 college

To make your gift today, visit

direct service and guide students

campuses within Nebraska and

collegepossible.org/communities/

to and through the college process

across the nation.

omaha

Visit College Possible Omaha’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest news and updates.

from admission to enrollment and persistence to graduation.

COLLEGE POSSIBLE 900 S. 74th Plaza Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68114 531.233.0012 mvalek@ collegepossible.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 37 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Completely KIDS educates and empowers kids and families to create a safe, healthy, successful and connected community.

» Monetary gifts » Volunteer support » Weekend food items » New coats, gloves, hats » New holiday gifts » Grocery/department store gift cards » Personal items: feminine products, toothbrushes, toothpaste » New socks and underwear: all sizes » Diapers and wipes » New board games, puzzles, sports equipment » Reading glasses » New school supplies: backpacks, markers, colored pencils, mechanical pencils, spiral notebooks, watercolors, glue sticks

UPCOMING EVENTS BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Completely KIDS is working to

The pandemic was hard on

Completely KIDS serves children

create a world where children

everyone, but especially families

and families by offering a wide

are the future, family is the

living in poverty. Completely

variety of much-needed services.

foundation, and the community

KIDS’ dedicated, resilient staff

Three especially meaningful ways

is inclusive. They serve 2,000

identified ways to continue

to pay it forward include the

children ages 4-14 (and their

serving the children and families

following:

families) with a depth of critical

in the community with remote

» Give new winter coats to

services before and after school

programming resources. They

and all summer long. They

expanded behavioral health

partner with nine OPS schools,

services by providing online access

two parochial schools, and several to discussions on mindfulness,

get to “shop.” pack—Weekend Food Bags. » Shop for and donate new

including three homeless shelters.

and stress reduction. Donors and

presents for the Holiday

community volunteers offered

Gift Drive.

// 38 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Night in the Neighborhood Oct. 15, 2021

» Provide food for—and help

emotion recognition/regulation,

monetary support and help,

See completelykids.org for more

preparing bags of food and hygiene

about these and other initiatives.

touchless mobile drive–thru.

Pinot, Pigs and Pours Sept. 16. 2021

Teresa’s Closet where children

community-based organizations,

products for distribution via safe,

Author Luncheon Spring 2022

COMPLETELY KIDS 2566 St. Mary’s Ave. Omaha, NE 68105 402.397.5809 completelyKIDS.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Cross Training Center exemplifies the message, “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” The mission they fulfill each day is to equip unemployed and under-educated adults through vocational training and job experience so they can attain employment and become financially successful.

» Corporate partnerships » Monetary donations » Volunteers » Community speaking engagements » Collection drives for needed items

UPCOMING EVENTS Invite CTC to speak about solutions to poverty at a civic, church, or workplace event.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Cross Training Center provides

» Students receive work experience » Donate automobiles,

vocational training and job experience

while providing valuable services

electronics, and other out-of-

for those who are not able to attain a

and products that benefit our

service equipment. Everything

job due to challenging backgrounds

community.

collected is used to provide

and circumstances. CTC empowers

» Cross Electronic Recycling

and equips those who have been

kept over 300,000 pounds of

incarcerated or homeless, have mental

electronics out of the landfills

or emotional disorders, have been

last year.

a victim of human trafficking or

» Redeemed Computers and

vocational training and job experience. » Utilize CTC’s services when a need arises. Find out more online. » Financial contributions are

domestic violence, or live in poverty

Electronics refurbished over 500

for numerous reasons. They receive

computers, laptops,

needed to meet our annual

life-changing training and experiences

and appliances.

operating budget, expand our

in order to gain employment on a

» Cross Automotive provided 58

career path that breaks the cycle of

donated vehicles to those in

poverty for generations to come.

need last year. » Cross Social Hall hosted over 40 events while helping students learn hospitality services.

recycling center and build a commercial kitchen. » Hold collection drives at workplaces, churches, or civic groups.

CROSS TRAINING CENTER 5040 N. 72nd St. Omaha, NE 68132 402.590.2100 crosstc.com SEPTEMBER 2021

// 39 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Do Space’s mission is to empower the Omaha community through access to technology and innovative learning experiences.

» Program and equipment sponsorships » Monetary donations » Volunteers: Sidekicks Explorers

UPCOMING EVENTS Littles Lab Tuesdays Program suitable for children ages 3-5 After-School Club Monday-Thursday For both elementary and middle school children Hello Code Excel-erate Lunch & Learn: Professional Development Wednesdays & Fridays Intro to HTML & CSS Saturdays Make.Hack.Build.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Do Space is a one-of-a-kind

» Centrally located at 72nd and

Every day, Do Space works with

technology space, digital workshop,

Dodge streets

hundreds of Omahans to help

and innovation playground. It

» Open 90 hours a week

them achieve their technology

was designed to promote digital

» Over 85,000 members

education goals. From workforce

equity in Omaha, as well as boost

» Over 50,000 program attendees

readiness to K-12 STEM

digital skills and drive innovation,

» Membership, programs, and

programming, Do Space supports

creativity, and invention in the

services are free Omahans have access to powerful

The future belongs to those who

Space is a place where community

Wi-Fi, high-end computer stations

understand technology. Gifts from

members interact with cutting-edge

and devices, 3D printers, and

patrons and donors help make

technology and receive assistance

technology-focused learning

Omaha future-ready today.

and instruction in its use. More

opportunities. Do Space has

than a building, it’s a community

something for everyone, but aims

technology movement.

to make a significant impact on two income individuals; and creators, entrepreneurs, and inventors.

// 40 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

*Do Space offers around 60 programs and webinars every month. Register for free on the website*

learners of all ages and abilities.

region. Free to the public, Do

key groups: underconnected, low-

Cyber Seniors Wednesdays

DO SPACE 7205 Dodge St. Omaha, NE 68114 402.819.4022 dospace.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Investigate, design, fund, promote, establish, support, facilitate, and/or operate charitable programs supporting the citizens of Douglas County and the deputies at the Douglas County Sheriff’s office.

» Hole Sponsorships

DCDSF partners with Douglas County Fraternal Order of Police #2.

and Pin/Raffle Prizes » Ongoing monetary donations » Gift cards

UPCOMING EVENTS Support Event for Pediatric Patients at UNMC Dec. 2021 Holiday Food Donation to Open Door Mission Dec. 2021 Scholarships awarded in the name of DCSO’s fallen deputies May 2022 Shootin’-It-Out with the Deputies July 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

In 2007, FOP Lodge 2

With the support of the union and

In December, the union and

established the Douglas County

the community, DCDSF provides

foundation also support an

Deputy Sheriff ’s Foundation, a

gifts to children under treatment

area diaper drive for the Lydia

501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

in the pediatric cancer and organ

House and bring a holiday meal

They aim to provide a positive

transplant units at Nebraska

to the Open Door Mission.

influence on the youth of

Medical Center each December.

The foundation, with union

Douglas County, educate the public about crime, and prevent crime in Douglas County, Nebraska. They also assist deputies of the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office to oppose crime, educate the public about crime, and prevent crime in Douglas County, Nebraska, Erect and maintain a memorial to honor deceased deputies of the Douglas County Sheriff ’s Office.

During Police Memorial Week, they provide multiple $1,000 scholarships to recipients pursuing criminal justice degrees. Recipients are chosen with the assistance of the Boys & Girls Club of the Midlands and are given in honor of two fallen deputies of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

and community support, also facilitates the purchase of training and equipment for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Recent purchases included: » Tourniquets (life-saving devices) for deputies » Drone equipment and training for expanded operability and responsiveness by the DCSO » All-purpose Training Mats

DOUGLAS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF’S FOUNDATION C/O Brian Parizek, President 3601 North 156th St. Omaha, NE 68116 402.658.5040 blparizek@cox.net SEPTEMBER 2021

// 41 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The mission of Fontenelle Forest is to provide a place where people can experience and enjoy the quiet wild of nature, inspiring current and future generations to care for the natural world.

Help support Fontenelle Forest’s mission: » Become a member » Make a donation » Volunteer » Give a gift membership » Bring family and friends to visit the Forest Items needed: » Totes with lids (all sizes) » Baggies (snack to gallon size) » Small magnifying lenses » Pencil boxes » Mini clipboards » Emergency clothes (any youth sizes): • Knit shorts • Light winter jackets • Winter gloves & hats » Simple Green » Windex » Disinfecting wipes » Gift cards to Walmart, Costco, Sam’s, Menards, and Rodent Pro

UPCOMING EVENTS

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Founded in 1913, Fontenelle

Almost 100,000 visitors walk their

A federally designated 501(c)(3)

Forest is one of Nebraska’s oldest

paths each year. Nearly 40,000

nonprofit, Fontenelle Forest relies

conservation organizations and one

children and adults participate

on the generous support of the

of the largest private nature centers

in nature-based education

community.

in the United States. It is listed as

programs and activities. Whether

» Corporate sponsorship: Join

a historic district on the National

a novice or an expert naturalist,

Fontenelle Forest in making the

the Forest offers a wide range of

community a great place to live,

one of Nebraska’s five National

family-friendly programs with

work, and play through greater

Natural Landmarks. The Forest

something for everyone. A one-

mission impact.

owns and manages two sites—

mile, ADA-accessible boardwalk

Fontenelle Forest, in Bellevue,

provides all visitors with the

drives: Provide employees a

and Neale Woods in Omaha, with

ability to engage with nature.

natural space to reduce stress and

over 2,100 acres and 24 miles of

Favorite activities include hiking,

enjoy healthy outdoor activities.

trails. Fontenelle Forest serves its

birdwatching, observing wildlife,

» Legacy giving: Through a will

core mission through conservation,

the changing seasons, scenic views

or living trust, donors can become

education, research, and recreation.

of the Missouri River, and even

a part of Fontenelle Forest’s

snowshoeing during winter!

legacy for the next 100 years.

// 42 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Beer on the Boardwalk October 16, 2021 Trick or Treat October 30, 2021 Winter Wonderland December 4, 2021 to January 3, 2022 See a full list of family-friendly programs and events on our website and Facebook page!

» Corporate membership

FONTENELLE FOREST 1111 Bellevue Blvd. N. Bellevue, NE 68005 402.731.3140 info@fontenelleforest.org FontenelleForest.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Goodwill changes lives and strengthens communities through education, training, and work.

Opportunities to participate include: » Material donations » Planned giving » Corporate sponsorships

UPCOMING EVENTS Trunk or Treat Oct. 23, 2021 The Celebrate Good Gala Nov. 12, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

Goodwill Omaha provides

In 2020, Goodwill Omaha provided Here’s how Goodwill Omaha

opportunities through a variety

nearly 10,000 job training,

works for the community: People

of employment programs,

certification, and placement

donate their gently used items to

including YouthBuild AmeriCorps,

services to over 1,300 people in the

Goodwill. They sell those items in

Employment Solutions, and Work

community. Participants who found their stores. Proceeds from those

Experience. They are also affiliated

long-term work made an average of

sales subsidize Goodwill’s job

with the AbilityOne program, which

$12.98 per hour.

training and placement programs,

provides jobs at federal facilities to people with severe disabilities.

Last year, Goodwill Omaha recycled nearly 5 million pounds of clothing

Goodwill is a private, 501(c)(3)

and textiles, as well as:

not-for-profit agency governed

» More than 88,000 pounds of

by a local board of trustees and

paired shoes

are a member agency of Goodwill

» Nearly 80,000 pounds of books

Industries International of

» Approximately 230,000 pounds

Rockville, Maryland, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

of metal » More than 80,000 pounds of computers and electronics

PAY IT FORWARD

giving thousands of individuals in the community a chance at

GOODWILL INDUSTRIES, INC.

success. Donations help Goodwill

Serving Eastern Nebraska & Southwest Iowa

Omaha provide more services to more people.

Goodwill has 17 locations in Omaha, Bellevue, Blair, Fremont, Gretna, Papillion, and Council Bluﬀs. GoodwillOmaha.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 43 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To preserve, educate, and exhibit the contributions and achievements of African Americans with an emphasis on the Great Plains region. To provide a space to learn, explore, reflect, and remind us of our history.

» Museum Membership » Monetary donations » Planned Monthly/ Annual Giving » Archivist » Artifact and Manuscript Donations » Schedule Organizational Tours » Schedule Organizational Presentations » Traveling Exhibit (incoming and outgoing) » Volunteers » Dedicated Facility to Allow for Growth

UPCOMING EVENTS Great Plains Black Tuskegee Airmen: Who Called Nebraska Home & African Americans Who Served Exhibit November 2, 2021– January 29, 2022 The Seven Days of Kwanzaa Exhibit & Program December 26, 2021– January 1, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

In 1962, Bertha Calloway and a

The GPBHM is an integral part

In the coming years, the GPBHM

group of North Omaha residents

of the North Omaha community

will have a featured role in Omaha’s

founded the Negro Historical

and the Great Plains region. They

greater arts community. Through

Society. Aided by a grant from the

provide a historical look and a

partnerships and collaborations,

1976 Bicentennial Commission,

deep‐rooted connection to the

GPBHM intends to expand its role

the Great Plains Black History

people, places, and events that make in educating local, regional, and

Museum was opened in the

a vibrant community. The Museum

national communities about the

historically significant Webster

has established itself as the keeper

incredible contributions of Black

Telephone Exchange Building.

of African American stories, focused

Americans. They have hosted and

Under the guidance of Mrs.

on authentically telling stories of

created exhibits featuring paintings,

Calloway, the goal of the Museum

the African diaspora in a fair and

rare books, documents, and artifacts

was to teach Nebraskans and other

fact-based manner, preserving our

related to the Black experience.

visitors about the contributions of

ancestors’ gifts, and passing them to

They have hosted a slate of athletes,

African Americans in the Midwest.

future generations.

politicians, dignitaries, and local, national, and international visitors.

// 44 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

African American Women’s Herstory Exhibit March 3, 2022– May 28, 2022 The History of Historical Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) Exhibit January 6, 2022– December 31, 2022

GREAT PLAINS BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM Eric L. Ewing 2221 North 24th St. Omaha, NE 68110 402.932.7077 infogpbhm@gmail.com

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Faithfully inspiring hope in the lives of youth and children through education, employability, collaboration, and faith.

The Hope Center has a regularly updated Amazon Wish List, which makes shipping directly to the center easy. Other requested in-kind donations during the year include back-to-school supplies and Christmas gifts for a holiday store kids can “shop.”

UPCOMING EVENTS “Return to Hope” 2021 Hope Gala Oct. 7, 2021 The Hope Lunch & Learn Nov. 5, 2021 Hope Golf Classic June 13, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Hope Center provides

» An average of 2,000 hours

The gift of time has a lasting

safe after-school and summer

of tutoring and homework

impact on Hope kids! Serving as

programs where children ages

help are provided every year,

a mentor or volunteer is one way

5-19 can take part in academic

contributing to a yearly

to invest in the next generation

support, development, faith-

graduation rate above 90%

of your community. You can

based learning opportunities, and

» 400+ youth have gained

also support programming by

receive nutritious meals every

employment through the

becoming a member of the

night. Started by the late Pastor

Employment Academy

Seeds of Hope community,

Ty and Terri Schenzel, who saw

since 2012

where gifts are set up monthly or

the need for hope in the lives of

» More than 20,000 meals are

kids who could not see beyond

served from the Kids Café

their circumstances, the center is

annually; an average of 400

now home to multiple learning

kids are introduced to activities

spaces, including its fi rst campus

such as cooking, painting, and

site in Holy Name School. The

poetry through collaborative

new Schenzel Community Center

programs

hosts Alumni events, a senior

» Children & youth spend more

citizen program, the Village

than 1,500 hours in Bible studies

Basketball Alliance and more.

throughout the year

quarterly. Give securely online at hopecenterforkids.org.

THE HOPE CENTER FOR KIDS 2200 N 20th St. Omaha, NE 68110 402.341.4673 hopecenterforkids.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 45 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Immigrant Legal Center welcomes immigrants into our communities by providing high-quality legal services, education, and advocacy.

» Monetary donations to support ILC’s free services to immigrant families » Host a Friend-raiser or invite ILC experts to speak to your community group about immigration » Language interpreters and translators » Legal clinic volunteers » Pro-bono attorneys for ILC’s Attorney of the Day program

UPCOMING EVENTS Food Truck World Tour Stinson Park in Aksarben Village September 26, 2021 Ticket and sponsorship information is available at immigrantlc.org/foodtruck

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Immigrant Legal Center was

In 2019, ILC handled 4,297 cases

The need for high-quality

established as Justice For Our

for individuals from 55 countries

legal services for low-income

Neighbors–Nebraska in 1999.

and the need is only growing.

immigrant families in Nebraska

Today, the organization is shifting

ILC’s legal experts are at the top

and Southwest Iowa has

its focus to long-term sustainability of their field and have changed

never been higher. Show your

in this ever-changing field of

immigration laws in Nebraska

support for immigrants in our

immigration. Immigrant Legal

that directly impact families in

communities by:

Center looks forward to fostering

the community, in particular

» Making a donation to fund

relationships with existing and

abused and neglected immigrant

legal fees for an immigrant

new community partners to

children. ILC’s partnerships with

family.

advance shared goals and working

local hospitals and health centers

» Attending ILC events

to deepen ties in the community,

connect low-income immigrant

» Inviting ILC attorneys to

especially in rural Nebraska. The

clients with legal options that

speak to your community

generosity of all who believe

improve their access to traditional

group about immigration.

that everyone is deserving of

health care.

» Contacting your

dignity and respect are critical to

representatives and ask them

IMMIGRANT LEGAL CENTER

Immigrant Legal Center’s success.

to advocate for legislation

4223 Center St. Omaha, NE 68105 402.898.1349 immigrantlc.org

that supports immigrant families.

// 46 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSION STATEMENT JFO’s vision is that every person in Omaha feels welcome on the campus and is inspired to have a meaningful and relevant relationship with the Jewish Federation of Omaha and its agencies.

UPCOMING EVENTS Exploring Judaism Classes via Zoom Fall: 9/2/21-12/2/21 Winter: 12/13/21-3/7/22 Super Smash Bros Tournament - Ages 12+ Sept. 12, 2021 JAZZ at the J Sept. 25, 2021 Parenting the Love and Logic Way® Oct. 7, 21, 28 & Nov. 4, 2021 PEW - Promoting Empowerment in our World - Oct. 27, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Jewish Federation of Omaha

» 1,800+ people of all faiths visit

The JFO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and

is a full-service organization

our campus daily for fitness,

greatly appreciates individual and

serving the Jewish and Omaha

dance, camaraderie, to visit

corporate donations. Donations will

community. They provide

loved ones and much more.

benefit people in Omaha, Israel, and

» Provided nearly $465,000 in

around the world.

ages from early childhood

scholarships for education,

Support the JFO:

education to a long-term, skilled

summer camps, and Israel

» Participate in their community

care nursing home. They have

experiences.

services and programs for all

one of the finest fitness centers

» Delivered over 3,192 meals to

offerings; programs and classes, concert series, film

in Omaha that features indoor

local Jewish seniors in need of

festival, Israel’s Independence

and outdoor aquatic centers;

hot nutritious food.

Day, cultural arts, camps, and

youth programming; newly renovated theater and learning commons; a public art gallery; a weekly newspaper; Meals on

» Provided 944 therapy sessions

youth services

in 2020-21, both virtual and

» Volunteer

in-person

» Become a JCC member

» Provided funding to social

Wheels; counseling services; and

welfare programs for vulnerable

community advocacy.

communities. » 11,000+ students participated in Institute for Holocaust Education programs and AntiDefamation League workshops. » JCC membership and youth camps are open to everyone in the community.

Walk Against Hate Nov. 28, 2021 Institute for Holocaust Education Week of Understanding March 21-25, 2022 Yom HaShoah Community Commemoration April 27, 2022 Art and the Holocaust Exhibit: April 2022 Our campus is open to everyone regardless of religion.

» Subscribe to the Jewish Press » Choose Rose Blumkin Jewish Home for rehabilitation or long-term care

THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF OMAHA Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus 333 S. 132nd St. Omaha, NE 68154 402.334.8200 jewishomaha.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 47 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Creativity begins with an idea—seeing things differently. KANEKO’s purpose is exploring the creative process—how a new idea is born into the arts, sciences, and philosophy. Supporting and promoting freedom in creativity is KANEKO’s mission.

» Volunteers and docents » Memberships » Corporate partnerships » Annual fund contributions » In-kind donations » Art supplies

UPCOMING EVENTS Jun Kaneko Exhibit August - December 2021 Creative Camp Exhibition August - October 2021 Little Sculpture Exhibition International Sculpture Center September 2021 FORM Exhibition October 2021 January 2022 Soiree Fundraiser October 22nd, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

Established in 1998 by

With over 60,000 visitors annually, » Visit KANEKO. Explore the creative

international artist Jun Kaneko

KANEKO is one of the most

and his wife, Ree, KANEKO is

attended visual arts organizations

headquartered in three turn-

in the state. Recently, KANEKO

of-the-century warehouses in

has been able to expand its core

at KANEKO monitor the gallery,

the Old Market. KANEKO is

creative programming to include

help give exhibition tours,

an institution with a vision to

the Generator, Movement, and

and assist with programs and

celebrate creativity, and began

Passages Series as an outlet for

educational workshops.

programming in 2009, officially

local and national artists to

opening as a public gallery in

showcase their innovation in

members help make KANEKO a

2010. Since then, KANEKO has

music, performance art, dance, and

creative resource for the Omaha

hosted a wide range of artists,

writing to the creative community

community and beyond.

writers, scientists, educators, and in Omaha. KANEKO’s

PAY IT FORWARD process through an exhibition or program at KANEKO. » Become a Volunteer. Volunteers

» Become a Member. KANEKO

» Make a Donation. Help make

speakers to share their gifts of

educational programs serve youth

KANEKO a place where ideas

creativity with the community

and adult learners alike around the

are born and visitors are inspired

of Omaha.

Omaha metro.

to explore the creative process. Donate online.

// 48 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

KANEKO 1111 Jones Street Omaha, NE 68102 402.341.3800 info@thekaneko.org thekaneko.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To create lifelong memories for children who have a parent with stage IV cancer.

» Backpacks (school age and toddler) » Travel Games » Beach Towels » Water Bottles » Small Coolers » Coloring Books » Crayons, Colored Pencils, Markers » Sketch Pads » Playing Cards » Puzzles » Sand Toys » Swim Goggles » Snorkeling Gear

UPCOMING EVENTS Topgolf October 3, 2021 Trivia Night Fall 2021 Bad Moms Night Out Winter 2022 Cinco de Mayo May 5, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Memories for Kids creates lifelong

Since Memories for Kids was

Memories for Kids relies on

memories for children who have

founded in 2011, they have

the generosity of donors to

a parent with stage IV cancer.

created more than 140 memories

fund the memories they help

Families who receive a memory

for families across Nebraska and

create. All donations are 100% tax

are able to take a break from the

Western Iowa. Although more

deductible. MFK is very proud

daily rigors of cancer and spend

than 50% of families reside in the

to say that generous donations

time having fun together. The

greater Omaha area, MFK has

will go directly towards creating

unfortunate reality is that for

created memories for families in

memories for children and their

a child with a terminally ill

more than 30 cities and towns,

families. They appreciate monetary

parent, the final months are filled

and more than 25 counties, across

donations and items from their

with disappointments and sad

Nebraska and Iowa.

Amazon wish list. They would

memories. MFK briefly relieves the

like to thank all their donors for

sadness of children living with a

helping create these memories.

parent with stage IV cancer.

MEMORIES FOR KIDS P.O. Box 540216 Omaha, NE 68154 402.889.5797 memoriesforkids.org info@memoriesforkids.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 49 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Merrymakers improves the quality of life for seniors by encouraging active participation, increasing social interaction, and sparking memories through professional musical entertainment.

» Monetary donations of any size » Volunteers to serve on event planning committees

UPCOMING EVENTS Toast to Mayor Jean Stothert Nov. 18, 2021 Songs and Suds TBA (Summer Event)

BACKGROUND Merrymakers Association consists of 23 professional musicians who serve more than 50,000 seniors each year, traveling to 161 nursing homes, assisted living centers, senior centers.

» Executive Director Sandy

» Gives a chance to express

Lemke is supported by an

feelings, and gives an

enthusiastic and dedicated

opportunity for social

board of directors, led by

engagement.

President David Mayer.

PAY IT FORWARD

BRAG LINES

Individuals can serve on event

veterans homes, and even hospice

Merrymakers consistently

planning committees throughout the

care. Merrymakers performers:

achieves a high level of success

year or make monetary donations

» Play music geared to the

with its programs. Its results

of any size. A contribution to

seniors’ age group, sparking fond

are quantified through annual

Merrymakers is a meaningful way

memories

surveys of partner facility activity

to support culture and socialization

» Create a comfortable

directors. These surveys show that

for senior citizens. Merrymakers

environment where expression

Merrymakers music:

has a waiting list of facilities who

is encouraged

» Improves quality of life

would like to receive our services.

» Decreases feelings of anxiety

Merrymakers can’t achieve its

» Provide an opportunity for socialization » Offer a genuine personal connection

and/or depression » Decreases feelings of loneliness and/or isolation » Gives an overall increase of enjoyment and happiness

// 50 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

mission without the support of donors and volunteers. Please contact them to find out more information about ways to help!

MERRYMAKERS ASSOCIATION 12020 Shamrock Plaza Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154 402.697.0205 merrymakers.org

MISSION STATEMENT The Metropolitan Community College Foundation advances the college’s mission by creating community awareness, building and nurturing meaningful relationships, and connecting community partners with giving opportunities that fulfill their philanthropic objectives.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Metropolitan Community College

People can help MCC through the

has nine locations in the surrounding

has always been responsive to

foundation by giving to what aligns

four-county area providing students

industry and community needs.

with their philanthropic goals, such as:

the chance to earn high-demand

Two industries—automotive

» Creating or contributing to an

technical skills, industry credentials,

and manufacturing—need more

existing scholarship fund of

and credits to help them reach their

skilled workers to fill the jobs of

your choice to help fulfill the

academic goals. Others use MCC to

today and tomorrow. MCC is

college’s mission by bridging

engage in lifelong learning through

addressing the need with the new

financial gaps for students.

English-language instruction, GED

Automotive Training Center and

» Giving to an educational pro-

or college prep courses, career

the renovated Center for Advanced

gram that helps grow program-

training, and continuing education.

Manufacturing, with embedded

ming, purchase equipment,

The foundation connects students

veterans services at the South

with scholarships, helps fund new

Omaha Campus. Classes begin

facilities, and supports programs and

in the new Automotive Training

development funds that help

initiatives through partnerships with

Center in Fall 2021. The Center

to keep faculty abreast of

generous community donors.

for Advanced Manufacturing

technology and curricular

renovations are complete.

advances in their fields.

and support student learning. » Establishing professional

METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION 531.MCC.2346 mccneb.edu/foundation SEPTEMBER 2021

// 51 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To provide a safe and nurturing environment with support services for families and individuals experiencing the crisis of homelessness.

» Canned fruits and vegetables » Pasta » Pasta sauce » Ketchup » Mayo » Mustard » Salad dressing » Salsa » Diapers (size 5 & 6) » Pull-ups (bigger sizes) » Razors » Deodorant » Laundry detergent » Hair brushes » Toilet paper » Kleenex » Hand soap

UPCOMING EVENTS Comedy for a Cause Fall 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

MICAH House offers individual

» MICAH House’s on-site Girl

Clients at MICAH House are never

and private rooms where families

Scout Troop #64224 sold more

asked to pay for shelter, food, or

can remain together. The family

than 26,000 boxes of cookies

any items or services they might

shelter environment is geared

to supporters in all 50 states!

need during their stay. Monetary

toward the family unit by

» MICAH House supported

donations will ensure that every

empowering parents through

families navigating virtual

child, parent, and woman who

education, support, and resources

learning by providing extend-

comes to us will have a safe

while enabling children to

ed Wi-Fi throughout the build-

place to sleep and a warm meal

overcome the traumatic impact

ing and creating alternative

to eat. To give today, please visit

of homelessness through trauma-

classrooms within the shelter.

themicahhouse.org/donate

informed programming, play, and

» Clients celebrated holidays

security. The women’s shelter offers

safely within the shelter when

semi-private rooms for single women

staff created a not-so-scary

experiencing homelessness. MICAH

haunted hallway for Hallow-

House has a myriad of specific and

een and invited Santa to join

dedicated services for this population

virtually with individual visits

of vulnerable females.

with each child.

// 52 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Champagne and Diamonds May 7, 2022

MICAH HOUSE Ashley Flater Director of Donor Relations 712.323.4416 aflater@themicahhouse.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To inspire the individuals we serve to live life to the fullest.

» Monetary donations » Volunteers » Pickup truck and snowplow blade » Security camera additions » Laserjet desktop printers » Popcorn machine and cart » Gift cards

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Serving individuals in the later

Florence Home Healthcare Center,

Monetary donations will support

years of their lives has been

a VA certified nursing home, has

individuals Midwest Geriatrics

Midwest Geriatrics’ sole focus since helped 210 individuals transition

serves who are not able to pay

1906. Florence Home Healthcare

privately for long-term care,

to a lower level of care in the last

Center provides long-term care and two years. Florence Home houses

assisted living, or memory care.

short-term rehabilitation before

Gerimed and Unimed Pharmacies,

Approximately 70% of the

safe home transitions. Royale

staffed with three geriatric-certified

individuals they serve rely on

Oaks and House of Hope Assisted

pharmacists. Royale Oaks and

Medicaid for financial assistance.

Living provide personalized care

House of Hope care for 100

The shortfall between the cost of

and assistance with daily needs.

individuals needing assisted living

care and Medicaid reimbursement

House of Hope Memory Care is a

services and just celebrated more

creates a financial hardship.

specialized living community for

than half of their employees who

Monetary support will help MGI

those with memory loss. Services

achieved work anniversaries, varying continue their mission of service

are provided to individuals from all

from 5 to 32 years of service.

income levels at each community.

to others, regardless of their income level.

MIDWEST GERIATRICS, INC. 7915 North 30th St. Omaha, NE 68112 402.827.6000 omahaseniorcare.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 53 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Embracing God’s call, Mosaic relentlessly pursues opportunities that empower people.

» Monetary donations. » Some people need everything including clothing, personal items and household items. » Some need assistance for specialized therapies and some forms of dental work not covered by Medicaid. » Volunteers are always welcome to help people engage in the community, help with their fundraising program, or assist in other ways. » Mosaic’s growing and diverse workforce welcomes new applicants.

UPCOMING EVENTS Virtual Discover the Possibilities Sept. 8, Oct. 13, Nov. 10, and Dec. 8

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Since 1913, Mosaic has provided

» Mosaic is the recognized leader

Mosaic is a nonprofit providing

a place to belong and make connections. Founded in Nebraska,

in IDD services. » Mosaic has the largest

essential services. Anyone with a heart to serve is welcome

the organization has served

community inclusion program

to join Mosaic’s workforce or

Omaha since 1981. Mosaic offers

in Omaha, with up to 240

become a volunteer. Volunteer

personalized services for people

people served daily through

options include interacting with

with diverse needs, including

community interaction hubs

people to help them engage in

intellectual and developmental

located across the metro area.

the community, maintenance

disabilities and autism. Services

» Mosaic partners with more than 75 community

community inclusion activities,

organizations to provide

stewardship of resources, Mosaic

mental and behavioral health

community inclusion activities.

invites donors to participate in

» Mosaic has been a leader in

Virtual Partners in Possibilities fundraising event Oct. 5, 2021

and landscaping assistance, and

include various residential supports,

services, and more. They discover

Job Fair with virtual and in-person interviews and immediate hiring Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, and Dec. 15

fundraising. Committed to

the mission through one-time and

people’s goals and help people

personalized services through

ongoing gifts. The organization

achieve those goals. Their Purpose

their Mosaic at Home host

also assists people when choosing

MOSAIC IN OMAHA

Statement is simple: Mosaic is

home program.

planned giving opportunities that

4642 S. 132nd St. Omaha, NE 68137 402.896.9988 mosaicinfo.org/omaha

called to love and serve.

» Mosaic celebrates diversity and does not discriminate in whom they serve or in their workforce.

// 54 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

benefit the donor and Mosaic.

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To provide safe and loving care to children of all ages.

» Blankets » Diapers » Gift cards » Infant toys » Learning toys » New infant and toddler clothing » New youth clothing, underwear and socks » Pack ‘n plays » Toddler toys

UPCOMING EVENTS Husker Hometown Tailgate (Norfolk) September 18, 2021 Homegrown October 8, 2021 Winter Gift Drive December 2021 PUTTing Children First February 25, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

Nebraska Children’s Home Society

In their words… (NCHS) is a nonprofit organization, » “We couldn’t be happier with their amazing childcare established in 1893, serving program.” -Parents children and families throughout Nebraska. Through three core services—adoption, foster care, and family support—NCHS works towards its vision of “a safe and loving family for every child.” NCHS has offices in Grand Island, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, Omaha, and Scottsbluff. NCHS is accredited by the Council on Accreditation. They are a Nonprofit Association of the Midlands—Guidelines and Principles Best Practices Partner.

PAY IT FORWARD Throughout their history, through every program, transition and step forward, their focus has remained the same: they put children first.

» “When we unexpectedly started raising our grandchildren, NCHS was there to connect us to peers and guide us to resources.” -Grandparent

For NCHS, “Children First”

» “NCHS helped me become self-suﬃcient by helping me set goals.” -Mother

parents, grandparents and siblings

» “We always felt supported and prepared.” -Foster parents » “NCHS helped me see my potential as a father. I went from being confused to having a purpose.” -Father

means focusing on the child, making their needs a priority, and caring for them by supporting the people around them, from to caregivers and teachers. At every age, in growth, struggles and success, children are at the heart of NCHS’ mission.

NEBRASKA CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY (NCHS) 4939 South 118th St. Omaha, NE 68137 402.451.0787 nchs.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 55 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Nebraska Humane Society protects, saves and enriches the lives of animals in the communities we serve.

» Blankets » Towels » Canned cat food » Vienna sausages » Canned chicken » Dog/Cat kibble » Canned Tuna » Soft dog treats » Kong Toys » Peanut Butter » Kitty Wand Toys

UPCOMING EVENTS Walk for the Animals & 5K Run Sept. 26, 2021 Come Whine with Us Nov. 13, 2021 Black Tie & Tails June 10, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Nebraska Humane Society

In 2020, NHS continued to

NHS is a private nonprofit

offers shelter and care for animals

work for pets who needed them.

corporation. Animal Control is

in the Omaha metro area. NHS

They adopted out 7,318 pets.

funded through the cities who

provides animal control services to They performed 1,598 specialized

contract for those services, but

Omaha and all of Sarpy County,

surgeries, fostered 1,604 fragile

all shelter programs including

upholding laws that protect

animals in 224 homes, and helped

rehabilitating and rehoming

animals and the people who love

keep families together, providing

of animals are funded through

them. They provide education,

3,740 pets with complete care

private donations. Our volunteers

encourage adoptions, and

through their Pet Food Pantry,

donate time and talent to walk

promote responsible pet care for

Animeals, and Project Pet Safe

dogs, enrich cats, counsel for

the communities they serve.

programs. They returned 2,294

adoptions, help market pets, and

lost pets, offered training classes,

foster those needing TLC in their

low-cost spay and neuter services,

homes! Your help becomes hope

covid-appropriate kids camps and

when you donate:

presentations, and hosted several

» In honor or memory

virtual events.

» Monthly » Planned giving » Corporate sponsorships Details at nehumanesociety.org

// 56 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

NEBRASKA HUMANE SOCIETY 8929 Fort St. Omaha, NE 68134 402.444.7800 nehumanesociety.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To rehabilitate native Nebraska wildlife and migratory birds for return to the wild; to preserve and restore native habitats; to educate youth and adults about the importance of wildlife and ecosystems by engaging them in projects and activities that contribute to the well-being of our natural environment and inspire them to take action to protect it; and to support others engaged in similar projects and activities.

» Items from NWR’s Amazon wish lists (updated regularly) » Dry puppy and kitten food » Newspapers » Towels and blankets » Laundry detergent » Bleach » Humidifiers » Hay and straw— square bales » Medical supplies (unused/unopened) » Reptile lights » Gift Cards - Petsmart, Petco, Oﬃce Depot, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's » Donations » Volunteers for transport and wildlife care

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

NWR is an organization with

Each year NWR:

Those who wish to support

a two-fold mission: To rescue,

» Cares for more than 7,000

Nebraska’s native wildlife and

rehabilitate, and release native and migratory wild animals back into the wild and to educate people on how to live in harmony with

wild animals » Answers more than 12,000 public inquiries about wildlife » Reaches more than 25,000

education in Nebraska can donate funds, wish list items, or land and time as a volunteer. Contact NWR for more information on

wildlife and inspire them to take

people with wildlife education

how to help protect land and

action to protect it.

and community outreach

wildlife now and in the future!

In 2021 NWR is opening the state-of-the-art Baldwin Wildlife Center and Hubbard Family Wildlife Hospital in Omaha to serve the people and wildlife of the entire state of Nebraska.

» Serves 750 students in the after-school hours through a partnership with Collective for Youth » Offers 21 university internships » Provides 45 students with more than 125 hours of advanced science through our High School Science Academy

UPCOMING EVENTS Grand Opening of the Baldwin Wildlife Center & Hubbard Family Wildlife Hospital in Omaha October 2021

Volunteers transport wildlife across the state of Nebraska, help with special events, and work in the Wildlife Center to care for the wildlife in their charge.

NEBRASKA WILDLIFE REHAB PO Box 24122 Omaha, NE 68124 402.234.2473 nebraskawildliferehab.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 57 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To provide help, hope, and opportunity for those experiencing hunger and homelessness in the Council Bluffs and Omaha metro.

» Paper towels » Toilet paper » Laundry detergent » Razors » Shaving cream (travel size) » Shampoo and conditioner (travel size) » Body wash (travel size) » Deodorant (travel size) » Twin sheet sets » Blankets for twin bed » Bath/shower towels » Men’s socks and underwear » Winter coats, hats, gloves

UPCOMING EVENTS Community Christmas Event Dec. 18, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

New Visions Homeless Services

In 2020, New Visions provided

New Visions Homeless Services

was founded in 1995 to provide

shelter for nearly 500 individuals

depends on the generosity of the

meals to the hungry. In September

at their Council Bluffs campus,

community to support them both

2008, they opened up Southwest

and nearly 150 individuals at their

with resources and volunteer services.

Iowa’s only emergency men’s

Omaha campus. The permanent

Here are a few ways members of the

shelter along with a permanent

supportive housing units provided

community can help:

supportive housing unit. In

housing for 26 individuals in

» Make a financial donation

2012, New Visions Omaha

Council Bluffs and 15 individuals

was built to address the specific

in Omaha. They provided food

needs of Veterans experiencing

pantry services to over 31,000

homelessness. Today, programs

individuals. NVHS’ Homelessness

include a homelessness prevention

Prevention programs helped 89

supply drive to help with

team that connects the community

families retain housing in 2020,

daily needs

with rent and mortgage assistance,

and our modified Community

as well as food pantry and meal-

Christmas event served nearly 3,500

site resources.

children and nearly 1,000 adults.

// 58 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

through their website » Volunteer on one of their campuses » Sponsor or coordinate a

NEW VISIONS HOMELESS SERVICES 1435 N. 15th St. Council Bluffs, IA 1425 N. 18th St., Omaha, NE newvisionshs.org

OMAHA MAGAZINE | THE BIG GIVE

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To engage the imagination and create

To engage the imagination and create excitement about learning. excitement about learning.

» Omaha Children’s Omaha Children’s Museum greatly Museum greatly appreciates donations appreciates donations that enhance and that enhance and support our exhibits and support our exhibits programming throughout and programming the year. throughout the year.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Great Friends To Kids Luncheon Tinkering Toy Story Sept. 17, 2018September 17-19, 2021 Monster’s Ball Cobweb Castle Oct. 20, 2018

September 25 – October For The Kids Benefit 31, 2021 May 4, 2019

Healthy Trick

or Treat Nights Fairytale Ball July 27, 2019October 15 and 22, 2021 Day of the Dead Weekend October 29-31, 2021 Santa’s Magic exhibit November 26 – December 23, 2021 Bubbly New Year’s Eve the museum launched its first national tour, Forever Forest. This December 31, 2021 BACKGROUND Forest. Th is will tour yearOmaha with nearly 325,000 visitors will tour Forever for 10 years, stopping One of the great things about In 2017, Children’s at sciencefor centers, children’s Omaha Children’s Museum Museum hadmuseum, a record-breaking Block Party exhibit 10 years, stopping at science to the making OCM One of thetogreat about museums, and other venues. is its ability createthings change. year with nearly 325,000 visitors January 2022 centers, children’s museums, and the most-visited museum in Whether the museum Omahainside Children’s Museum is its to the museum, making OCM other venues. Nebraska.museum The museum served PAY IT FORWARD walls or out in the community, the most-visited in ability to create change. Whether Forever Forest exhibit OCM truly believes they can Nebraska. The800 museum served nearly summer campers February 2022 ITsupport FORWARD insidethe theyouth museum walls or out nearly 800 summer campers and The best PAY way to Omaha impact in the metro and nearly 40,000 students Children’s Museum is by walking area beyond through funtruly and nearly 40,000 students through in and the community, OCM Thedoors best and way seeing to support Omaha For The Kids Benefit the educational family programming outreach programs and field trips. through through outreach programs and believes they can impact the youth May 7, 2022 Museum is by walking the manyChildren’s ways that children that stimulates growth and In summer 2016, the museum field trips. In summer 2016, in the metroThe areatalented and beyond can learnthrough through play. Other development. and began a three-year partnership the doors and seeing theNebraska museumState began three-year ways to support the museum are creative staff members, combined with the Faira to through fun and educational family the purchase many ways children through the of anthat annual with generous support from bring partnership an educational andthe funNebraska with that stimulates growth volunteering, or theprogramming Omaha community, is exhibit to the fair each year. OCM membership, can learn through play. OtherOMAHA CHILDREN’S State Fair to bring an educational andmakes development. The talented and making a financial contribution. what Omaha Children’s staff served as consultants for ways to support the museum MUSEUM are and fun150 exhibit to the fair Donations can also be made to Museum unique place tocombined visit the Nebraska Celebration’s creativeastaff members, through the purchase of an annual for young children. Mobile Children’s Museum, each year. OCM staff servedthe as Welcome Fund, a donor500 S. 20th St. with generous support from the which launched its six-month, funded subsidized membership membership, volunteering, orOmaha, NE 68102 consultants for the Nebraska 150 Omaha community, is what makesstatewide tour from the museum for families who otherwise could 402-342-6164 making a financial contribution. Celebration’s Mobile Children’s not afford to visit the museum. in April 2017. In October 2017, OMAHA CHILDREN’S Omaha Children’s Museum a unique ocm.org Donations can also be made to the Museum, which launched its MUSEUM place to visit for young children. Welcome Fund, a donorfunded six-month, statewide tour from BRAG LINES subsidized membership for 500 S. 20th St. the museum in April 2017. In Omaha, NE 68102 families who otherwise could not In 2017, Omaha Children’s October 2017, the museum 402.342.6164 afford to visit the museum. Museum had a record-breaking launched its fi rst national tour, ocm.org

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 59 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Human Rights and Relations Department has four major responsibilities for Omaha: Civil Rights Investigations and Enforcement Support Services, Economic Equity and Inclusion and Program Administration, Community Outreach and Education, and a Restorative Justice Program for people who commit misdemeanor offenses.

» Parade volunteers » Board volunteers » “Lunch & Learn” participants » Omaha Community Council on Racial Justice & Reconciliation participants » High school competition student participants » Teacher sponsors for MLK Jr. Competition and the EJI Essay contests needed.

UPCOMING EVENTS Annual High School “Living the Dream” Competition Jan. 17, 2022

June 11, 2021 Marker Dedication

Annual Equal Justice Initiative High School Social Justice Essay Contest June 17, 2022

2020 MLK Winners

1937 Omaha Redlining Map

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

The department is primarily

Towards its goal of ensuring equal

responsible for the investigation,

opportunity and equitable access

elimination, and prevention

to those opportunities for all

of all forms of socioeconomic

citizens of the city, this department

disparities and prohibited

additionally oversees the operation

discrimination in the areas of

of two appointed boards: the

housing, employment, public

Human Rights and Relations Board

accommodation, and contracting

and the Civil Rights Hearing Board.

based on race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,

In addition to helping Omaha

disability, marital status, familial

citizens with their housing,

status, sexual orientation, gender

employment, and discrimnation

identity, class or any other form

complaints, we are proud of our

of discrimination prescribed by

advocacy to help Omaha become

ordinance or resolution. Other

a better city to live in. This

services are provided at the

includes helping to build a stronger

discretion of the mayor and the

local workforce for minority

director of the department.

populations, advancing Restorative

// 60 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Justice as an alternative to serving jail time, promoting better

Historic Marker Ceremony June 17, 2022 Two monthly Cox Cable Channel 22 shows

race relations, and encouraging networking among agencies that can make a positive difference.

PAY IT FORWARD We cannot build a better Omaha by putting our attention towards brick-and-mortar construction only. We must also spend our energies in building up people. This includes issues of civil rights, improved human relations, better education, job development, affordable housing, helping the homeless, and stemming the tide of the brain drain of our talented young people. It is a job that we must ALL take an active part in constructing.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS & RELATIONS, CITY OF OMAHA 1819 Farnam St. RM 502 Omaha, NE 68183 402.444.5055 franklin.thompson@ cityofomaha.org Website: humanrights. cityofomaha.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The mission of the VIP-Volunteer in Parks Program is to inspire, educate, and engage lifelong stewards of the Omaha Parks System.

» Volunteers

UPCOMING EVENTS Couples Night on the Lake Sept. 9, 2021 Learning on the Lake Sept. 12 and 26, 2021 Dodgeball Tournament Oct. 15, 2021 Fontenelle Family Fishing Frenzy Oct. 16, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Omaha Parks and Recreation

The VIP program is fortunate to

Those who wish to help keep

Department has many volunteer

work with thousands of amazing

parks beautiful can hold a park

opportunities for those interested

volunteers annually, beautifying

clean-up in any of the city’s

in serving the community through

our 265+ parks, 115+ miles of

265+ parks. They can also help

the VIP Volunteer In Parks

trail, 13 community centers, 18

with projects ranging from litter

Program. Groups or individuals of

aquatic centers, and much more.

pick up to mulching park trees,

any age looking to volunteer for

Volunteers play an integral part in

painting benches and picnic

a one-time event or an ongoing

helping keep Omaha’s park system

shelters, and more. All tools

project will find opportunities

and city beautiful.

and supplies are provided. The

here. From fun recreation events

recreation department hosts fun

to park clean-up and improvement

events throughout the year that

projects, there are numerous ways

require volunteer assistance. Some

to get involved.

examples include trunk-or-treats, youth triathlons, swim meets, and more.

OMAHA PARKS AND RECREATION’S VIPVOLUNTEER IN PARKS PROGRAM 402.444.4791 volunteerinparks@ cityofomaha.org parks.cityofomaha.org/ volunteer-opportunities SEPTEMBER 2021

// 61 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Omaha Public Library Foundation raises money and advocates for Omaha Public Library. The Omaha Public Library Foundation reads between the lines, supporting Omaha Public Library by increasing community access to lifelong learning and literacy. This year marks its 36th year serving Omaha Public Library.

An unrestricted financial donation to the Omaha Public Library Foundation is the most effective way to show your support of Omaha Public Library. The Omaha Public Library Foundation accepts cash donations, bequests, memorials, stock transfers, and planned gifts.

UPCOMING EVENTS Omaha Reads, Omaha Public Library’s annual one city/one book initiative Sept. 1-30, 2021 Between the Lines with Yaa Gyasi, author of “Transcendent Kingdom” and “Homegoing” Oct. 5, 2021 Temple Israel 13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Virtual tickets also available

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Private funding through the

Despite Omaha Public Library’s

Throughout 2020, the Omaha

Omaha Public Library Foundation six-month closure in 2020, digital

Public Library Foundation and

has supported Omaha Public

resources remained available,

the community were inspired by

Library since 1985. Gifts of all

with circulation of digital books

the doggedness of OPL staff in

sizes make it possible to enhance

increasing dramatically. The spike

their service to patrons. When the

the library’s programs, services,

in demand prompted the OPL

furlough meant operating with a

and community access. Private

Foundation to launch a four-fold

skeleton crew, even administrative

support through the Omaha

increase in private dollars to

staff assisted with curbside service.

Public Library Foundation

fund collections.

includes individual donations, corporate and foundation grants, event sponsorships and more. The Omaha Public Library Foundation is managed by a staff of two, plus a board of directors and an advisory council consisting of former staff and volunteers.

Summer 2020 saw an increased

Digital materials are valuable for

interest in books on racial equity

general recreation and research,

and anti-racism. Attuned to

as well as remote learning. By

current events and community

year-end, OPLF raised nearly

response, OPL staff created book

$175,000 toward the $200,000

lists, recorded a podcast, and

goal, increasing the digital materi-

culled resources to help patrons

als collection by nearly 10%.

find that information.

OMAHA PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION 215 S. 15th St. Omaha, NE 68102 foundation@omahalibrary.org

402.444.4589 omahalibraryfoundation.org

// 62 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

One Omaha supports the development of strong, connected communities through education, training, and engagement.

» Event and program sponsorships » Monetary donations

UPCOMING EVENTS Community Building Workshop: Community Development Oct. 6, 2021 Community Building Workshop: Bridging the Generational Gap Oct. 7, 2021 Civics Workshop: Omaha City Council Oct. 13, 2021 Civics Workshop: Advocacy Oct. 14, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

One Omaha was created by

» Worked with 31 neighborhood

Education and training are neces-

neighborhood leaders to engage and connect Omaha residents. When

and community groups in 2020 » Empowers residents to make

sary for residents ready to invest time and energy into creating

residents are informed, connected

change in their communities by

safe, thriving neighborhoods. One

to their community, and feel

delivering programs centered

Omaha’s Civic Academy provides

represented in city government,

around civic education,

a framework for residents to work

they are empowered to influence

systems infrastructure, and

alongside elected officials and lead-

decisions that impact their lives.

awareness

ers to provide input and discover

By focusing on leadership development for residents and capacity building for community groups, One Omaha helps build prosperous futures and advance the quality of life in our city.

» Awards mini-grants to provide

opportunities. Their Neighbor-

funding quickly and directly to

hood Leadership Academy teaches

local community-based groups

residents baseline knowledge and

making positive changes in

confidence to lead change with-

Omaha through community

in their communities. They also

building and activism

provide a Community Building

» Offers resources for voters,

Mini-Grant as funding for small

including information on

groups beginning to participate in

registration, local elections,

community development.

and candidates

ONE OMAHA 6001 Dodge St. Community Engagement Center Omaha, NE 68182 402.554.3580 info@oneomaha.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 63 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Open Door Mission is a Gospel Rescue Mission that meets the basic needs of individuals and families while inspiring hope for lasting change.

» Boxed Meals » Cereal » Bottled Water » Underwear for Men, Women, and Children » Mac N Cheese » $10.00 Gift Cards for Target or Walmart » Pasta/Noodles » Canned Fruit/Vegetables » Socks for Men » Toddler Toys » Board Games and Puzzles (especially for ages 8+ and families)

UPCOMING EVENTS Love Your Neighbor Virtual Gala Oct. 9, 2021 Watch Party starts at 7 p.m.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Open Door Mission meets the

Daily, Open Door Mission’s campus This holiday season, Open Door

basic needs of individuals and

offers 917 safe shelter beds to

Mission expects to provide more

families while inspiring hope for

homeless people; serves over 4,747

than 284,820 hot, nutritious

lasting change. They are a bridge

hot, nutritious meals to the hungry;

meals to the Heartland. We

for people trying to reclaim basic

and provides homeless preventive

invite individuals, churches, or

necessities, restore dignity and

measures to over 1,000 people

businesses to organize a Hope

hope, and rejoin the community.

living in poverty so they can remain

for the Hungry food drive to

KFAB Hope for the Hungry Radiothon Nov. 18, 2021 Tune into 1110 AM 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

President/CEO Candace L. Gregory in their homes. Open Door Mission help stock ODM’s pantry shelves uses her extensive experience in

monthly partners with more

for the holidays with canned

community prevention programs to

than 1,200 volunteers who make

vegetables, fruits, and meats;

break the cycle of homelessness and

a difference right here in their

instant potatoes; and boxed meals.

poverty. She works to bring hope

community. Please visit the website

Please visit opendoormission.org

to others and develops innovative

to learn how to have a life-changing

for more information.

ways to make this happen through

volunteer experience.

partnerships and collaborations.

// 64 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

OPEN DOOR MISSION 2828 N. 23rd St. E. Omaha, NE 68110 402.422.1111 opendoormission.org

MISSION STATEMENT Opera Omaha’s mission is to enrich the quality of life in our community by creating professional opera and music theater, which uniquely combine the visual and performing arts to express humanity’s deepest emotions and highest aspirations.

WISH LIST Gifts to Opera Omaha benefit our entire region. Donations to Opera Omaha provide the resources needed to deliver world class productions that activate a culturally vibrant community and provide free community education and engagement programming, including the Holland Community Opera Fellowship, that engage over 30,000 adults, students and children each year.

UPCOMING EVENTS The Capulets and the Montagues October 15 & 17, 2021 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street February 25 & 27, 2022 Eugene Onegin April 22 & 24, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The only professional opera

The Holland Community Opera

Supporting Opera Omaha

company in the state of Nebraska,

Fellowship offers the opportunity

brings many rewards.

Opera Omaha produces shows

to expand Opera Omaha’s educa-

Whether purchasing a ticket

from the earliest operas to those

tion and community engagement

to a performance, becoming a

composed by current artists. In

work by bringing opera to new

community sponsor, or giving

addition to a season of dynam-

environments, and illustrating and

a monetary gift, every dollar

ic and compelling productions

promoting the value of creativity

given helps deliver excellent

presented at the Orpheum Theater,

in the arts and non-arts sectors. In

artistic products and implement

the multi-faceted ONE Festival

collaboration with community part-

exciting new initiatives, such as

exemplifies innovation within op-

ners, Opera Omaha can identify and

the Holland Community Opera

era. The company is internationally address partner needs with co-creat-

Fellowship and the ONE Festival.

known for its productions of nine

ed programming and engagement.

These transformational programs

world premieres and four Amer-

During the pandemic, Fellows con-

are helping give people of all

ican premieres. It is also highly

tinued to serve community partners

backgrounds and ages access to

regarded for an extensive commu-

and their clients through innovative

the arts.

nity engagement program.

digital program delivery.

OPERA OMAHA 1850 Farnam St. Omaha, NE 68102 402.346.OPERA OperaOmaha.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 65 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Pottawattamie Arts, Culture and Entertainment (PACE) is strengthening, developing and promoting arts, cultural and historical institutions and organizations, and activities in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County and throughout Southwest Iowa.

» Wish list available on Amazon. https://amzn.to/2UHY2Ky

UPCOMING EVENTS Chanticleer Theater Presents: The Music Man Sept. 10-12 & 17-19, 2021 Gallery Exhibit Opening: Verge by Lee Emma Running Oct. 15, 2021 Kanesville Symphony Orchestra Presents: Nightmare of Dissonance Oct. 28 & 31, 2021 Chanticleer Theater Presents: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Dec. 10-12 & 17-19, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

PACE evolved from the Bluffs

CHANTICLEER THEATER:

A major artistic movement is

Arts Council and is dedicated to

Chanticleer hosts five main stage

underway in the community and

providing a sustainable, active art

theater productions annually,

PACE needs your support! Those

community. PACE established

including Children’s Theater.

who wish to help can become a

the Hoff Family Arts & Culture

KANESVILLE SYMPHONY

PACE member or programming

Center, which includes a theater,

ORCHESTRA: The Orchestra hosts

sponsor, purchase local art on

gallery, artist studios, classrooms,

three concerts annually.

display at the Hoff Center, buy

teaching kitchen, and more. The

EDUCATION: PACE facilitates

tickets to Chanticleer Theater

center is home to five nonprofits,

50+ programs annually for youth,

and Kanesville Symphony

Chanticleer Theater, Kanesville

adults, and families, including

Orchestra performances, or

Symphony Orchestra, American

pottery and culinary arts classes.

make a donation. Generous

Midwest Ballet, Kitchen Council,

GALLERY: The gallery includes

community support will keep

and PACE. Together, they increase

Grant Wood murals, traveling

PACE’s innovative programs,

access to the arts and promote

exhibits, and works of local artists.

performances, exhibits, and classes

Council Bluffs as a center for

ARTIST STUDIOS: Five studio

affordable for everyone. There’s

excellence in the arts.

artists create and participate in art

much happening now, and even

exhibitions and teach classes at the

more to come!

Hoff Center and in the community.

// 66 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

POTTAWATTAMIE ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT (PACE) Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center 1001 South 6th St. Council Bluffs, IA 51501 712.890.5600 info@paceartsiowa.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

PCCF is a partnership of rural and urban citizens dedicated to improving southwest Iowa by supporting and stimulating donor-driven philanthropy. PCCF is a connection to creating a lasting legacy, ensuring communities are strong, vibrant, and attractive for future generations.

PCCF is pleased to offer the opportunity for you to support many programs and causes that enhance the communities they serve, including The Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa and The Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Substance Abuse Fund. Choose from nearly 40 charitable endowments at ourpccf. org/giving.

UPCOMING EVENTS Impact for Women Summit Oct. 28, 2021 National Community Foundation Week Nov. 12-18, 2021 Giving Tuesday Nov. 30, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Through the generosity of commu-

In partnership with Iowa West

PCCF customizes its services to

nity-minded leaders and an initial

Foundation, the Southwest Iowa

provide donors with a personalized

grant from Iowa West Foundation,

COVID-19 Response Fund awarded

philanthropy plan that is tailored

PCCF has partnered with charitable

$1.1 million to 39 nonprofits in

to their interests and preferences.

investors to build assets totaling

2020, with PCCF raising over

They help donors maximize

more than $48 Million since 2008.

$900,000 from individuals and

charitable gifts, which can include:

In addition to its general Impact

community partners. PCCF received

cash, financial investments,

Fund, PCCF and its stakeholders

generous gifts from Richard Wen-

bequests, stocks and securities,

identified critical challenges facing

ninghoff of $5 Million to support

grain, livestock, real estate, and

individuals and families and created

high school scholarships and Barbara

vehicles. Last year, investors at

The Women’s Fund of Southwest

Green’s Century Farm, valued at

PCCF awarded 229 grants to

Iowa and The Southwest Iowa

$6 Million, to support agricultural

organizations totaling $663,607.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

scholarships at Iowa State Univer-

PCCF is proud to offer the Endow

Fund to make durable change for

sity. In 2021, PCCF awarded 40

Iowa Tax Credit, a 25% state tax

generations to come.

Community Impact Grants totaling

credit on qualified gifts.

$60,040 to nonprofit organizations.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCCF) 536 E Broadway Council Bluffs, IA 51503 712.256.7007 ourpccf.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 67 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Providing hope and restoration for individuals of human trafficking and exploitation. Their vision is empowering trafficked individuals to lead healthy and independent lives.

» Dryer balls » Bundt cake pan » Clorox/Lysol wipes » Hand sanitizer (alcohol free) » Food storage bags » Toilet paper » CRAFTSMAN » Wet/Dry Vac » New patio furniture » Camping chairs » Coolers » Gardening equipment, pots, seeds, flowers » Memberships to museums, state parks, etc. » Passes for putt putt golf, activities in the community » Yard games » Socks » Women’s underwear (all sizes from small to XL) » Tennis shoes (sizes 6-10) » Pajamas/PJ sets (all sizes small to XXL

UPCOMING EVENTS BACKGROUND Rejuvenating Women is a nonprofit organization providing hope and restoration to those enslaved in

of each individual living in the

community events, colleges, and

recovery residential home as well

universities. They advocate for

as those participating in other

victims’ rights and speak on behalf

programs or services they offer.

of survivors in the legislature and

human trafficking. The organization Rejuvenating Women believes in a is committed to developing long-

multidisciplinary team approach,

lasting relationships with the

tailoring the best possible care

girls and women who are deeply

for each survivor, and prevention

traumatized by loving them right

of future human trafficking. RW

where they are in life. RW helps

also uses curriculum integration,

restore their physical, emotional,

focusing primarily on the different

and spiritual health.

disciplines and the diverse

The organization raises awareness of human trafficking in Omaha and surrounding communities. Their team of dedicated staff and volunteers invests in the lives

// 68 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

perspectives they bring to illustrate a topic, theme, or issue.

BRAG LINES They train on human trafficking in Nebraska at conferences, churches,

before the judiciary committee. They offer support to local and state law enforcement and associated government agencies. They are committed to creating an environment

Seventh Annual Restored Wings, Beautiful Broken Gala Sept. 16, 2021 Embassy Suites LaVista Doors open at 5 PM Guest Speakers: Operation Underground Railroad, Jessica Mass and Matt Osborne

where human trafficking no longer occurs. They walk beside survivors while helping restore their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. With vocational training, education, and redemption support, RW assists them in regaining their independent lives.

REJUVENATING WOMEN P.O. Box 207 Boys Town, NE 68010 800.402.0601 rejuvenatingwomen.com

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Salvation Army’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.

» Monetary donations » Corporate partnerships » Event sponsorships » Planned gifts » Volunteers » Toys and gifts (for AdoptA-Family Radiothon) » Non-perishable food » Clothing » New K-12 school supplies

UPCOMING EVENTS Tree of Lights Kickoff November 12, 2021 TurkeyFest November 25, 2021 Adopt-A-Family Radiothon December 2-3, 2021 D.J.’s Hero Awards Luncheon May 3, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Salvation Army of Omaha’s

Between March 2020 and

Monetary donations support the

three community centers—Omaha

February 2021, The Salvation

thousands in the metro area whose

Citadel Corps, Omaha North

Army of Omaha served more than

lives are improved by The Salvation

Corps, and the Omaha Kroc

27,000 grab-and-go lunches and

Army’s eight core programs—food,

Center—as well as the Burrows

filled more than 5,800 food pantry

housing, material assistance, youth

Center and Renaissance Village,

grocery orders. In addition, during

development, older adult services,

are uniquely situated to meet the

fiscal year 2020, they distributed

behavioral health, anti-human

diverse needs of Omaha’s metro-area nearly 11,000 backpacks stuffed

trafficking, and disaster services. In

neighborhoods. From after-school

with school supplies in the Omaha

Omaha, 87 cents of every donated

programs and summer camps to

metro and beyond, provided

dollar funds programs that help

THE SALVATION ARMY

food pantries and behavioral health

approximately 10,000 families,

those most in need. The Salvation

programs, The Salvation Army of

children, and older adults with gifts Army offers volunteer opportunities,

Omaha sustains the bodies, minds,

and food vouchers at Christmas,

and spirits of the community’s most

and helped more than 2,000 people meal distribution and disaster

vulnerable people.

receive mental health services.

Western Divisional Headquarters 10755 Burt St. Omaha, NE 68114 402.898.7700 salarmyomaha.org

including assisting with mobile relief. For more information, call 402.898.6000.

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 69 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

To provide long term residential treatment to women with co-occurring disorders, to empower them to live productively drug and alcohol free.

» Feminine hygiene products » Razors » Cleaning products » Deodorant » Clothing/shoes » Household items for the apartments

UPCOMING EVENTS Santa Monica House Fundraiser September 2021 SHARE Omaha

BACKGROUND Santa Monica House provides a range of services that empower women to live productively, drug and alcohol free, providing holistic treatment to improve women’s mental, physical, and spiritual health. They employ

with several step-down levels of

continuum of care to include

care offered, including supported

the 90-day primary treatment

transitional living apartments. In

experience, tentatively opening in

2021, a 90-day primary treatment

the fourth quarter of 2021.

program will be added to complete

PAY IT FORWARD

the continuum of care under the Santa Monica umbrella.

BRAG LINES

Santa Monica has been in service for 49 years and will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2022. They

multiple therapeutic strategies

Santa Monica completed

are funded, in part, by Region

to improve cognitive behavioral

renovations on the carriage house

6 Behavioral Health. Additional

patterns and address traumas.

to provide additional office space.

support comes from community

They also help women develop

This space is used for staff offices

foundations, an annual fundraiser,

personal accountability and life

and a formal meeting space that

and generous philanthropists. Those

skills through therapy, 12-step

provides privacy and dignity

who partner with Santa Monica help

participation, and employment.

to those utilizing the space.

support women walking through

Their halfway house program is

In January 2021, a property

their recovery with dignity.

based on individualized needs,

was purchased to expand the

// 70 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

SANTA MONICA HOUSE 401 S. 39th St. Omaha, NE 68131 402-558-7088 santamonicahouse.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Saving Grace’s mission is to connect perishable food from local food purveyors to local nonprofits that feed our hungry, while raising awareness and educating the community on wasted food and hunger.

Saving Grace’s greatest need is monetary support to help rescue even more perishable food to feed the hungry, while also reducing the amount of food waste in landfi lls. » A $50 donation helps keep food out of landfills where it would contribute to harmful greenhouse gas emissions. » A $100 donation pays for two months of routine truck maintenance. » A $250 donation helps provide healthy meals for 1,250 hungry neighbors. » A $500 donation pays for fuel for one month for one of their five refrigerated vehicles.

UPCOMING EVENTS Dinner at Dante’s Fundraiser October 4, 2021 Food for Thought program on sustainability October 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Saving Grace operates the only

» Saving Grace has rescued more » Make a financial contribution:

professionally coordinated perishable

than 6 million pounds of food

Support Saving Grace’s work to

food rescue and delivery service in

to feed the hungry.

feed the hungry with perishable

the Omaha area. Using refrigerated

» During the pandemic, Saving Grace delivered Farmers

landfills, contributing to harmful

pick up excess perishable food

to Families Food Boxes to

greenhouse gas emissions.

from grocery stores, caterers,

nonprofits that were seeing

wholesalers, restaurants, and other

increased needs for food. » Saving Grace operates five

» Stay informed: Sign up at www. savinggracefoodrescue.org to receive emails and follow Saving

local food vendors. The nutritious

refrigerated vehicles that are

food is delivered the same day, free

used to pick up healthy surplus

of charge, to nonprofit agencies

food from 42 vendors at 72

reduce food waste in the home

that feed the hungry. Donations

locations and deliver it to 42

and in the community.

of surplus food also support the

nonprofit partner locations.

businesses’ sustainability plans and helps the environment.

» In 2020, Saving Grace kept 673 tons of food out of landfills.

Omaha Hunger Experience November 18, 2021

food that would otherwise go to

vehicles, their professional drivers

event venues, convenience stores,

Food Day Omaha October 2, 2021

Grace on social media. » Help the environment: Work to

SAVING GRACE PERISHABLE FOOD RESCUE 4611 South 96th St., Suite 112 Omaha, NE 68127 402.651.0887 savinggracefoodrescue.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 71 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

A Place of Rescue and A Journey To Peace

» Be a hay maker ($7 buys a bale of hay) » Gift cards to Northwest Feed & Grain » Welded wire 6x100 » 7 ft. T-posts » Trash bags for 55-gallon cans » Picnic tables » Dry cat food » Cat litter » Gentle Giant dog food » Horse treats » Paper towels

UPCOMING EVENTS Please follow SJA’s website, Facebook or Instagram Pages for upcoming events.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Scatter Joy Acres provides therapy Since its founding in 2006, SJA

SJA encourages community

for those who need it. SJA is

has rescued over 787 animals

volunteerism. They partner

home to over 100 animals, and

and provided over 15,000 hours

with dozens of charities to

all have stories that demonstrate

of therapy. SJA welcomed

provide therapy and rescue.

the warmth and love they

20,000 visitors in 2020 and will

Monetary donations allow them

provide. They offer experiences

break that record in 2021. SJA

to continue their mission and

unlike any other, as an animal

volunteers donated 8,228 hours

provide therapy to those in need,

rescue providing therapy and an

in 2020.

which in most cases is, sadly, not

urban ranch with real-life hands-

covered by insurance.

on STEM education and animal interaction. SJA is a certified education site for “Cowboy Ethics” curriculum. Other certification includes Animal Assisted Therapy and EAGALA Equine Therapy.

// 72 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

SCATTER JOY ACRES 4966 Newport Ave Omaha, NE 68152 402.709.9401 scatterjoyacres.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Sheltering Tree’s mission is to build apartments for adults with developmental disabilities to empower them to live self-determined lives and to be engaged in their community.

Sheltering Tree, Inc. is currently raising capital funds to build its next two locations: Papillion Shadow Lake Sheltering Tree and Elkhorn Sheltering Tree. » Volunteers to share their talents and hobbies with residents as enrichment activities. » Volunteers to assist their GOALS (Growth Opportunities for Apartment Living Success) program. » Tickets or passes for the residents to area events or attractions. » Activity Supplies for clay, painting, woodworking, gardening, yard games, cooking, music, sewing, metal art, leather art, and more.

UPCOMING EVENTS Living the Dream! Thriving Together Gala Sept. 17, 2021

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Sheltering Tree, Inc. is a 501(c)(3)

Since opening its first location

Sheltering Tree’s next project in

burgeoning organization tackling

seven years ago, Sheltering Tree

Papillion will have two single-story

a big issue—the urgent need for

has maintained an effective and

buildings. Each building will consist

affordable housing for adults with

sustainable model ready for future

of 22 one-bedroom units that are

developmental disabilities (DD).

development. Sheltering Tree

affordable for adults with DD and

Sheltering Tree is dedicated to

provides consumer-controlled

two manager units. The property

serving persons in the Omaha metro

apartment living, including 24/7

for the Papillion Sheltering Tree

area with DD through consumer-

Resident Assistant-monitored

Apartments is located near a “town

controlled, affordable, supportive,

safety and security. Each resident

center,” where access to grocery

and safe apartment communities.

has their own rent-subsidized

stores, employment opportunities,

This housing model empowers

apartment. The property and

and entertainment are within

adults with developmental

apartments are universally designed

walking distance. Sheltering Tree

disabilities to live self-determined

with the intention of offering

will continue to build, next in the

lives and to be engaged in

residents the security of aging-in-

area of 180th and Ida streets.

their community.

place. Sheltering Tree Community Apartments offer amenities

SHELTERING TREE, INC.

beneficial to adults with DD.

Denise Gehringer, Executive Director denise@shelteringtreecommunity.org shelteringtreecommunity.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 73 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Siena Francis House welcomes and empowers those experiencing homelessness to navigate their path to housing.

» Canned or Fresh Fruits & Vegetables » Coffee » Salad Dressing (all varieties/ﬂavors) » Mayonnaise » Spices (e.g. Garlic Powder) » Cooking Oil » Olive Oil » Cooking Spray » “Zip-Lock” Bags (all sizes) » Heavy Duty, Extra Wide Aluminum Foil » Extra Wide Plastic Wrap » Disinfectant Wipes » Laundry Detergent Pods » Cold-Weather Clothing » Men’s & Men’s Underwear » Men’s & Women’s Jeans » Men’s & Women’s Tennis Shoes » Shower Shoes/Flip Flops » Shaving Cream & Razors

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Founded in 1975, the Siena Francis

» Siena Francis House provides

The Siena Francis House relies on

services 24/7, 365 days a year.

the generosity of the community.

House’s ultimate goal is to end homelessness by helping our clients

» In December 2019, Siena

Below are ways to get involved.

achieve permanent, stable housing.

Francis House opened a

» Make a monetary donation

In support of this effort, Siena

new, 43,000 square foot

Francis House provides emergency

facility, including: a 450-

shelter, food, clothing and other

bed emergency shelter;

clothing, or personal

crisis services to individuals

commercial kitchen and

care items.

experiencing homelessness, with

dining room; centralized

concurrent case management

clothing room; donation dock;

dining room or help in the

services to help clients develop

and case management oﬃces.

kitchen, pantry, loading dock,

their housing plans. Siena Francis

» In all programs in 2020, Siena

online. » Sponsor a drive for food,

» Volunteer serving food in the

laundry or maintenance. For

House also provides residential

Francis House served 361,905

additional information on

addiction treatment services to

meals and provided services

volunteering, please contact

those experiencing homelessness or

to 2,865 total clients.

their Volunteer Services

who are at-risk, due to substance

Manager Silvia Rodriguez at

abuse disorders, and Permanent

srodriguez@sienafrancis.org

Supportive Housing apartments for individuals who have a disability and are chronically homeless.

// 74 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

» Men’s & Women’s Deodorant » Hair Brushes/Combs » Pain Relievers » Antacids (e.g. Tums) » Towels, Wash Cloths » Twin Sheet Sets, Blankets, Pillow Cases

UPCOMING EVENTS 27th Annual Hope 5K Run and Walk 9 am on Sunday, Sept. 19 at Elmwood Park in Omaha. Registration at SienaFrancis.org

SIENA FRANCIS HOUSE 1117 North 17th Street Omaha, NE 68102 402.341.1821 SienaFrancis.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a network of friends inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world by personal relationships with and service to people in need.

» Volunteers » New socks, underwear » Corporate sponsors » A $300 donation covers one month’s utilities » A $750 donation provides one month’s rent to avoid a family eviction » Non-perishable, nonexpired pantry items » New or gently used thrift store items » Winter coats, all sizes » Monetary donations of any size supports the mission

UPCOMING EVENTS Winter Coat Giveaway November

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul

These are some of the ways donors

Respond to the call to serve the most

in Omaha is a Catholic, parish-

and volunteers have helped serve

vulnerable. Visit the website for

based, direct-aid organization that

their neighbors as SVdP remained

volunteer opportunities:

brings together women and men to

open during COVID:

grow in their spirituality through

» 574 active Vincentian

» Helpline responder » Sack lunch and clothing distribution » Special events » Food pantry team » Garden Angels » Thrift store/warehouse sorters

service to neighbors in need.

Volunteers

Serving Omaha neighborhoods

» 275 other program volunteers

since 1868, we are part of an

» 3,275 home visits (down from

international organization linked

7,488 due to COVID) » 59,321 volunteer hours

financially. The Society of SVdP is

patron St. Vincent de Paul.

» 62,200 neighbors received

a 501(c)(3) organization, relying

the spiritual growth of its members, which allows us to more fully reflect God’s love to all the neighbors we encounter; our ultimate call is growing community.

assistance (rent, utilities, food,

entirely on financial donations

clothes, etc.)

to respond to the increasing

» 26,000 lunches provided at Holy Family » 2,500 items of clothing provided at Holy Family » $1,961,000 total contributions (included CARES Act grant) » $600,00 In-Kind assistance

Look for WOWT Stuff the Bus events throughout the year

Support the mission and programs

by the common mission of our

The primary goal of the Society is

Annual Strawberry Brunch June

community needs.

Spread the word on how to help meet the needs of the community on Facebook: @svdpomaha and instagram: @holyfamilyomaha

SOCIETY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL OMAHA 1715 Izard St. Omaha, NE 68102 svdpomaha.com holyfamilyomaha.org info@svdpomaha.com SEPTEMBER 2021

// 75 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Stephen Center partners with the community, families and individuals to overcome homelessness, addiction and poverty.

» Bottled water » Pillows/blankets (gently used or new) » Razors (shaving) » Deodorant » Toothpaste/toothbrushes » Toilet paper » Paper towels » Volunteers » Monetary donations

UPCOMING EVENTS Omaha Hunger Experience November 18, 2021 VinNebraska April 8-9, 2022

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Stephen Center has served

Stephen Center is the only

Gifts of time, talent, and treasure

homeless and low-income

substance-free homeless shelter

are always appreciated. Visit

individuals in Omaha since

in the metro, providing a safe

stephencenter.org to donate

1984. Founders Sharon and Dick

environment for individuals and

online. Stephen Center’s

McNeil’s goal was simple: provide

families. In 2020, they provided

Donation Center accepts

food, shelter, and safety to those in

21,746 nights of emergency

donations of in-kind items

need. Since then, Stephen Center

shelter to 624 individuals,

daily. Please see the website for

has expanded its mission and

including 61 children. Clients

a list of needed items. Furniture

services, helping over 1,200 men,

meet with a case manager within

is accepted by appointment

women, and children annually

72 hours of arrival to define

only. To volunteer, contact Beth

through three programs: The

barriers and set goals, resulting

Robbins-Ellis at beth.robbins@

Pettigrew Emergency Shelter; The

in nearly 90% of individuals

stephencenter.org.

HERO Program; and Permanent

housed in positive destinations.

Supportive Housing Apartments.

Volunteers provided over 30,000

Meals are available three times per

service hours at Stephen Center

day/seven days a week.

last year.

// 76 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

STEPHEN CENTER 2723 Q St. Omaha, NE 68107 402.715.5442 stephencenter.org

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Together’s mission is to prevent and end hunger and homelessness in Omaha and the surrounding community. Together envisions a community where everyone experiences safe, affordable housing, food security, health, and wellness.

» Volunteers » Monetary donations » Corporate sponsorships » Non-perishable food items » Trash cans » Can openers » Five gallon buckets/ cleaning supplies » Dish towels » Vacuums » Tea towels » Brooms with dustpans » Mops » Full and queen sized sheet sets » Gas cards » Walmart gift cards » Hy-Vee gift cards » Laundry cards » Toilet brushes » Blankets

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Together was founded following a

Accomplishments by the numbers

Donations, corporate sponsorship,

devastating tornado that happened

Crisis Engagement: Out of 4,661

and volunteering time helps support

in the Omaha area in 1975. Seven

phone calls asking for help, 526

thousands of individuals and

faith organizations came together to

households were diverted from

families that Together serves each

create a centralized area for people

homelessness and 2,997 households

year. Together welcomes donations

to help one another with food,

were supported financially.

shelter, and clothing. Together is now in its 46th year of helping households in the community with financial assistance, case management, navigation and referral support, and nutritious food. Together focuses on hope, dignity, compassion, excellence, and diversity when helping individuals and families.

Nourish Program: In 2019, approximately 42,000 people visited the Choice Food Pantry. In 2020, there were over 160,000. Horizons Rapid Rehousing: There were 1,856 case management appointments, 122 referrals, and, for the first time in Together’s history, all the participants in the rapid rehousing were housed.

» Warm gloves » Wool socks

UPCOMING EVENTS Coming Together Nov. 4, 2021

for the Horizons Program— supporting rapid rehousing and crisis engagement/prevention of homelessness—and the Nourish Program, which includes the Choice Food Pantry and Pantry Home Delivery Service. This program provides nutritious food, education, and SNAP/WIC outreach support. The community garden, Choice Food Pantry, and delivery pantries also offer volunteer opportunities.

TOGETHER 812 S 24th St. Omaha, NE 68108 402.345.8047 TogetherOmaha.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 77 //

MISSION STATEMENT

WISH LIST

Delivering community-based care that provides peace of mind, quality of life, and independence.

» Donations made to VNA and Easterseals Nebraska directly impact the lives of marginalized people who can’t afford care. Because of you, lives are changed! vnatoday.org/donate

UPCOMING EVENTS Schedule flu shots for your employees Beginning in October by contacting Jill Digerness jdigerness@vnatoday.org 25th Anniversary VNA Art & Soup February 20, 2022. All proceeds assure there are VNA nurses in every local homeless and domestic violence shelter.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Visiting Nurse Association

In 2020, VNA curbed COVID

Support for VNA today is more

(VNA) has delivered expert

pandemic impact in the Omaha

important and impactful than

and compassionate care to the

community. In addition to

ever. The organization’s annual

community for 125 years. In 2012,

protecting staff and current patients, programming costs rely largely

VNA merged operations with

VNA was one of few post-acute

on fundraising events, grants

Easterseals Nebraska (ESN) to

care options for infected patients.

and the support of donors, and

expand services and reach even more

VNA administered 11,486 flu

every generous gift goes directly

people in need. Now, as these needs

vaccinations, hosted a COVID-19

toward serving the community.

continue to grow, VNA is proudly

testing clinic for 2,579 people,

This help ensures compassionate

refocusing on its historic mission:

and provided the Douglas County

care, education, and individualized

providing healthcare to those who

Health Department with more than

services are accessible to all—no

otherwise wouldn’t have access

60 nurses to distribute COVID-19

matter one’s ability to pay.

through a wide range of community- vaccines—all while serving more based services in Omaha and

than 47,000 people through its

Council Bluffs.

other community care programs.

// 78 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION (VNA) 12565 West Center Rd, Suite 100 Omaha, NE 68144 402.930.4000 vnatoday.org/donate

MISSION STATEMENT

UPCOMING EVENTS

The YMCA of Greater Omaha builds healthy minds, bodies, and spirits for all by providing affordable access to health and wellness services and programs, while strengthening the foundations of community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

The YMCA of Greater Omaha relies on membership dues and donations to accomplish its mission, and encourages all interested parties to visit the Y’s website for a complete list of upcoming events that help support each branch facility and the services they provide to the community.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

The YMCA of Greater Omaha’s

The YMCA served the community

Looking forward, the future is

cause is to strengthen the

through the COVID-19 pandemic

bright for the YMCA and the

foundation of community.

by identifying areas of need and

Omaha community it serves.

Every day, the Y works alongside

delivering vital services to those

From a new Early Learning

community members to ensure

most impacted. The Y tackled food

Center facility on the Creighton

that everyone, regardless of age,

insecurity by delivering fresh fruits

University campus to partnering

income or background, has the

and vegetables at OPS school loca-

with OPS on a brand-new YMCA

opportunity to participate in

tions across the city; they provided

branch in Northwest Omaha, their

services and programs that help

child care services to health care

programs and services continue to

them learn, grow and thrive. The Y

workers on the front lines battling

expand. And as the recent recipient

believes that lasting social change

the pandemic; they conducted

of a significant gift of support

can only happen when people work

social connections with the senior

from MacKenzie Scott, the YMCA

together to invest in the health and

community; and they delivered vir- of Greater Omaha looks forward

wellness of their kids, neighbors,

tual health and wellness program-

to delivering numerous exciting

and community. The Y is for a

ming to the entire community.

projects moving ahead.

Better Us.

YMCA OF GREATER OMAHA 430 S 20th St, Omaha, NE 68102 402.977.4300 metroymca.org SEPTEMBER 2021

// 79 //

YOUTH FOR CHRIST

MISSION STATEMENT R

FOR CHRIST That every YOUTH kid would hear and experience the gospel of Jesus with someone that they know and trust.

WISH LIST

YOUTH » Corporate Sponsors FOR to help YFC minister in more schools. » Church Partners to build relationships with students. » Prayer Partners to heal families and open hearts. » Volunteers to invest in one-on-one relationships with kids. » Donors to help sustain programs in the 35 schools they currently serve in Omaha. » Team members who have a passion for reaching 11–19-year-old students.

UPCOMING EVENTS Over the Edge October 1 and 2, 2021* Be the Story Banquet March 6, 2022* *Visit our websites and social media for updates.

BACKGROUND

BRAG LINES

PAY IT FORWARD

Youth For Christ began in 1944

Greater Omaha YFC youth

Many changes are challenging the

under Billy Graham’s leadership,

professionals currently serve the

next generation, and YFC believes

and Greater Omaha Youth For

students and administrations in 15

it takes a village to raise a child.

Christ opened 20 years later. The

area high schools and 20 middle

They believe that changing the story

Omaha chapter has now grown into

schools in the Omaha area. Over

for one student is enough, and if

one of the largest in Nebraska. They

150 volunteers lead Campus

one has a heart for students, YFC

currently have 35 staff members

Life “clubs,” citywide events,

wants to connect them with those

leading programs in 35 schools in

weekly programs in leadership

students. They help the community

the Omaha area!

development, Bible studies,

work together so all youth can hear

character development, tutoring,

the gospel from someone they know

and community serving trips.

and trust.

YFC develops authentic relationships with 11-19-year-old students to build them up in Jesus. They’re currently impacting teen moms, military kids, and students across Omaha.

// 80 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Approximately 2,000 area students participate annually.

GREATER OMAHA YOUTH FOR CHRIST 5062 South 108th St. Box #160 Omaha, NE 68137 402.597.9323 admin@goyfc.org

CHRIST

YOUTH FOR CHRIST

MISSION STATEMENT MISSION STATEMENT I Be Black Girl is a collective that creates space for Black-identifying women, femmes, and girls to grow, connect, give, and take action. IBBG envisions a world where Black women, femmes, and girls can access their full potential to authentically, be.

MISSION STATEMENT Child Saving Institute’s mission is to respond to the cry of a child.

FEATURED EVENT PurseOnalities 2021—Love is Sweet

DATE

BACKGROUND

Sept. 17, 2021

The term “I Be,” framed by author Bell Hooks in Be Boy Buzz, inspired I Be Black Girl founder to fill spaces with what it means to exist as a Black woman, femme, or girl—where they are free to define and own that narrative.

EVENT DESCRIPTION/THEME

BRAG LINES Since inception in 2017, IBBG has invested nearly $200K in Black women owned businesses and social programs, launched the Essence of Us research and started the first and only giving circle for Black women, femmes and girls that benefits Black women, femmes and girls.

PAY IT FORWARD Of the $356 million from foundations available for women and girls of color (WGOC) in 2017, less than $15 million, about 4.2%, was specified as benefiting Black women and girls. The median size of grants benefiting Black women and girls was $18,000 compared to a median of $35,000 for all foundation grants reported to Candid in 2017.

CONTACT INFO 1111 N 13th St. Suite 106 Omaha, NE 68102 hello@ibeblackgirl.org ibeblackgirl.com Now is the time to truly invest and resource this important work. Make your donation today!

PurseOnalities has become one of the most popular and wellattended events in Omaha. We are excited to welcome you back in-person to PurseOnalities 2021. This year’s theme is Love is Sweet. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in an exclusive silent auction featuring designer purse packages and hear from Damon West, author of The Coffee Bean.

LOCATION Hilton Omaha

TIME 11 a.m.

TICKET PRICING $75 and sponsorship opportunities are available

ATTIRE You choose!

CONTACT INFO Child Saving Institute 4545 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68132 402.553.6000 csiinfo@childsaving.org childsaving.org

To support individuals and couples facing fertility challenges in the Midwest by increasing and improving educational resources and to raise awareness by changing the conversation surrounding infertility.

FEATURED EVENT Annual Hope Walk

DATE Sunday, April 24, 2022

EVENT DESCRIPTION/THEME Conceive Nebraska will kick off National Infertility Awareness Week with their Hope Walk. This walk is the chance to let people know it’s OK to talk about infertility, share stories and resources, and come together as a community to support those trying to grow their families. Attendees can join the walk in person or virtually.

LOCATION In person: TBD Virtually: Facebook

TIME 2 p.m.

TICKET PRICING Adults 13 and older: $15 Children 12 and under: Free

ATTIRE Casual

CONTACT INFO P.O. Box 471 Boys Town Omaha, NE. 68010 president@conceivenebraska.org director@conceivenebraska.org Find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest

SEPTEMBER 2021

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OMAHA’S

Favorite DRY CLEANER

MISSION STATEMENT Omaha Mom Prom’s mission is to empower women in a fun, unique way and give back to the community at the same time. Never underestimate the power of a woman.

ALSO OFFERING THESE CONVENIENT SERVICES:

FEATURED EVENT Omaha Mom Prom 2022

DATE Feb. 26, 2022

WASH, DRY & FOLD FOR ALL LAUNDRY

PROFESSIONAL SHIRT LAUNDRY & PRESSING

COMFORTER, RUG & CURTAIN CLEANING

WEDDING GOWN PRESERVATION

REPAIRS & ALTERATIONS

FREE HOME/OFFICE PICKUP & DELIVERY

EVENT DESCRIPTION/THEME OMP is a night out for women 21 and older to have the “prom” experience of getting dressed up and going out with their best girlfriends to dance the night away! Cash bar and snacks available. There will be more than 40 raffle packages, plus an online auction. All profits donated to Kids Can, a nonprofit community center serving 1,300 Omaha children from lower-income families. At Mom Prom, attendees have fun and do good!

MORE ABOUT HOW WE SAVE YOU TIME AT WWW.MAXIWALKER.COM

LOCATION The Soirée Room 7040 N 102nd Circle, Omaha, NE 68122

ENJOY FALL

TIME Doors open at 7 p.m. Dancing from 8-11 p.m.

TICKET PRICING $35 per person $50 per table $1 per raffle ticket

ATTIRE Prom dresses or something comfortable

opractor Chir

CONTACT INFO FB & Instagram: @OmahaMomProm steph@omahamomprom.org omahamomprom.org

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SEPTEMBER 2021

KocaChiropractic.com 11420 Blondo St, Ste. 102 | 402.496.4570

and Fashion Eyewear Shop

Hair Salon

GIVE YOUR CHILD THE ADVANTAGE THAT COMES FROM GOOD VISION.

OMAHA’S FAVORITE SALON SINCE 1992 On behalf of everyone at Creative Hair Design we thank you for voting us Best of Omaha again in 2021! We’ll continue to work hard to keep Omaha looking and feeling their best.

Learning is all about vision: 80% of what a child learns in school is presented visually.

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Fall Open House! SEPTEMBER

Schedule your appointment online at omahaeyecare.com or call us at 402.330.3000 Drs. Marsha Kubica, Corey Langford & Kristen Johnson 1011 S. 180th St., Elkhorn, NE 68022

A L W A Y S L O C A L, A L W A Y S B E A U T I F U L. Included with an Omaha Magazine Subscription— OmahaMagazine.com/pages/Subscribe

9TH, 10TH, 11TH

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84th & 1st St. / Downtown Papillion Open Tues. - Fri. 10AM - 6PM Sat. 10AM - 5PM | Sun. - Mon. CLOSED SEPTEMBER 2021

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LEADERS AND

Pr i nc e sse S

Women’s Ball Committee Chair Laura Enenbach

// FEATURE //

STORY BY DAISY HUTZELL-RODMAN

W O M E N O F A K S A R B E N A D VA N C E N E B R A S K A ' S WO R K F O RC E PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

SEPTEMBER

2021

Luncheon Co-Chair Makayla McMorris

They are the ones, day in and day out, working on connecting the dots between the high school students, college students, and employers to create highly skilled employees.

Publicity Chair Dawn Gonzales

SEPTEMBER 2021

// 85 //

HE’S VERY BRIGHT, SHE’S A HARD WORKER, AND THESE ARE EXACTLY THE KINDS OF THINGS WE WANT,” SAID TERRY KROEGER, PRESIDENT OF SMITH KROEGER AND IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN OF THE AKSARBEN BOARD OF GOVERNORS. “NOT ONLY BRIGHT PEOPLE, BUT PEOPLE WHO WILL ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND DO STUFF.”

Kroeger said this of Aksarben floor committee member Sara Smits Wilson, but he could have been describing any of the women who serve on the Aksarben committees. Most people in Omaha know about the Aksarben Ball, an event set in a mythical kingdom of Quivira full of princesses and escorts that brings together the volunteer community of Omaha. The ball, however, is one part of a multilayered structure that is working towards one common goal—creating, and retaining, a quality workforce in Nebraska. That workforce retention is needed. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the country rose by about 32% from 1990 to 2019 (all 2019 figures were projected). The Bureau also calculated that Nebraska’s population rose by about 22% in that same time period, from 1,578,385 in 1990 to 1,934,408 in 2019. Compare that to the population of Illinois, which rose by 11% (11,430,602 in 1990 to 12,671,821 in 2019); or Montana, which rose by 38% (799,065 in 1990 to 1,068,778 in 2019). A big attraction for any state is high-paying jobs, and that’s why community leaders are discovering, and rediscovering, a passion for the 126-year-old Aksarben Ball and the committees associated with Aksarben. Makayla McMorris, executive director, University Communications, at UNO, knew she wanted to be a part of the Women’s Ball Committee when she saw their values align with hers.

event, at the same time I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable, so it wasn’t anything I was dying to come back to,” McMorris said. McMorris works on call 24/7, and crisis communication is a big part of the job. She said she could spend 15-16 hours a day working and still not be caught up. She is also the chair of membership on the MCC Foundation Board, chairs the Omaha Community Foundation African-American Unity Grants Committee, and starts on the KANEKO board this month. When she isn’t doing all of that, she is spending time with her two kids, ages 7 and 11, who are involved in basketball, gymnastics, dance, and track. Still, she finds it important to be on the WBC, where she is co-chair for the Pages Luncheon. “I really started to get into what the mission was, how impactful this one day has been, and the tradition behind it. You could just see the sheer happiness in everyone who was participating. So I started to understand how this could fit with my values,” McMorris said. The organization of the ball happens during weekly meetings that last four hours and end with lunch before these women go back to their daily lives. Some of them make simultaneous decisions about budgets for the pages and budgets for their departments at work. All the while, they are working on how to build the next generation of employees in Nebraska.

“They were really focusing on how to diversify the committee and community support. They asked a lot of our perspective of Aksarben,” McMorris said of her being asked to volunteer for the WBC.

“One of the things that has been a push is to make this more of a network,” said 2021 WBC chair Laura Enenbach, also an associate professor of nursing at Clarkson College. “[The] princesses and escorts, we want them to stay in the state, and [we need to] have multiple networking opportunities for these college kids.”

Her perspective of the ball was based on her first time at the event. While she was in high school, a friend of hers was an escort, and she remembers at that time he was the only Black escort. “It was a beautiful, decked out

That sentiment is echoed by 2020 WBC chair Sam Hohman, CEO of Credit Advisors Foundation. Although Hohman’s primary role should have been advising the 2021 chair, the coming ball features 2020 and

SEPTEMBER 2021

2021 honorees. Like McMorris, Hohman was neither a page nor a princess, but saw an opportunity to make a difference in the state through serving on this committee. “We’re changing the why of ‘why do you want to participate in the ball,’” Hohman said, noting that a high percentage of the princesses and escorts attend college out-of-state. “It’s not just ‘mom and dad said so,’ we’re trying to change the value for the participants into it being more because ‘I’m learning more about the opportunities that are available in Nebraska.’” That’s where Smits Wilson and her fellow networkers on the floor committee come in. At one point, this was a more passive committee, a group of businessmen who met once a month and bounced business ideas off each other. As years progressed, however, so did the committee. With the latest generation of members, the idea was not to be a committee for the sake of networking among themselves—rather it serves the mission of Aksarben. That’s also about the time the men on the committee realized they needed to modernize. “I straight-up asked [floor committee member Ben Reynolds] ‘are you asking me because I am a woman?’” said Kate Sylvia-Root, an assistant vice president of commercial lending at Security National Bank. Sylvia-Root, Smits Wilson, and Amy Thompson, director of business development at McCarthy Building Companies, joined the floor committee in 2019, the first three women to ever be recruited. Reynolds told Sylvia-Root it was her takecharge attitude, including her gumption to inquire whether or not she was being asked because she is a woman, that led Reynolds to ask her to join the floor committee. Not only did she join, she became a co-chair, focusing—along with her friend and fellow chair Matt DeBoer—on engagement and networking events. They created a new event that will be held immediately following the Aksarben Royal Court Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 22 (the ball is Oct. 23). At this new event, princesses and escorts will have the ability to chat with any of the 100 leaders on the floor committee, talking about potential job opportunities and internships that will lead to retaining the next generation of skilled workers in Nebraska. The members of the floor committee come from a range of businesses. There are lawyers and advertising professionals, but there are also owners of warehouses, accountants, and more. Each person is there to serve as an ambassador of the types of jobs available in Nebraska.

FEATURE // AKSARBEN “They want folks who are going to take advantage of the networking,” Thompson said. Sylvia-Root agreed, adding, “We want to make sure someone interested in, say, media, has the ability to network with someone in the media industry.” She continued that although they are starting this event during the ball activities, the goal is to get it into the community, especially in underserved areas. Networking in, and educating, underserved areas will be a key component of helping to find a future workforce. While the state is gaining in population, the concern is that Nebraska is trading a highly educated workforce for one that has little-to-no training beyond high school. The Aksarben Stakeholders Meeting report, presented in May 2021, stated that 55% of white Nebraska residents, and 74.2% of non-white residents, have less than an associate’s degree. That means fewer highly skilled employees, and fewer highly skilled jobs, coming into Nebraska. That’s why proceeds from the Aksarben Ball go to scholarships. The Career Promise Scholarship partners with Metropolitan Community College to help students enrolled in designated high school career academies attend college, then achieve a position in a high-demand, high-paying career in Nebraska. Those careers range from forklift operators to bookkeepers. The Aksarben Cooperative Horatio Alger Scholarship is restricted to colleges and universities in Nebraska to encourage retention and growth here. Educational initiatives also include the Nebraska Tech Collaborative, the Northeast Nebraska Growing Together initiative, and a budding Central Nebraska initiative. That’s good news for people like Jamie Gutierrez, owner of Midwest Maintenance and member of the Aksarben Board of Governors. She brings first-hand knowledge of how drastically retention and growth are needed in this state.

“My presence in South Omaha and my passion behind South Omaha are a big part of why I am here,” Gutierrez said. “We’ve been talking about workforce development, and we have a talented, passionate, community of immigrants who love Nebraska. Let’s help them raise their families here.” Gutierrez is one of two women governors. She’s also the first Latina governor, and one of a handful of women to ever sit on this board. The leadership also includes two female councillors, Samantha Mosser and Mindy Simon. Gutierrez’s multicultural perspective is much appreciated as the organization works to attract and retain talent. “We have to be competitive in this state,” Gutierrez said. “You know who loves Nebraska? Other people in Nebraska.” Those other people in Nebraska are more non-white than they used to be. The Aksarben Stakeholders’ Meeting report noted that between 1990 and 2019, the populations of Blacks, Hispanics, and other people of color ages 0-17 rose by more than 100,000, while the population of white youth declined by more than 60,000. Keeping a skilled workforce in Nebraska helps on local and national levels. Fellow board of governors member Leslie R. Andersen, president and chief executive officer of the i3 Bank (formerly Bank of Bennington), has served on the American Bankers Association board and has personally shown people the quiet strength of Nebraska and its philanthropy. “I was showing someone in town from D.C. the riverfront a few years ago,” Andersen said. “He was shocked that it was all private dollars. I said ‘that’s the way Nebraska rolls.’ That’s what drew me to this board, that it was statewide.”

an active volunteer on other committees. Yet she makes time to devote resources to this board, including being the treasurer, which helps the foundation. “I don’t think the foundation gets the recognition it deserves,” Andersen said. While the boards work hard, the foundation is the facilitator of the work being done to keep employees in the state. The foundation employees are talking to people across the state. They are working with colleges, universities, and business leaders. They are the people, day in and day out, working on connecting the dots between the high school students, college students, and employers to create highly skilled employees. They bring back people like the aforementioned Smits Wilson, who lived in Washington, D.C., before returning to Nebraska. She and her husband discovered the good life is as achievable, if not more, here in Omaha, and she is passionate about bringing in, and retaining, quality employees. “I take it upon myself to bring up what is happening,” Smits Wilson said. “Almost 10,000 kids in this state graduate and don’t go on to college [annually]. We lose 1,500 outbound graduates. We gain 1,500 non-graduates.” With the help of the scholarships garnered from the ball put on by the women’s ball committee, the networks created by the floor committee, and the employers on the board of governors, the Aksarben Foundation is making this state economically viable for all. Visit aksarben.org for more information.

Like the other women on the boards, Andersen is a mother, and an executive. She’s

“We’re changing the why of ‘why do you want to participate in the ball,’” Hohman said, noting that a high percentage of the princesses and escorts attend college out-of-state. “It’s not just ‘mom and dad said so,’ we’re trying to change the value for the participants into it being more because ‘I’m learning more about the opportunities that are available in Nebraska.’”

SEPTEMBER 2021

UNitiNg as ONe

Opera Omaha Engages Community Involvement FEATURE // STORY BY SEAN McCARTHY // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Opera Omaha is returning to the Orpheum Theater after more than a year-and-a-half absence. In December 2020, the company announced the cancellation of The Marriage of Figaro and Sweeney Todd, which were originally slated for early 2021 performances. Opera Omaha’s plan to get people back into theater seats is heavily reliant on community engagement. It’s a project that has been in place since 2016, said Roger Weitz, general director at Opera Omaha, in a phone interview. Five years ago, Opera Omaha launched a strategic initiative with the hopes of becoming more relevant, accessible, and innovative to its patrons. The two major efforts that resulted from this were the Holland Community Opera Fellowship and the One Festival. The Holland Community Opera Fellowship uproots how opera companies usually engage with communities. For decades, the typical practice of bringing opera to a larger community was to put on short performances in places such as schools. The interaction between the opera company and the audience was minimal, Weitz said. “It was very much ‘here’s who we are, and this is what we do and aren’t you lucky that we’re here,’” he said.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

Holland Community Opera Fellowship partners with schools and community organizations. Opera Omaha will go into these community spaces and discuss the goals of the organization they’re engaging with, along with discussing the needs of the people those organizations serve. That includes conducting creativity workshops with homeless people at Siena Francis House and Micah House in Council Bluffs, as well as working with people who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries. Weitz said he knew the limits of these efforts for people who are suffering from traumas such as TBI and homelessness. At the same time, he pointed to art’s power to help people cope and process their pain. “Opera is a multifaceted art form that brings all of these tools of creativity to bear for people to celebrate life, to work through sorrow, to have a catharsis,” Weitz said. “And we hope to bring joy wherever we go.” The Holland Community Opera Fellowship has also worked to address racial injustice. The local protests in reaction to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the killing of James Scurlock by bar owner Jake Gardner, who later committed suicide after being indicted by a grand jury for Scurlock’s death, led many companies to think about their commitment to social justice.

“We, as a predominantly white organization, wanted to amplify voices that don’t have the same platform that we do,” Weitz said. Last year, Opera Omaha launched the series A.BL.E, or Amplifying the Black Experience. Led by curators Melanie Bacaling and Chabrelle Williams, the series was created to celebrate the contributions of Black artists in opera and bring awareness to issues facing the Black community. This included a discussion on the opera dwb (driving while black).

“

Opera is a multifaceted art form that brings all of these tools of creativity to bear for people to celebrate life, to work through sorrow, to have a catharsis. And we hope to bring joy wherever we go.”-Roger Weitz While the Holland Community Opera Fellowship helped to engage audiences in 2020, sadly, the One Festival was canceled due to the pandemic. In keeping with Opera Omaha’s commitment to community engagement, the festival has typically given artists more autonomy in creating original work. Instead of reaching out to artists to direct a production, the One Festival reached out to artists to do their own original pieces for Opera Omaha. Rebecca Brown, director of marketing and public relations, said she hoped Opera Omaha will announce the future of the One Festival later this year.

Also in full swing at the moment is Opera Omaha Guild’s Cotillion—the French word for formal ball—which combines fundraising for Opera Omaha with lessons in social skills for sixth graders (and, this year, seventh graders) throughout Omaha. The Cotillion Graduation will be held at Embassy Suites - La Vista on Oct.16, 2021. Opera Omaha’s resumption of its largescale productions in October will be with a chorus that has not performed in more than a year. Taking this into account, Brown said Opera Omaha set the performance of Eugene Onegin for April 2022, because it will be their largest chorus for their 20212022 season.

Like most chorus members of Opera Omaha, Ed Perini had little-to-no live audience interaction throughout 2020. Perini, who sings bass-baritone, has been a member of Opera Omaha since 1995. His last performance was for Faust in 2019. During the pandemic, he continued to sing in the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral choir while working his full-time job at Bank of the West, where he is a home equity closer in consumer real estate services.

continued on pg.100 SEPTEMBER 2021

// 89 //

// SPORTS

Addie Schiemann Swims Spot On

What makes her different has nothing to do with her arms and everything to do with the organ thumping away in her chest cavity. That’s what drives her to speak to young girls about her experience.

Schiemann began to take her training and commitment more seriously.

Story by Chris Hatch

“It was probably middle school, when I was like, ‘I want to go out for my high school team!’ I had been swimming for my club and club is really competitive. It is set up through USA Swimming. I just really enjoyed it more than anything,” Schiemann said.

Photography by Bill Sitzmann Design by Matt Wieczorek

The summer before her freshman year, the promising young swimmer found herself faced with another wall. “We were riding UTVs on one of my really good friends’ farms. The vehicle was meant for carrying equipment and stuff,” she said. “We were just riding on it. I was a passenger on the right side. The vehicle rolled on the gravel road. My right arm was severely severed. It was barely attached.”

wimmers are faced with walls all the time. They start heading in one direction, with all that motion bearing down on the end of the pool, the water and the swimmer together in a rush of liquid power flowing straight towards the wall. Suddenly, with the practiced motion and aquatic litheness created through hours and years in the chlorinated home of the pool water, they flip; they plant their feet into the place where the lane lines take a 90 degree turn and there might as well be an “X” marking the spot. The swimmer, to this point, has created a predetermined course and momentum towards the mass of tile at the end of the pool. But then they kick off—using the very barricade meant to end their underwater conquest—and reverse direction. Fortunately, Addie Schiemann has always been good at turns. She was good at them when she first splashed into the pool for swimming lessons as a 7-year-old in Arlington, Nebraska. “My mom had put me in swim lessons when I was younger and I kind of excelled in them,” Schiemann said. “I graduated swim lessons pretty early. She put me on the [club] swim team.”

She was life-flighted from Arlington to UNMC due to the staggering amount of blood she lost. It wasn’t the only problem. “The doctor told my parents there was maybe a 3% chance the arm would ever function again,” Schiemann said. That’s when her parents had to make an agonizing decision. “I would have had to undergo hundreds of surgeries afterward, with no guarantee that the arm would ever function again,” Scheimann admitted. With that information, her parents gave doctors the go-ahead to amputate Schiemann’s arm. Fremont Area Swim Team head coach David Struble remembers when he first got the news of Schiemann’s accident. “Being a coach, we care for these kids like they are our own, it was hard on me and the entire team,” he said. “I was able to visit Addie in the hospital a couple days after the accident. She was so upbeat and talkative, like normal. She had very good spirits for going through such a traumatic accident.” For her part, Schiemann is quick to credit those around her. “I had an amazing support system,” she said.

“My family, my teammates, my coaches, my high school at the time. The whole community was extremely supportive. I definitely wouldn’t be as positive as I am without that support. My swim coach [Struble] came to visit me right after I lost my arm and was showing me videos of Paralympic swimmers, kind of motivating me to at least try. To look at other people like me.” It worked. She spent three to four days a week at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals' Omaha campus, pushing herself on land the same way she pushed herself underwater. “That was pretty difficult and emotionally draining,” she said of her time rehabilitating. “But I look back and think how good they were to me and how well they treated me.” She missed her freshman year of swimming, and had her moments of doubt. But they didn’t linger. “In the hospital, I was like, ‘there’s no way,” she said. “I just can’t see myself swimming with one arm.’” It wasn’t long before she found herself being called back to the water, with some gentle prodding from her coach and some wild cheering from her team.

// SPORTS

E S TAT E P L A N N I N G | M E D I C A I D P L A N N I N G | B U S I N E S S L AW T R U S T A D M I N I S T R AT I O N & P R O B AT E

“My coach had a kind of welcome-back moment for me. I went back to practice, just to say hi to the team,” she said. “At the end he said, ‘why don’t you just try swimming? Just try it.” Schiemann did, and it went better than she’d thought it would. “After I did it, I was very hopeful for my future, knowing that it wasn’t over.”

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HELPING FAMILIES PROTECT A LIFETIME OF WORK Protect your Family Protect your Assets Leave a Legacy Achieve Peace of Mind

She adapted by accentuating one of her previous strengths: her powerful legs. She’s evolved, learning to over-rotate to get that competitive inch with her left arm. Other than the three prosthetics she has in her home—each with their different form, function, and purpose—she’s your average college freshman. What makes her different has nothing to do with her arms and everything to do with the organ thumping away in her chest cavity. That’s what drives her to speak to girls about her experience. “I go to elementary schools in the area and talk about my story, overcoming, and safety,” she said. She’s spreading her message one lap at a time. “I just found something little every day that kept me motivated,” she added. “Like learning how to tie my shoes. If I can do that, I can do the next level. [It’s] like finding stepping stones, to get me through. Finding that sense of normalcy and accepting who I am. Being OK with being different.”

WE CAN HELP.

She’s focusing on her next step—swimming on the University of Arizona Para Swim Team, which she helped to kick off.

OUR FIRM HAS ONE MISSION: Our mission is to help families design, share and preserve their family legacy for future generations, through careful legal planning and lifetime relationships.

“Addie showed the initiative to reach out to me and ask if support was available for swimming,” said Peter Hughes, Adaptive Athletics Director at the University of Arizona, via email. “We had played around with it a little bit in the past, in fact, having one Paralympic swimmer attend here and another tri-athlete who needed some support. But we had not decided to push with a full program until Addie reached out and said ‘I want to come to the University of Arizona and be involved with your Adaptive Sports programs.’”

9859 S. 168th Avenue, Omaha, NE 68136 402.235.5625 | info@ldstrategies.com | www.ldstrategies.com

Want to know what’s happening in Omaha this weeknd? Visit OmahaMagazine.com Click “Weekend E-Blast” & Subscribe! // 92 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

In that Olympic-sized oasis in the desert, under the eye of former Olympic swim coach Frank Busch, she’ll ramp up her training for UA and to take aim at the 2024 Paralympic Games. A wall isn’t the ending for Schiemann. It’s the beginning. Visit drc.arizona.edu/athletics for more information.

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// 93 //

GIVING CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 2 0 2 1

FEATURED EVENT

Sept.

5-8 p.m. BLACKSTONE STROLL Benefiting: Epilepsy Foundation of Nebraska Location: Blackstone District This event supports the Epilepsy Foundation of Nebraska and gives Omahans a fun night in a happening area of town. Attendees will stroll among the restaurants and bars of the Blackstone District and can receive sample signature drinks at each participating restaurant. —epilepsy.com/nebraska

Sept. 1-30

Sept. 9

Benefiting: Metro Area Youth Foundation

Benefiting: Lauritzen Gardens

AUTUMN SMASH 2021

LAURITZEN GARDENS ANTIQUE SHOW PREVIEW

Location: online —summerbashforccc.org

Location: Lauritzen Gardens —omahaantiqueshow.org

Sept. 2

Sept. 10

Benefiting: CHI Foundation

Benefiting: Crossroads of Western Iowa

SWING FOR HEALTH GOLF OUTING

EIGHTH ANNUAL COUNCIL BLUFFS GOLF TOURNAMENT

Location: Iron Horse Golf Club —chihealth.com

Location: Bent Tree Golf Course —explorecrossroads.com

Sept. 2

Sept. 10

Benefiting: SAC Foundation

Benefiting: KVC Nebraska

SAC FOUNDATION GOLF OUTING

NINTH ANNUAL KVC NEBRASKA GOLF CLASSIC

Location: Tiburon Golf Club —sacfoundation.net

Location: Ashland Golf Club —nebraska.kvc.org

Sept. 5

Sept. 10

MYSTERY BALL AUCTION AND GARAGE SALE

Benefiting: Chasers Charities Location: Werner Park —chaserscharities.org

Sept. 7

MATCH MAKER LUNCHEON

Benefiting: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands Location: Scott Conference Center —bbbsomaha.org

Sept. 9

21ST ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

Sept.

Benefiting: Connections Area Agency on Aging Location: Dodge Riverside Golf Club —connectionsaaa.org

Sept. 10

FIFTH ANNUAL LUNCHEON OF HONOR

Benefiting: First Responders Foundation Location: Marriott Downtown —firstrespondersfoundation.org

OHB 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WITH KEYNOTE MICHAEL OHER

Sept. 10

Location: CHI Health Center —ohb.org

Location: Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium —omahazoofoundation.org

Benefiting: Omaha Home for Boys

ZOOFARI

Benefiting: Omaha’s Zoo Foundation

Sept. 9

Sept. 10

Benefiting: Habitat for Humanity

Benefiting: UNO School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Student Scholarships

15TH ANNUAL BREW HAHA

Location: Sterling Ridge Retail —habitatomaha.org

Sept. 9

BIDS FOR KIDS

Benefiting: Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation Location: Elkhorn Alumni Center and online —elkhornfoundation.org

// 94 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

25TH ANNUAL JAILHOUSE SCRAMBLE Location: Tiburon Golf Course —unomaha.edu

Sept. 11

NINTH ANNUAL SPRING FUNDRAISER

Benefiting: Santa Monica House

Location: Scott Conference Center

—santamonicahouse.org

Sept. 11

THIRD ANNUAL POKER RUN

Benefiting: Operation 22 ’Til Freedom

Location: Start at Edwards Motorsports & RV —operation22tilfreedom.com

Sept. 11

GUNS & HOSES

Benefiting: Omaha Police Officer’s Association and Omaha Professional Firefighter’s Association Location: Ralston Arena —omahagunsnhoses.com

Sept. 11

BIG DIG OMAHA

Benefiting: American Cancer Society —bigdigomaha.org

Sept. 11

20TH ANNUAL BLUE JEANS & DREAMS

Benefiting: HETRA

Location: HETRA’s campus in Gretna —hetra.org

Sept. 12

10TH ANNUAL FREEDOM RUN

Benefiting: YMCA

Location: Twin Rivers YMCA —metroymca.org

Sept. 13

TEE OFF AGAINST CHILD ABUSE CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

Benefiting: Exchange Club of Omaha Location: Field Club of Omaha —exchangeclubomaha.org

Sept. 13

DRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE GOLF TOURNAMENT

Benefiting: Mercy High School

Location: The Players Club at Deer Creek —mercyhigh.org

Sept. 13

COUGAR CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

Benefiting: Gross Catholic High School

// GIVING CALENDAR // Location: Eagle Hills Golf Club —grosscatholic.org

COUNSELING CONNECTIONS & ASSOCIATES

Sept. 13-17

RED UN-TIE BALL (VIRTUAL)

Benefiting: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Location: online —cff.org/Nebraska

Sept. 14 (8-10 a.m.)

THIRD ANNUAL 5K WALK/RUN

Benefiting: Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation

Location: Elkhorn High School Football Stadium —elkhornfoundation.org

OFFERING BOTH IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL SESSIONS

Sept. 15

TEE IT UP FOR CUES

Benefiting: CUES

Location: TopGolf Omaha —cuesschools.org

Sept. 16

BOOTS & BUCKETS

Benefiting: Dreamweaver Foundation Location: A View West Shores —dreamweaver.org

Sept. 16

PINOTS, PIGS & POURS

eling Servic uns es Co

Benefiting: Completely Kids Location: Champions Run —completelykids.org

Sept. 16

RALSTON SCHOOLS FOUNDATION GOLF OUTING

Benefiting: Ralston Schools Foundation Location: Eagle Hills Golf Course —ralstonschools.org

Sept. 16

ANNUAL REJUVENATING WOMEN’S RESTORED WINGS BANQUET

Benefiting: Rejuvenating Women

Location: Embassy Suites La Vista or online —rejuvenatingwomen.com

OUR SERVICES Telehealth Services Counseling & Psychotherapy Management S Medication EMDR Therapy Addiction Treatment Chemical Dependency Evaluations

Sept. 17

CAMP CLASSIC GOLF TOURNAMENT

Benefiting: Carol Joy Holling Camp Location: Ashland Golf Club —cjhcenter.org

Sept. 17

ANNUAL GALA 2021

Benefiting: Midlands Humane Society

OUR THERAPISTS

OUR MEDICATION PROVIDERS

Geraldine Alexis, LIMHP, PLADC Chantel Bruha, MSW, LIMHP, LADC Korrie Conners, LMHP, CSAT Beth Farrell, LCSW, LIMHP Dumayi Gutierrez, PhD, PLMHP Mary Loftis, LIMHP, CPC Kim Mueller, MS, LIMHP, CPC Nicole Obrecht, MA, LMHP Kristi Tackett-Newburg, PhD, LIMHP Greg Tvrdik, MS, LIMHP Sarah Wenzl, MS, LMHP Michele Yanney-Wehbi, LIMHP, CPC

Salina Anderson, APRN Davin Dickerson, APRN Marilyn Erickson, APRN Kathleen Langdon, APRN Marty Stoltenberg, APRN-BC

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444 Regency Pkwy Drive, # 104 Omaha, NE 68114 New Location Opening Soon: 9802 Nicholas Street, #350 Omaha, NE 68114

Location: MidAmerica Center —midlandshumanesociety.org

PEDICURE • MANICURE • SHELLAC DIPPING POWDER ARTIFICIAL NAILS • NAIL ART WAXING • VERSAPRO SUNLESS TANNING

Sept. 17

HALFWAY TO ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Benefiting: Project Harmony Location: Champions Run —projectharmony.com

Sept. 17

SPORTING CLAYS TOURNAMENT

Benefiting: Boy Scouts, Mid-America Council Location: Werner Valley Shooting Fields —mac-bsa.org

Sept. 18

Find the best food in Omaha!

OUT OF DARKNESS WALK

Benefiting: American Foundation for Preventing Suicide

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// 95 //

// GIVING CALENDAR // Location: Stinson Park —afsp.org/omaha

Sept. 19

OMAHA MARATHON AND P4K 5K

Benefiting: Partnership 4 Kids

Location: TD AmeriTrade Park —p4k.org

Sept. 19

SUPERHERO HEART RUN

Savor the experience

Benefiting: Heart Heroes

Location: Werner Park —superheroheartrun.com/omaha/

Sept. 20

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT GOLF CHALLENGE

Benefiting: Junior Achievement Location: Champions Run —juniorachievement.org

Sept. 20

BILL ELLETT GOLF CLASSIC

Benefiting: Release

Location: Iron Horse Golf Club —releaseinc.org

Sept. 20

SCHOLARSHIP SCRAMBLE

Benefiting: Millard Business Community Foundation Scholarship Fund

Voted First Place Best of Omaha since 2010 402.558.3202 cateringcreations.com

Location: Oak Hills Country Club —millardbcf.org

Sept. 20

ST. AUGUSTINE INDIAN MISSION GOLF SCRAMBLE

Benefiting: St. Augustine Indian Mission Location: Quarry Oaks —staugustinemission.org

Sept. 20

Sept.

SPORTS NIGHT WITH PGA GOLF LEGEND SIR NICK FALDO

Benefiting: Creighton Prep

Location: Heider Center at Creighton Prep —creightonprep.creighton.edu

Sept. 20

26TH ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

Benefiting: Keep Omaha Beautiful

Location: The Players Club at Deer Creek —keepomahabeautiful.org

Sept. 23

HIT THE LINKS DRIVE AGAINST DISABILITIES

Benefiting: United Cerebral Palsy Location: Indian Creek —ucpnebraska.org

Sept. 24

RITECARE CLASSIC GOLF BENEFIT

Benefiting: RiteCare of Nebraska

Location: Pacific Springs Golf Course —scottishriteomaha.org/golf oo Parlor Tatt

402.905.4175 | bigbrainwestomaha.com 16920 WRIGHT PLAZA #162, OMAHA , NE 68130

402.342.2885 | bigbrainomaha.com 1123 JACKSON STREET, OMAHA , NE 68106 // 96 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Sept. 24

GO BEYOND FALL HOOTENANNY

Benefiting: Go Beyond

// GIVING CALENDAR // Location: Fontenelle Forest Nature Center —gobeyondne.org

Sept. 25

ANNUAL BLACK TIE HARVEST FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Benefiting: Iowa Western Pottawattamie Promise Scholarship Fund Location: Iowa Western Kanesville Arena —iwcc.edu

Sept. 25

CN FALL FUNDRAISER

Benefiting: Conceive Nebraska

Location: Lucky Bucket Brewery —conceivenebraska.org ody Rep to B air Au

Sept. 26

ody Rep to B air Au

MARGRE DURHAM WALK FOR THE ANIMALS

Benefiting: Nebraska Humane Society

Sept.

Location: Nebraska Humane Society —nehumanesociety.org

Sept. 26

1ST PLACE 16 STR AIGHT YEARS!

BREAD FOR LIFE

Benefiting: Project Hope

Location: Scottish Rite Masonic Center —projecthopeomaha.org

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Sept. 26

STEP UP FOR DOWN SYNDROME

Benefiting: Down Syndrome Alliance of the Midlands Location: Werner Park —ds-stride.org/omahastepup

Sept. 26

SETTING THE STANDARD IN COLLISION REPAIR 402.558.3500 Corner of 50th & South Saddlecreek

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MECHANICAL REPAIR 402.991.2848 / Southwest Corner of 120th & Maple

ST. MARGARET MARY PARISH FESTIVAL

Benefiting: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Parish & School Location: St. Margaret Mary Catholic Parish —smmomaha.org

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Sept. 26

OUR LADY OF LOURDES – ST. ADALBERT FALL FESTIVAL

Benefiting: Our Lady of Lourdes – St. Adalbert parishes

Location: Our Lady of Lourdes – St. Adalbert parishes —ollomaha.com

Sept. 27

CHILDREN’S CHARITY GOLF CLASSIC

Dental Implants • Cosmetic Dentistry Family Dentistry • Wisdom Teeth Removal • Sedation Clear Aligners • Orthodontics

Benefiting: Children’s Hospital & Medical Center’s Hubbard Center for Children Location: Omaha Country Club —childrensomaha.org

Sept. 28

OMAHA GO RED FOR WOMEN

Benefiting: American Heart Association Location: online —heart.org

Sept. 30

47TH ANNUAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR GALA

Benefiting: Arthritis Foundation Location: Omaha Marriott —arthritis.org

Visit omahamagazine.com for complete listings. Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.

Marty J. Matz, D.D.S. | Leslie C. Ellingson D.D.S., MS | Daniel L. Ellingson, D.D.S.

402.397.8050 • 2thdoc.org • 15751 West Dodge Road SEPTEMBER 2021

// 97 //

G I V I N G P R O F I L E // S T O RY BY D AW N G O N Z A L E S

LUCKY

LUCKY FOR OMAHANS

P H O T O G R A P H Y BY B I L L S I T Z M A N N // D E S I G N BY M AT T W I E C Z O R E K

ANNIE BIRD

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION’S WOMAN OF THE YEAR

SHE IS NUMBER 47.

It’s an easy number to remember since she was born in 1947, she said with a grin. She has been described as “a constant and comforting wellspring of connection, understanding, and inspiration.”

Those who know Annie Bird describe her as compassionate, generous, and genuine. As a former educator, that powerful combination has served her well through her career as a speech language pathologist for the Nebraska Department of Education and as a volunteer and board member for numerous organizations. Retirement heightens those qualities as she continues to make a difference in the lives of others in our community.

and I talked about the physical aspect of fly fishing and the healing that could go with the activity for breast cancer survivors. John shared with us names of fly fishing enthusiasts that we should talk to who would see the value of this outdoor experience for breast cancer survivors,” Lovgren said. “Those conversations led to donations and support for Casting for Recovery. We received funding from the Carmen and John Gottschalk Foundation for six years, as well as many others, due to Annie’s knowledge and support.” Casting for Recovery is an event Bird still supports.

“When it comes to the fly fishing retreats, she’s our master photographer, capturing all of the moments that make the retreat special for the participants and “When I retired from working full time, I made a cognitive decision and set some priorities for the staff,” Lovgren said. The two women myself. I made a promise to myself to invest time in three areas,” Bird said. have known each other for many years and Lovgren added that Bird’s most sigThe first priority is families—her own family, making sure she spends as much time with her nificant contribution is her relentless grown children and grandchildren as she can—and families affected by disabilities, allowing dedication to people in the community. her to continue her work in speech pathology. The second is working with organizations “She is an exemplary educator, and she focused on cancer treatis committed to orgament or research; and T H AT C O N N E C T I V I T Y, T H AT W I L L I N G N E S S T O S E R V E nizations that make a third is looking at ways difference in the lives in this community that AT T H E H I G H E S T L E V E L T O B R I N G O M A H A N S of women and chilshe can better the lives dren,” Lovgren said. of individuals. Bird T O G E T H E R T O H E L P O T H E R S , A R E R E A S O N S W H Y accomplishes these O N LY 4 6 O T H E R O M A H A W O M E N H AV E B E E N Bird has also been goals by participating a longtime donor in nonprofit boards H O N O R E D W I T H T H E T I T L E W O M A N O F T H E Y E A R . and supporter of the that align with her Arthritis Foundation’s stated passions. She serves on the Concord Mediation Center Board of Directors Executive signature event. “She’s been on the gala Committee, Munroe-Meyer Institute Board of Directors, and Autism Center of Nebraska committee a couple of times, and she Board of Directors, and with Enrichment Foundation and Casting for Recovery. She and comes to the event every year,” said Sally husband Ken serve on the Project Harmony Community Cabinet, and, of course, there Stalnaker, associate executive director of is Avenue Scholars, the organization that Ken has led as president/CEO since 2008 after the Arthritis Foundation in Nebraska. retiring as Westside Community Schools Superintendent. Avenue Scholars Foundation works to ensure students from low-income backgrounds graduate high school and identify That connectivity, that willingness and enter financially sustainable careers. Even in retirement, Bird finds ways to make an to serve at the highest level to bring impact with Omaha youth. Omahans together to help others, are reasons why only 46 other Omaha Linda Lovgren, program coordinator for Nebraska Casting for Recovery, an organization women have been honored with the title that supports breast cancer survivors, said Bird is one of those special individuals one can Woman of the Year. “We pay tribute to count on to follow through with whatever she agrees to do. “Her experience with nonprofits a woman who has made a significant, and boards brings leadership perspective and wonderful problem-solving skills. As a friend, strong impact in the community. They she is a great listener and genuine to the core,” Lovgren said. are highly respected by their peers,” Stalnaker said. Bird finds a way to contribute to the success of an organization and then works to build on that foundation. “When Casting for Recovery began in 2010, I reached out to Annie and These are attributes that fit Annie Bird asked her to work with us on fundraising. We were starting from ground zero.” to a T, and one can tell by talking to her that they come naturally and without a It was her connections that led to some large donors for this event. lot of effort. It is an innate passion for service to others that helps give Bird an “She has so much experience with foundations and grant writing and through her connections educator’s heart. we met with the Carmen and John Gottschalk Foundation,” Lovgren said. John, retired chief executive officer and publisher of the Omaha World-Herald, is also an avid fly fisherman. “John Visit arthritis.com for more information.

FEATURE // OPERA | UNITING AS ONE

continued from pg.89 Perini received his Master of Vocal Performance at Michigan University in 1994. Shortly afterward, he moved with his parents to Omaha. After seeing an Opera Omaha production of Carousel, he auditioned for the chorus. His performances have included La Bohème and Carmen. As a member of the Opera Omaha chorus, Perini works on contract. Months before a performance is given, a chorus member accepts the contract, and then starts a monthlong rehearsal period. A week before opening night, rehearsals are moved into the Orpheum Theater. The number of chorus members can depend on the production. A smaller performance could include up to 12 chorus members, but productions like Aida can include as many as 60 singers. The end result continues to be a draw for Perini.

“

Once we’ve gotten through the whole rehearsal period and you’re out there onstage on opening night…there’s no experience like it” -Ed Perini

“Once we’ve gotten through the whole rehearsal period and you’re out there onstage on opening night…there’s no experience like it,” he said. Perini doesn’t know when his next production will be. Vocal-wise, not performing in an opera for more than a year is its own challenge. But Perini has also been battling knee issues. The physical components of being part of the chorus can be just as challenging as the vocal demands, Perini said. In addition to the long rehearsals, chorus members are sometimes asked to do a lot of running and other rigorous movements.

“I’d really like to do it again, I’m just not sure if I’m going to be able to do it right away,” Perini said. Opera Omaha’s season at the Orpheum Theater officially kicks off Oct. 15 with the Italian opera The Capulets and the Montagues. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, it’s classic and contemporary. Brown, who left Opera Omaha in mid-July, knows Omahans are looking forward to seeing live opera again. “A lot of our patrons have been vaccinated and they’re anxious and excited to get back to live performances again,” she said. Visit operaomaha.org for more information.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

60 OMAHA plus

September 2021

Janet Kratina

6 0 +

A C T I V E

L I V I N G

FOUR HOURS, THREE TIMES A WEEK

anet Kratina regularly walks and swims; she also plays bridge, and spends time with her grandchildren as part of a busy lifestyle at 68. “I’m active every day and to me that’s part of my good life,” she explained. She also plays golf as many as three times a week nearly year-round, which may make it the most important component of keeping fit in her 60s.

“You’re walking and swinging a golf club. I consider four hours of golf, in my life, a pretty good workout even if I’m in a cart. And what could be better for your mind than being outside in a beautiful setting with friends?” As much as she touts the benefits of golden-years golf, however, Kratina actually took up the sport during a very different phase of her life. “I started golfing as a young mom, and I did it to get out of the house so I could spend some time with my friends,” she recalled, adding that she often didn’t make it to the ninth hole. “We girls would go out there and spray balls all over the place for five or six holes and then we’d go inside and eat lunch.” ► // 102 //

60 PLUS • SEPTEMBER 2021

JANET KRATINA’S GOLDEN GAME STORY BY KARA SCHWEISS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

“OCC FEELS LIKE AN OLD FRIEND. I’VE MADE A LOT OF GREAT MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE STAFF OUT THERE, WHO ALSO FEEL LIKE FAMILY.” -JANET KRATINA

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60+ ACTIVE LIVING

he social aspect of golf kept her heading back to the course past the years when her children needed a babysitter. “It was something fun I could share with my husband and my friends,” she said. “I love getting outside and love getting exercise.”

Kratina taught school for five years before becoming a stay-at-home mom and, later, gave her time to numerous local nonprofits and organizations. As she put it, “I could make a list a page long.” Naturally, she integrated golf into her volunteer work, although she declined to name specific organizations. “I’ve been an active community volunteer for 40 years, so I’m certain I’ve played in every charity tournament imaginable and I’ve worked most of them; I couldn’t name one over the other,” she said. “When you’re in the golfing world in Omaha and you’re also a volunteer, every time anybody has a charity event, you get the call.” Kratina said she doesn’t mind getting the call. “I play every Tuesday in our ladies’ league at [Omaha Country Club], and then I usually play another time during the week, and then I play almost every Sunday with my husband and friends,” she said. She may be an experienced golfer, but Kratina emphasized that she’s no elitist. In fact, she welcomes amateurs. “It’s my own game and it’s your own game. I just like to play with nice people…My favorite golf companions are anybody that will put up with me,” she said, wryly. “I have my regulars that I play with, my husband and my good pals, but I’ve also made a lot of new friends playing golf, and that’s part of what’s fun about it for me.” It’s never too late to take up golf, OCC Board Member Mike Wade said. “It’s truly a lifetime sport and there aren’t a lot of sports you can say that about,” he said. Like Kratina, he emphasized that golf can be flexible and the learning phase can be fun for players. “The sport adapts to you, opposed to the other way around, regardless of your skills,” he said. “At OCC, there are nine different sets of tees that can be played five different ways depending on your ability and your desire to be challenged. You choose.” Even competitive play can accommodate relative newcomers, he added. “There are plenty of formats for tournaments…People of all skill levels can contribute.” Wade, who’s now in his 60s, plays with golfers of all ages, including women and men in their 70s. He said he sees players in their 60s, 70s, and beyond on the course every day. “It’s good for people of all ages but certainly good for people over 65 for three particular reasons: One is that it gets you outside. Secondly, it gets you to be active // 104 //

60 PLUS • SEPTEMBER 2021

and to move around,” he said. “But most important is the fact that golf is a social game. If you’re playing nine it’s two hours, if you’re playing 18 it’s four hours of conversation during the round. And there is plenty of opportunity for conversation after the round. It’s a social sport.” Although she is not motivated by winning, Kratina said she “can and will” play competitively. “I play on our interclub team and I play tournaments at our club, but I do not love to compete,” she said. Nevertheless, her best game was an 81 at Happy Hollow Club. And, “I’ve had two holes in one.” She adds, with a laugh, “Well, you know they’re accidents. I didn’t even see them go in; I was busy talking.” Kratina said her goal when golfing is to enjoy the experience. “Don’t take yourself too seriously. It is supposed to be a game of pleasure. That is my best advice,” she said. “You need to relax and play your game and enjoy it for what it is. There are going to be good scores and bad scores. But on your worst day you’ve been to a beautiful place with your good pals, and you’ve been there for four hours. And hopefully no more than four hours because if you spent more than four hours out there you’re not playing fast enough!” Kratina has played most, if not all, of Omaha’s club courses as part of being on OCC’s interclub team. “I really enjoy playing public courses, too. There are some very nice public courses in town.”

She and husband Mark also get to other courses in Nebraska, especially in the northern part of the state. “There are a lot of nice courses in the Sandhills, and the newest notable course that just opened this year is CapRock Ranch [in Valentine],” she said. “We’re really tickled to get to play CapRock Ranch, it’s an awesome course.” Other favorite Sandhills-area courses are The Prairie Club and Dismal River Club. Outside of Nebraska, Kratina’s favorite courses have been Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia, known for the Masters Tournament; and Cypress Point Club in California. During North American travels, the Kratinas have been able to play courses in Canada and Mexico. During travel abroad over the years, they’ve managed to get to courses in Australia, Ireland, and—of course—Scotland. “Our travel pals are all golfers, and most of the trips we take are to a course somewhere,” Kratina said. Kratina’s favorite course ever? She’s loyal to her home club. “OCC feels like an old friend,” she said. “I’ve made a lot of great memories with friends and family, and that would include the staff out there, who also feel like family.” She’s especially proud that OCC was the site of the 2021 U.S. Senior Open in July and also in 2013. “We helped work it the first time, but this time we just watched,” she said. “It was wonderful.” Kratina is now teaching her grandchildren to golf. Wade is also passing along the love of golf; his 6-year-old granddaughter received a set of golf clubs for her birthday this summer and is eager to get on the course with her grandfather. She’s part of the fourth generation of golfers in his family. “My dad gave me a golf club when I was 7,” Wade said. “At 7, I was already walking around the golf course with my father. It’s a game that you can be engaged with your entire life.” “I am so very thankful for so many things in life, and golf would be right at the top of my list. It’s afforded my husband and me great friends, good exercise, great travel, and wonderful memories,” Kratina said. Visit omahacc.org for more information on this golf course.

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// 105 //

STORY BY KAMRIN BAKER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN

DESIGN BY DEREK JOY

COYOTES, BADGERS, COBRAS, COWS ERNIE STARY HAS SAVED THEM ALL

“The sheriff and I broke the middle fence board,” Stary said. “Of course, we asked the home owner if we could, and he said yes. After the middle board was broke the coyote was free and collapsed to the ground from exhaustion. I put the coyote on a flexible carrier stretcher and walked [it] to the work van with help from the sheriff’s deputy. I transported Coyote to the shelter immediately, and Laura from Wildlife Rescue came to pick up the animal for rehab. The coyote was nursed back to health after a month or so, and released back to the wild. He had torn tendons in both legs that had to heal.” Stary served the Nebraska Humane Society as an animal control officer for 37 years before retiring this year. A Facebook post published on May 28, 2021, estimated that he had touched the lives of at least 27,000 animals. To him, it was nothing more than second nature. “It was my second home,” Stary said. “I was really tied into that job. Being out in the field on my own, just saving animals, kept me sticking with it for so long. It wasn’t about production or efficiency but how rewarding things went out in the field.”

Stary began his journey with animal care working in pest control with Terminix in 1984, but before that year was up, he had connected with some folks who worked for the NHS animal control department and got a job there. He studied with an officer for 60 days on probation and was then turned loose with his own van and catcher’s pole. “During my probation period, I really got to liking it,” he said. “I was happy to be rescuing animals instead of preventing them.” Stary is a quiet and reserved man who spent his time at the NHS calmly connecting with animals of all kinds. Within his first two years as an animal control officer, Stary encountered vicious dogs and was attacked twice. While investigating a complaint, a trio of dogs broke through a makeshift kennel and chased him through a few neighboring backyards, biting him in the underarm. This shook him, but he persevered in his job. Stary later helped break up a pitbull ring that spanned across Texas, Missouri, and Kansas. Another time, an owner was more aggressive than the dogs—slashing a knife through Stary’s tire when he impounded the owner’s pets. These early experiences didn’t keep him away. Stary took additional classes and trainings, volunteering for the ASPCA and buying his own small library to stay informed on all the animals he may encounter. He often volunteered for overnight emergency hours, handling some of the most challenging cases in the early hours

of the morning. Stary was pleased to help rescue wildlife in these moments, turning them over to rehabilitation and rescue organizations. He encountered an angry badger digging a den under the then-Aksarben racetrack. It was a batty job. Stary often stayed out all night taking bats out of houses, and then working a double shift into his standard morning call.

BROWN YELLED OUT TOWARDS THE GOAT— AND THAT’S WHEN THEY DISCOVERED THE GOAT WAS, IN FACT, A FAINTING GOAT, AND TRIGGERED BY HER SCREAM, IT PASSED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. “I once got a big horned owl under Highway 75 who got a wing stuck in a barbed wire fence,” Stary said. “Once it recovered, the wildlife rehab center actually asked me if I wanted to meet them there to turn it loose again.” Stary once fished a 6-footlong alligator out of a plastic pond in someone’s basement—they were keeping it as a pet but eventually realized it was not legal and turned it over to NHS.

Another time, he and his supervisor at the time, Kelli Brown, chased a pig and a goat in Gretna for over 45 minutes to no avail. In frustration, Brown yelled out towards the goat—and that’s when they discovered the goat was, in fact, a fainting goat. Triggered by her scream, it passed out in the middle of the road.

60+

FEATURE

n adult male coyote was found hanging on a privacy fence, its legs caught in the slats of the gate, in March 2017. The wild animal was hurt badly, and had it not been for the efforts of rescuers, including Ernie Stary, the animal likely would not have survived.

Stary served on numerous hoarding calls, including one in which he rescued 100 cats from one home. He tipped overturned cows upright, busted cockfights, and herded haywire horses on the highway.

He once picked up a cobra in Bellevue from what he called a “military man” who had gotten bitten by, and an infection from, the snake. The military forced the man to surrender this unique pet to NHS. “I just put him in a little Tupperware with a lid on it, and he sat on my dash in the van and was moving back and forth like a bobble head,” Stary recalled, chuckling. “We traveled back to the shelter together and I watched it dance on every bump I hit.” The cobra was subsequently turned over to the zoo. Steve Glandt, vice president of field operations at NHS, worked with Stary for a short time but was inspired by his true passion for this work. “For Ernie to endure 37 years of animals in distress really speaks to his passion for saving them,” Glandt says. “He’s just such a great guy. The dedication he had to the animals really set him apart.” Brown, who now works for the city of Fremont, also speaks highly of him. “Ernie is very smart and he took the time to research everything,” she said. “He wouldn’t wait for things to be assigned to him. He was so dedicated, and motivated, and was really able to steer people out of burnout.” Visit nehumanesociety.org for more information.

SEPTEMBER • 60 PLUS

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A CAR CLUB LIKE NO OTHER TANGIER SHRINE PATROL WAS AN OMAHA ORIGINAL

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60 PLUS • SEPTEMBER 2021

60+ NOSTALGIA

STORY BY LEO ADAM BIGA // DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION BY DEREK JOY

nce upon a time, a well-heeled group in Omaha with a need for speed took such a fancy to an American sports car that they created some of the most sought-after editions of this vehicle by annually purchasing a new fleet in order to perform driving stunts. The Omaha Tangier Shrine Corvette Patrol, active from 1957 to 1981, zipped around in the newest Corvettes for show-driving in parades and circuses to promote Shrine’s charitable causes. Union Pacific attorney Jerome Given, according to his family, embodied this thrill-seeking and community-oriented fraternity of World War II veterans. Given is said to have paid his own way through Creighton Law School with earnings from motorcycle races in Sturgis, South Dakota, and semi-pro hockey games in Wichita, Kansas. “He was a car freak. He liked engines. He liked fast things. He liked unusual things. It had to be different. It had to be unique,” daughter Sherry Moran said. Given and his car-mates have passed away, but their devoted Shrine service and Corvette affinity are immortalized in articles and photos. Hank Schwarz, an officer with Tangier’s current club of Corvette enthusiasts, said, “It was a very elite group of people. They were very well thought of throughout the Shrine community.” When the idea of the original car patrol surfaced, Wahoo, Nebraska, Chevrolet dealer G.W. Anderson offered his auto industry connections. G.W.’s son, Gar Anderson, recalled, “The Thunderbird was the group’s original choice. But my dad said, ‘I’m a Chevy dealer, I can’t have a Thunderbird.’ That’s how they changed to the Corvette.” That was fine by Given, who had been hooked since the first time he spotted a Corvette. Though no gearhead, G.W. was glad to get all these new Corvette sales.

Patrol members were supposed to have identical vehicles, right down to the color. The bulk factory order by this club meant the collective was able to customize their Corvettes, often creating club exclusives. Some years this meant going without a radio, other times the customization was more visible to parade watchers and others. In 1962, Corvette Patrol director Quay Fitch special-ordered the Corvettes with the Cadillac color of Royal Heather Amethyst. Unfortunately, the interior colors that year did not include Fitch’s preference of white. Thus, he chose a red interior that, combined with the purple exterior, many considered garish. Following that year, the ’Vette color was always determined by a club vote. Although not the favorite car of the club members, this particular vehicle is a favorite of Corvette collectors. With few of these 1962 vehicles with this color combination in existence, the purchase price of a restored one is expensive. In early August, MotorSport Auction Group had one for sale with a reserve of more than $150,000. The National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, displayed a restored Royal Heather Amethyst Corvette from the Omaha Patrol from 2006-2008.

THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM IN BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY, DISPLAYED A RESTORED ROYAL HEATHER AMETHYST CORVETTE FROM THE OMAHA PATROL FROM 2006-2008.

With the help of Anderson Chevrolet, patrol members bought new Corvettes yearly through Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) program. It was not a cheap venture. In 1957, a base model Corvette was $3,176 (retail), at a time when the median family income was $5,000. For several years, taking possession of the club members’ ’Vettes meant catching an all-night passenger train from Omaha’s Union Station to St. Louis, where Corvettes were assembled. Gar and twin brother Gaylord sometimes tagged along. “The guys would spend many hours playing dice, and cards, and just having a great time,” Gar said. “The next morning they picked up their Corvettes. We’d drive from St. Louis to Kansas City, spend the night for another evening of frolic and fun, then go our separate ways. It was a great time.”

Patrol performances “were precision driving at its best,” Moran said. “They were really good. They were so close, so perfect. Very impressive. They had one maneuver where each driver would hold the handle of the car next to him—that’s how close they were driving.” Her sister Jeannè Willerth stated, “It was really cool.” The group traveled as a convoy to events, reportedly becoming the first to drive on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. They performed their synchronized routine at Rosenblatt Stadium, the Civic Auditorium, and other area venues. “They went a lot of places, they did a lot of things,” Moran said. “They had lots of fun,” Gar added.

Moran said her father owned 30 Corvettes “before my mother made him stop buying them.” Gar’s father carried a large number of Corvettes in his store in a town of 4,000 people. “That brought a lot of attention,” he said. “We had people from other states buying them from us.” Like all fairy tales, however, this story belongs to a time long ago. Sometime in the 1970s, the train trips turned into the Corvettes being delivered directly to the dealership. G.W. passed away in 1980, and the Corvette Patrol disbanded the following year. But remembering the patrol four decades since it disbanded, Moran said, would please her dad and his cronies, who lived for community and camaraderie.

SEPTEMBER • 60 PLUS

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‘Because a Job Needs to Be Done’: UNMC Volunteer Embodies the Spirit of Service

“If a customer is looking for a specific item, she won’t stop until she finds what they want, or something that will do in its place.” Sara Crouse

60+ PROFILE STORY BY JEFF LACEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN DESIGN BY DEREK JOY t’s clear Nebraskans love to volunteer.

According to the last reported national census, Nebraska ranks sixth among all states as far as volunteerism is concerned, with 589,714 volunteers contributing around 53.8 million hours of service every year. And why not? People who volunteer “experience greater satisfaction with life and life purpose, increased self-confidence, and a greater sense of identity,” according to webMD. Sara Crouse embodies this idea. Crouse, 74, has volunteered since she first stepped into a church nursery in her birth state of Illinois at age 16, and she shows no signs of stopping, having volunteered for various causes without expectation of return for almost six decades. She keeps adding to nearly 5,200 documented hours of volunteer service at UNMC. Sara and her husband, David, moved to Omaha in 1977. David holds a Ph.D. and was a professor at UNMC who retired in 2012, and Crouse has been an active volunteer in various community organizations since the late 1970s. She has served in several capacities at UNMC and its affiliates, but one of her more significant volunteering opportunities began in 1992, when she was connected with the geriatric rehabilitation unit at UNMC. Elderly patients would go there for rehab after events such as heart attacks, or knee replacements, and Crouse would assist them with whatever they needed. She particularly cherished her work with recreational therapist Ann Ramming. “I would visit new patients, and I’d have the opportunity to interview them, and ask a lot of questions. Then Ann would try to get them something that would help based on their interests,” Crouse explained. “I loved talking to them and getting to know them.” At the time, Crouse had finished her degree, which had an emphasis on gerontology. But she didn’t pursue it as a paying career. “I just wanted to work with them. That was enough for me.” Crouse was especially inspired by her work with transplant patients, which began in the mid-1990s. “You would be linked up with a family from out of town who didn’t know anybody,” Crouse said. “You became their connection to this community. I could take the wife to the grocery store, and just become a friend, somebody to talk to.” Crouse recalled one experience with a single mother whose daughter needed a liver and bowel transplant. “They waited over a year, and finally a match came, but almost too late for this little girl. She kept getting infections,” she said, continuing, “The mother had another daughter living back in Wisconsin with her grandmother. I spent a lot of time with them.” That wasn’t the only place where Crouse has spent a lot of time. “Sara always goes one step further for customers in the gift shop,” said retail lead Kelly Dinoff of this devoted volunteer. “If a customer is looking for a specific item, she won’t stop until she finds what they want, or something that will do in its place. She greets every customer with a huge smile and an accommodating manner, welcoming all into the shop.”

“You became their connection to this community. I could take the wife to the grocery store, and just become a friend, somebody to talk to.”

She has served as a docent and participates in the Faculty Women’s Club (a social organization at UNMC that, among other things, raises money for scholarships). Most recently, she served as an ambassador. “People come in the door of University, or Clarkson, or the Buffett Center, and some of them are like deer in headlights,” Crouse said. “I have been around a long time, so I am able to take them wherever they need to go.” According to Patty Ostronic, the UNMC Volunteer Services Lead, Crouse embodies the best a volunteer can be. Ostronic said that Crouse’s defining characteristics are her humility and an incredible energy. “Sara is a person who is highly willing to work,” Ostronic explained. “She definitely doesn’t just want to stand around. When she came to me looking for something more to do, she said that, most importantly, she wanted to be busy. She isn’t just someone who shows up for board meetings. She likes to be involved in areas that serve and support our students and patients.” Crouse, a mother of two and a grandmother of four, explained her drive to serve simply. “I do it because, well, a job needs to be done. Volunteers are needed, and I have always enjoyed helping people, and don’t need to be paid for it. It’s just good to do whatever you can do.” UNMC has temporarily halted volunteering duties due to COVID-19, but Crouse looks forward to returning. Recently, Crouse hurt her ankle during a hike in Fontenelle Forest’s Camp Wakonda, but it doesn’t seem to have slowed this septuagenarian down. “I pulled a ligament! But I’ll be back. We are planning a trip to Ireland.” Visit nebraskamed.com/giving/volunteerservices for more information.

Sara Crouse SEPTEMBER • 60 PLUS

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60+ e Prim e T im JOHN RYAN // 62 STORY BY NICHOLAS MOORE PHOTO BY BILL SITZMANN

After a lifetime spent in the men’s clothing business, John Ryan has learned about adaptability. One constant, however, is that everyone feels better when they’re dressed well. The pandemic crushed the retail clothing industry as potential customers stayed home and wore sweats. “Business is booming, driven primarily by all the weddings that got put on hold last year,” Ryan said. “We’re very blessed to have loyal customers and a strong word-of-mouth reputation for providing quality clothing and service to wedding parties at a fair price.” Modern groomsmen prefer an understated suit in a modern fit, tailored for them. “I thought I knew everything as a young man taking over the family business, but as we move into the third generation at Jerry Ryan Clothing, I’m grateful to keep learning from the youth of our community.” Ryan may be stuck in some of his ways, such as what he eats for lunch daily, but when it comes to the clothing business he loves change. “As I get older, I love seeing fashion trends cycle back around,” he said. “Suits used to be baggy, then they slimmed down, and now everyone wants comfort again.” Another constant in Ryan’s professional life: brick and mortar. The consumer longs now, more than ever, for human interaction, and perhaps a sense of home.

OBVIOUSLY OMAHA // STORY BY TAMSEN BUTLER // PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED

HUSKER-BASED CHARITIES

SIX WAYS HUSKER FANS HELP OTHERS

Husker Nation is a thriving subculture, and one that takes care of its people. Whether caring for the littlest Husker fans or ensuring former athletes can pay their medical bills, Husker charities shine a huge spotlight on the idea of “Nebraska Nice.”

DEVANEY LEGACY SOCIETY

625 Stadium Drive, Lincoln, NE 402.472.3111 | huskerathleticfund.com Named after legendary football coach Bob Devaney, this society is a part of The Husker Athletic Fund and was established in 2000. Their mission is to support student-athletes and provide them with the best experience. From renovations to training facilities to promoting the long-term, national prominence of Husker athletics, this fund focuses on the experience of student-athletes. Devaney transformed the Huskers into national champions during his 35 years as coach and athletic director. The Devaney Legacy Society accepts planned giving and endowments to the benefit of Husker student-athletes and their education, personal development, and sports performance.

HUSKER PANTRY

550 N. 19th St., Room 123, Lincoln, NE 402.472.8975 | pantry.unl.edu The Husker Pantry opened in 2017 and provides food and toiletries to students along with information about community resources for housing and other food resources. Students simply present their student ID card and they are eligible for assistance from Husker Pantry. The pantry reports that nearly one in three students experience food insecurity. They provide food so these students can get back to studying and worry less about from where their next meal will come. Husker Pantry has donation bins throughout the campus and accepts donations through their Amazon Wish List or online.

NEBRASKA GREATS FOUNDATION

5010 Underwood Ave.,Omaha, NE 402.561.2000 | nebraskagreatsfoundation.org The Nebraska Greats Foundation provides inneed former student-athletes with financial and medical assistance. The foundation serves alumni at the four-year colleges and universities in Nebraska. Former student-athletes are eligible for assistance if they earned their letter in athletics. The Nebraska Greats Foundation was originally called the Husker Greats Foundation but changed to its current name in 2015 when it earned Internal Revenue Service designation as a nonprofit organization. The foundation hosts an annual golf event and celebrity sports night as their main fundraisers.

TEAM JACK

47640 E. Highway 20, Atkinson, NE 402.925.2120 | teamjackfoundation.org Most people are already familiar with Team Jack, even if they don’t realize it. In the 2013 “run seen across the nation,” 6-yearold Jack Hoffman, a brain cancer survivor, was invited onto the football field and scored a 69-yard touchdown, making him an internet sensation and earning him an ESPY Award for Best Moment in Sports. Hoffman is now a teenager who, of course, plays football. Family and friends created the Team Jack Legacy Fund in 2012, now known as the Team Jack Foundation. An annual gala is their main fundraiser.

TEAMMATES

6801 O St., Lincoln, NE 402.323.6252 | teammates.org Coach Tom Osborne and his wife, Nancy, started this mentoring program 30 years ago. It started small, with around 20 football players from the team visiting with middle school students in public schools in Lincoln. The majority of the middle school students graduated from high school and most of them progressed into post-secondary education. TeamMates mentors meet with thousands of students throughout the Midwest. The annual TeamMates Gala is their main fundraiser of the year, and in 2021 it will feature retired baseball player Alex Rodriguez.

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOUNDATION

2285 S. 67th St., No. 200, Omaha, NE 800-432-3216 | nufoundation.org

The University of Nebraska Foundation was established in 1936. As the Great Depression continued, universities experienced financial difficulties and fewer students enrolled. This foundation was created with the intent of supporting the University of Nebraska above and beyond what state funding can provide. The Brook Berringer Memorial Scholarship Fund is part of the University of Nebraska Foundation. Berringer was a quarterback who died in a plane crash in 1996, two days before the NFL Draft, in which he was expected to be a pick. A benefit concert in 1997 was the beginning of the fund, which is the branch of the foundation that goes directly to UNL.

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ONCE YOU LEARN SOMETHING, THAT KNOWLEDGE CAN NEVER BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU… IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND BOOST YOUR INTELLECTUAL SKILLS. ” J AY L E E S H A COOPER

GEN O // STORY BY NATALIE SIMMONDS PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Uniting, Educating,

Empowering

YOUNG OMAHAN LEADS THE CHARGE FOR CHANGE

n late May 2021, Girls Inc. selected 10 young women to serve on the organization’s inaugural National Brand Ambassador Youth Council. Among those 10 was Omahan Jayleesha Cooper.

Before being legally able to vote, Cooper testified in the Nebraska Legislature and interned with the Douglas County Attorney Office’s Juvenile Division. The 2021 Duchesne Academy graduate was chosen as one of 30 Girls Inc. National Scholars, which comes with a $20,000 Lucile Miller Wright scholarship. It’s only the start of what her teachers and mentors see as a promising future. According to Terri Anania, Cooper’s social studies teacher at Duchesne, “Someday Cooper will be a member of Congress or the president; she just has those kinds of leadership skills.” Anania continued, “she is a shining example of what [impact] one person can have on an entire community.” She made a difference to people like her— students of color at Duchesne who faced difficulties meeting other students of color at the school. They often felt alone in their classes. During her junior year in fall 2019, Cooper went to dean of students Martha Heck and emphasized that these Duchesne students faced common issues that could best be addressed as a group. Heck agreed that a club to help facilitate solutions would be helpful, and told Cooper she needed a faculty moderator. Anania stepped in as the representative, and thus Cooper founded the Black Student Union. Cooper wanted students of color at Duchesne to have a safe space to hang out, share their experiences, and celebrate diversity. “When

I first started the Black Student Union, I was just trying to find a way for students of color to be more comfortable, especially freshman and underclassmen,” Cooper said. It also provided social interaction. Cooper enlisted her mother, Lequisha Sims, and grandmother, Tracie Cooper, to cook traditional and vegan soul food for the school in honor of Black History Month 2020. The club celebrated Cinco de Mayo with traditional Hispanic snacks and festivities. This past year, Cooper changed the name of the club to Melanin Magic to be more inclusive. Cooper thanked her teachers at Duchesne for helping her attain her accomplishments. She said her instructors have always been available before and after class; they are there for students, whether the students are having a difficult time or are sad. They are also there to motivate students. “The teachers at Duchesne care about you, not just as a student, but as a fellow human being…and they really try to help you succeed to the fullest,” Cooper said. Duchesne works to embody civic and educational values in its students, which Cooper embraced during her time at the school. One important value she learned, and believes, is that students should stop and think about how knowledge is an extremely powerful tool. “Once you learn something, that knowledge can never be taken away from you…it’s really important to continue to thrive and boost your intellectual skills,” Cooper said.

on panels to ask questions of guests at Lunch for the Girls events. “This really gave me a platform to use my voice…so that was really helpful in terms of…being comfortable with myself talking in public,” she said. That confidence came through when she introduced keynote speaker Malala Yousafzai at the group’s signature event, Lunch for the Girls, in 2016. Cooper, who wants to be a lawyer, gained valuable experience through Girls Inc.’s Eureka program in 2018. This internship allowed her to shadow prosecutors with the Douglas County Attorney’s Office. Her achievements at Girls Inc. led to her position on the National Brand Ambassador Youth Council. This select group is for high school juniors and seniors, and recent graduates of the organization, to help amplify the Girls Inc. brand and increase awareness of their mission and work. It’s a great chance for Cooper to continue serving the nonprofit.

Cooper also credits Girls Inc. for a lot of her success. When she started with the organization in kindergarten, she was shy. Working with Girls Inc. staff helped her develop a love of public speaking.

This month, she heads to the University of Chicago to study pre-law and political science, but she already has experience testifying before Nebraska Legislature at the state capitol. She has argued in support of a school choice bill three years in a row. The latest version of this bill, LB364, fell four votes shy of passing in late April. “I like testifying… because I really believe policy shapes the way the world is,” she said. “A lot of the time people writing the policies don’t understand the people they are affecting. Just because you’re poor or live in a poor neighborhood does not mean that your kids should not be afforded the best education.”

The organization provided Cooper with a number of opportunities, including sitting

Visit girlsinc.org or duchesneacademy.org for more information.

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DINING FEATURE // STORY BY CHRIS BOWLING // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Keeping It Dirty p

ast coffee shops and kitchens, people sipping juice and cocktails, Toby Keith’s baritone voice booms off fresh drywall. In the back of the new Blackstone food hall, Matthew “Moses” Moseley, Dan Whalen, and Mike West lean over vats of fry oil inside a 100-square-foot kitchen.

As customers walk up, they take in the twangy guitar bends of ’90s pop country and huge Pride and Black Lives Matter flags hanging alongside hand-drawn signs promising “Big Ass Chunks of Watermelon” or proclaiming The Drew Carey Show is better than Friends and Seinfeld combined (note: this magazine does not endorse such opinions). Then there’s the restaurant’s sign, featuring graffiti-like lettering and a giant yellow chicken, under which the three owners plate deviled eggs, serve fist-sized scoops of potato salad, and fry chicken (and vegan alternatives).

In many ways, the restaurant’s appearance reflects a maximalist, scattered, complicated society. But it succeeds because of what they put on the plate.

// DINING FEATURE //

e can always get to a base level with somebody,” Moseley said. “Because…no matter whose story it is, that story can intersect with fried chicken.”

That was the goal of Dirty Birds when it opened in January 2021. Owners Moseley, 36, and Whalen, 33, with West, 32, who joined the team shortly after, had success doing pop-ups around Omaha. In November 2020, they were approached to open a stall in The Switch food hall. Sales took off, lines formed, and eventually the restaurant expanded to an 800-square-foot former bar area in the same building. It’s been a wild ride, but that’s what they expected. Moseley and Whalen met in 2017 as line cooks at Kitchen Table in downtown Omaha. Moseley had spent years cooking for touring bands and working in cities like Atlanta, but he was ready to decide his next move. Whalen had a biology degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and spent his days pulling sandwich-lined sheet pans out of commercial-sized ovens. When management at The Switch asked them to open their own place, Moseley and Whalen drained their bank accounts and borrowed money. Suddenly they were moving in and wondering how they’d pay bills, including the rent on their three-bedroom Dundee apartment.

“I remember the first week, I was panicking,” Whalen said. “Because it was like, we haven't seen any money come in yet. How are we going to pay for food for next week?” Instead, they had the opposite problem: People came in droves and it became clear they needed help. West had cooked with Moseley for touring bands such as Trans-Siberian Orchestra. With COVID-19 and no tours, Moseley asked if he’d come up from Kansas City to help with the pop-ups, and eventually cover their last shifts as line cooks at Kitchen Table while they started Dirty Birds. But the more Moseley and Whalen struggled to keep up with booming interest, the more it became clear West would get roped into the burgeoning business. “I was only gonna be up here for 14 days,” said West, who’s in the process of transitioning from employee to the third partner in Dirty Birds’ ownership. “But after that first day, they were like, ‘Yo. You aren’t going anywhere.’” He moved into Moseley and Whalen’s Dundee apartment. They bought him a bed and sheets. The three have been together nonstop since, cooking and learning how to keep up with a rapidly evolving business.

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But they’re serious about treating people right. Unlike most restaurants, they pay their employees $15 per hour. They also want to get involved in social causes. At their former jobs they donated meals to the homeless and families in need. During Pride month, they donated 10% of their profits every Tuesday to OutNebraska, an advocacy and educational organization for LGBTQ+ issues. And while they joke with customers, they have a reverence for the experience they’re providing.

That’s meant learning the basics in small business ownership: paying employees, buying insurance, buying food, hiring a lawyer, and doing the day-to-day accounting that keeps the doors open.

While fried chicken has become a trend in fast food, the way Dirty Birds makes it channels nostalgia. Whether you eat it at a table, out of a bucket, or off a Dixie plate, fried chicken has long been a way for families to feed a crowd and celebrate good times.

As the only person with a college degree, those jobs mostly fell on Whalen. Not that higher education helped him learn how to cut through mountains of receipt paper, navigate programs like Quickbooks, or deposit thousands of dollars in cash to pay sales taxes. But Whalen, a silent type who doesn’t like to complain, makes it work.

Even the potato salad is Moseley’s mom’s recipe. The pickles are a tribute to their years working at Kitchen Table. Everything has meaning.

“He doesn't stay out of the trenches either,” West said. “So he's like in the heat of it, and also, you know, that's in the back of his mind.” “And he's got 10 minutes to get it done because he's got to go get elbow deep in some f#*kin’ tater salad,” Moseley said, smiling at Whalen. Clearly, they’ve had no problem getting people excited about their food, gaining more than 2,000 Instagram followers in six months. When customers walk up, they get a sensory overload not only from the signs, flags, and music, but also the owners themselves. Moseley stands at 6-foot-4-inches, dresses in all black, and has several face tattoos. He knows customers aren’t expecting to see a guy like him behind the counter inside this contemporary building with muted wood floors, big glass windows, and minimalist architecture. So he leans into it. “We don't have a lot of awkward conversations with customers, because we make it really awkward from the jump,” Moseley said. It seems abrasive, but that’s who they are— veteran line cooks, not enterprising chefs. They developed the menu between shots of Fernet and sips of Busch Light. They make fart jokes and named their website DirtyBirds69.com.

“You're paying for our experience,” Moseley said. “You're paying for the blood, sweat, and tears we put into making our fried chicken.” People have flown their chicken across the country. One visitor said he couldn’t understand why any tourist would get a steak in Omaha when Dirty Birds exists. West watched one man start to tear up as he ate his chicken sandwich on FaceTime with a friend. “That meant everything,” West said. Maybe that deceptively complex connection people have with fried chicken is to thank for their early success. Maybe it’s their gregarious counter service that keeps people coming back. Whatever it is, it’s working and it’s given West, Whalen, and Moseley license to think about the future. Eventually they want to open their own brick-and-mortar restaurant. But like everything else that’s happened, they’re going to keep working, being themselves, and wait for the right opportunity. “We plan on having another big-ass location, one for us built by us…something we can create from the ground up,” Moseley said. “It's definitely a goal. We’re not gonna hide that. Do we have a timeline? You know, not so much. Do we foresee things happening fast? Like every other time we've done anything else? Yeah.” Visit DirtyBirds69.com for more information.

l-r: Matthew “Moses” Moseley, Dan Whalen, and Mike West

“WE CAN ALWAYS GET TO A BASE LEVEL WITH SOMEBODY. BECAUSE…NO MATTER WHOSE STORY IT IS, THAT STORY CAN INTERSECT WITH FRIED CHICKEN.” -MATTHEW “MOSES” MOSELEY SEPTEMBER 2021

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Throughout the changing of hands, making and keeping ties within the community has remained a constant. // 120 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

DINING PROFILE // STORY BY TARA SPENCER // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY MATT WIECZOREK

Nicole Jesse Builds Continuing the Legacy on Leavenworth Italian restaurants are often known for their comfortable, inviting atmospheres. The best places can attribute this familial feeling to the staff and owners. Nicole Jesse, co-owner and general manager of La Casa Pizzaria on Leavenworth Street, embodies that welcoming warmth. Sitting at a table in the back of the building—a section that was added in 1957—she spoke about the legendary Omaha restaurant known for its unique pizza and iconic neon sign. The signature space on Leavenworth Street was originally a house in which Jesse’s grandfather Joe Patane, a carpenter by trade, first opened a fixture business. When Omaha city officials told him he couldn’t operate that business out of a home, he switched gears, opening La Casa, which fittingly means “the house.” “I’m not sure, at the time, what the laws were, because he was obviously able to turn around and make it a restaurant,” Jesse said with amusement in her voice. While known for its signature pizza, featuring freshly grated Romano cheese and ground beef, La Casa is widely admired for its family-run legacy. Patane and his wife, Nellie, had three daughters—Mary, Rose, and Jesse’s mother, Helen. While she worked for a time as a social worker, Helen eventually became involved in running the restaurant, turning it over to Jesse and her brother, Joel Hahn, in the mid ’80s. Her cousin, Anthony Vacanti— who owns La Casa Pizzaria West Corp.— also owns a part of the Leavenworth restaurant, but Jesse said she and Hahn handle the day-to-day operations. Like her mother, Jesse didn’t always plan on owning and running the restaurant. She wasn’t passionate about cooking, though she does enjoy it now. However, she has always loved to bake. “A lot of what I learned…I learned from my mom,” she said. When she worked at La Casa while in high school and during college, she said, “I was not 100% sure what I wanted to do.”

Initially, she went into accounting. “Then I got into tax accounting, and said ‘No way. This is not for me,’” she recalled with a laugh. She stayed in the business field, though, receiving her MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1989. As she was preparing to graduate, her mother was getting ready to retire. “I don’t know for sure if I would have stayed [at the restaurant],” Jesse said. “But when she decided that she wanted to retire and presented us with the opportunity to own the business, I kind of felt like…that was an opportunity I shouldn’t pass up.” Throughout the changing of hands, making and keeping ties within the community has remained a constant. Jesse recalled her mother talking about growing up during the Great Depression and living in Little Italy at the time. “People shared things with one another,” Jesse said, adding that her grandfather always had a garden and would freely share his produce. “I think he just had a very giving nature. Coming from Sicily and coming from poverty, I think he understood that there are a lot of people out there that don’t have a lot, and [you do] whatever you can to help.” Jesse said gardening is a passion of hers as well, and while she “dabbles in flowers,” her main focus is produce. That spirit of giving also lives on in the family. As a company, La Casa has donated money to several local, state, and national nonprofit organizations, including United Way of the Midlands, Omaha’s Food Bank for the Heartland, and Nebraska Aids Project. They often contribute to local high schools’ fundraising activities, including Jesse’s alma mater Mercy High School. “I think the philanthropy part has been something that’s woven into not only our business life, but our personal lives,” Jesse said. “And I know that’s been true for Joel and his family as well.” Jesse and her husband, John, volunteer their time with Habitat for Humanity. Once again, she is following in her grandfather’s footsteps, in an unintentional homage to his carpentry skills—building homes for those who may not be able to otherwise purchase them.

Habitat for Humanity Chief Executive Officer Amanda Brewer said the couple has volunteered hundreds of hours over the years helping to build houses. “We are so thankful they choose to come out and take part in this meaningful work,” she said, adding that the two come out every summer to help. Jesse said they started volunteering for Habitat when they heard about it through their church, Holy Cross Catholic. “We have always felt that…the Omaha community has been very good to us,” Jesse said. “And it’s important to support them as much as possible, in whatever way we can.” Besides supporting charitable organizations, Jesse is also known for being supportive of her staff, and LaCasa is recognized for retaining longstanding employees, which can be rare in the hospitality industry. According to Maureen Gibilisco, “Nicole is certainly one of the people who has helped facilitate that sort of sustainable work environment.” Gibilisco, 28, started as a teenager, making pizzas in the back of the house, and was working as a server and a bartender by the time she left. Having worked at several other restaurants around Omaha, she said some have been lovely and others have been “horrendous.” “In terms of individuals to work for, Nicole ranks at the top of my list,” Gibilisco said. Future generations may also have the chance to work for Jesse. While Omaha does not have mountains or an ocean, it does have its own appeal. “I don’t think people recognize the quality of life we have here,” Jesse said. Though she and her husband have talked about what they will do when they retire— “Whenever that’s gonna be.”—Jesse said she doesn’t see them moving away from Omaha. She has basically lived in the Leavenworth neighborhood her entire life. “My sister lives in the house that we grew up in,” she added. This is where her roots are. “I don’t think I would ever live anyplace else.” Visit lacasapizzaria.net for more information.

SEPTEMBER 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2021

ory by Staff DINING REVIEW // St czorek // Design by Matt Wie n an m tz Si ll Bi by y Photograph

Frank’s Pizzeria is a Sure Hit

Fold-and-Go or Sit-and-Eat 123

The sausage and pepper sandwich was a hit with Omaha Magazine staff members.

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DINING REVIEW

Frank’s Pizzeria has straightforward, no-nonsense decor. Red-topped tables have the requisite parmesan and red pepper flakes synonymous with a pizza joint. The exception to this somewhat plain decor is the collection of photos of entertainers that covers the walls, images of visitors who come to the small restaurant known for its traditional, New York-style pizza. Situated among several other small businesses in the Linden Market strip mall just off 132nd and Dodge streets, it’s easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there. But, pizza-lovers know, and they regularly frequent this nondescript eatery.

The pepperoni slice was not Spencer’s personal favorite, as there was minimal sauce, and she is a self-described “sauce queen.” But all agreed the crust was what it should be—thin and foldable with a crispy, chewy edge. Bartholomew said she preferred the light sauce, and Persigehl said it was definitely a classic “fold and go” slice of NY-style pizza. When the server asked if they would like the sausage and pepper sandwich toasted, Spencer answered for everyone. Fortunately, her coworkers agreed that it should be served on the toasted bread. For Spencer, this item was a surprise. She said she didn’t expect to like it as much as she did. “Oftentimes, I find that so many peppers can overwhelm a dish, drowning out the other flavors. These peppers were grilled to a perfect sweetness, and the caramelized onions had just a little crispness,” she said. Persigehl noted that the sausage wasn’t overly salty, which is something she has started to take note of as she and her husband are trying to eat less sodium. This dish was a definite dark horse favorite.

When the editors at Omaha Magazine found themselves discussing dining reviews, managing editor Daisy Hutzell-Rodman quickly suggested Frank’s. As a woman who typically subsists on salad and cottage cheese, the restaurant has become a favorite indulgence of hers, largely for three items: the eggplant parmesan sandwich; margherita pizza; and cannoli with raspberry sauce. Seriously, she couldn’t stress that enough. “Do not leave without trying the cannoli with raspberry sauce,” she said, numerous times. So senior editor Tara Spencer, associate editor Linda Persigehl, and digital manager Megan Bartholomew headed there for lunch.

After the food was dropped off at the booth, the server asked if they would like to take the mini cannolis to go or if they would like them brought out. The trio had them brought to the table.

They decided to try an appetizer, a sandwich, and a slice of pizza. As an appetizer, they went with the ravioli. The sausage and peppers came highly recommended, and they ordered a six-inch sandwich to share. Because a slice of pepperoni is the benchmark upon which Spencer judges all pizza, that was the slice.

The dessert was already in a to-go container, with the raspberry sauce on the side in its own little plastic ramekin. The mini cannolis are around four inches long and dusted with powdered sugar. While good on their own, with a nice crunch and creamy filling, it was agreed the sauce was a unique, flavorful touch. Spencer said she easily could have eaten all six herself.

Of course, they got the cannoli with raspberry sauce. As luck would have it, Frank’s also serves mini-cannolis, which worked out perfectly, as there were three people and six little pastry shells. The fried ravioli appetizer was a winner all around. Inside, the ricotta cheese was creamy and smooth, and the outer coating had a good crunch. Persigehl said she liked that they were light and fried a perfect golden color. “I’ve had lots that were too heavy or overcooked and hard, or the cheese runs out the sides,” she wrote in her notes. The sauce that accompanied them was a chunky marinara.

Eating at Frank’s is not a fancy dining experience (real silverware is available upon request), but it is a pleasant one. And those who don’t have to go back to work after their meal can also have an ice-cold bottle of beer with their meal—a classic pairing for a classic pizza place. Visit frankspizzeriaomaha.com for more information. FRANK’S PIZZERIA 711 N 132ND ST. - 402.493.0404

As it was lunch time, they tried one of the special lunch combos, a cheese slice with a side salad and a soda for $6.99. (The staff paid an additional 25 cents for pepperoni.) The side salad was basic, with iceberg lettuce, two half tomato slices, and a small pile of red onion slices. The dressing wasn’t overly tangy or sweet, but rather wellbalanced and not too thin. The woman at the counter said it is made just for the restaurant.

FOOD SERVICE AMBIANCE PRICE OVERALL

$$ 5 STARS POSSIBLE

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Omaha

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN BARREL & VINE- $$ 1311 South 203rd Street Omaha, NE 68130 Barrel and Vine’s restaurant is an elevated food experience that is made from scratch daily with love in our kitchen. Our menu combines a mixture of Chef driven creative dishes, crave-able comfort meals and premium Nebraska steaks. Barrel & Vine also doubles as a live music venue and offers a rooftop bar, outdoor patio with firepits, and dozens of high end bourbons, scotch, and over 100 wine selections. Come check out an experience that is like nothing else in Nebraska. Open 7 days a week. Coming July 2021.

JAMS- $$ 7814 Dodge St. - 402.399.8300 17070 Wright Plz, Ste. 100 - 402.810.9600 1101 Harney St. in the OldMarket 402.614.9333 Jams is an Omaha restaurant legacy, an “American Grill” that offers a melting pot of different styles and varieties. The dishes are made with high-quality ingredients that pair well with award-winning wines or creative cocktails. —jamseats.com

LE PEEP - $ 69th & Pacific - 402.933.2776 177th and Center streets - 402.934.9914 156th St. & W. Dodge Rd. - 402.408.1728 120th and Blondo streets - 402.991.8222 Le Peep puts a wholesome perspective on your favorite neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot. Fresh. Simple. Elegant. Inviting. We put the emphasis on people, both patrons and staff. We focus on providing each of our guests the fresh food and friendly service that they have come to expect. Open daily 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. —lepeepomaha.com

STELLA’S - $ 106 S. Galvin Road, Bellevue - 402.291.6088 Since 1936, we’ve been making our world-famous Stella’s hamburgers the same way. The family secrets have been handed down to each owner, ensuring that your burger is the same as the one you fell in love with the first time you tried Stella’s. And if it ’s your first time, we know you’ll be back! Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., closed Sunday. —stellasbarandgrill.com

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SEPTEMBER 2021

TED AND WALLY’S - $ 1120 Jackson St. - 402.341.5827 Come experience the true taste of homemade ice cream in the Old Market. Since 1986, we’ve created gourmet ice cream flavors in small batches using rock salt and ice. We offer your favorites, plus unique flavors like margarita, green tea, Guinness, and French toast. Special orders available. Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.10 p.m., Fri.- Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday. Noon-10 p.m. —tedandwallys.com

VARSITY SPORTS CAFE - $$ Ralston - 9735 Q St. - 402.339.1944 Bellevue - 3504 Samson Way - 402.932.1944 Millard - 14529 F St. - 402.505.6660 Dundee - 4900 Dodge St. - 402.934.9439 Ralston, Bellevue, Millard and Dundee. We are truly grateful to have been welcomed into each of these communities and welcome you in for good food, a cold drink and a comfy seat to enjoy the sport of your choosing! Determined to bring only the freshest ingredients, homemade dough and our specialty sauces to the table, we have worked hard to perfect our craft for you. Our goal is to bring the best food service to the area and show the best sports events that you want to see. Pick up and Delivery availalble. Please check website for hours of operation. —varsityromancoinpizza.com

xican Dining Me

ichanga Chim

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

5 METRO Locations!

3 90th & Blondo 402.391.8870 3 146th & Center 402.330.4160 3 96th & L 402.331.5656 3 Galvin & Avery 402.292.2028 3 29th & Farnam 402.346.1110

www.romeosOMAHA.com

Omaha

DINING GUIDE

I TA L I A N

Get a Little Saucy. CHANGE Appetizers

yH Happ our

LA CASA PIZZARIA - $$ 45th and Leavenworth streets - 402.556.6464

ntic Restaura ma nt Ro

an Dining Itali

LO SOLE MIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO - $$ 3001 S. 32nd Ave. - 402.345.5656

SPEZIA SPECIALTIES WOOD FIRE STEAKS & SEAFOOD INNOVATIVE PASTA—RISOTTO—GNOCCHI FRESH SALMON DAILY

Open 7 Days a Week for Lunch & Dinner

Patio Dining Available

Catering

La Casa Pizzaria has been serving Omaha its legendary Neapolitan-style pizza and pasta for 60 years. We offer dine-in, carry-out, party facilities, catering, and now pizza shipments to the 48 contiguous states. Open Tuesday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. —lacasapizzaria.ne

Take Out & Curbside Pickup Available!

. Private Party Rooms . Walk-Ins Welcome 3125 South 72 nd Street

The restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by charming homes. Everyone is greeted with homemade bread, a bowl of fresh tomatoes and basil, a bowl of oven-roasted garlic cloves, specially seasoned olive oil, and (at night) a jug of Chianti! The menu includes a large variety of pasta, chicken, veal, seafood, and even a delicious New York steak. Traditional dishes such as lasagna, tortellini, and eggplant parmigiana are also available. Lunch offerings include panini, salads, and one of the best pizzas in town. Patio seating, full bar, and a great wine list complete the atmosphere. No reservations, except for private rooms. —losolemio.com

(Easy access off I-80, take 72nd Street Exit)

402.391.2950 . Call today to make your reservation

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

CHEERS! 18 YEARS IN A ROW! LaMesaOmaha.com | 6 Locations SEPTEMBER 2021

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Rotella’s Italian Bakery has grown well beyond the dream of Alessandro and Maria’s 1921 bakery, a small single room operation at 21st & Pierce St. What’s more astonishing than our growth, however, is how much has remained the same. Industrial mixers have replaced the kneading we once muscled through. And wood-fired ovens are a thing of the past. But we continue to place our family’s values at the center of every decision, and in doing so we look forward to the next 100 years.

The founder’s son, Louis Sr., guided the company through decades of expansion. Often using the salutation, “We wish you the very best, from the Rotella family,” he lived out that catchphrase, always putting customers’ best interest first. He passed down his steadfast commitment to quality and service to his son, Louis Jr., Rotella’s current CEO and President. Louis Jr. devoted his career to product and business development, propelling the bakery from local legend to a national leader.

Omaha

DINING GUIDE Breakfast

PASTA AMORE - $$ 11027 Prairie Brook Rd. - 402.391.2585

156th & Dodge • 408-1728 177th & Center • 934-9914 120th & Blondo • 991-8222 69th & Pacific • 933-2776

Thanks for Voting Us # BREAKFAST YEARS in a Row!

Drive-Thru Open (Center St. Only) Open Daily 6:30am-2:00pm Serving Breakfast & Lunch All Day!

LEPEEPOMAHA.COM | @LEPEEPOMAHA n Sandwi ube ch Re

w Bar in 2019 Ne

2 0 2 0 W i nn er

Try Omaha’s Favorite Reuben! Omaha’s largest selection of craft beers.

3578 Farnam St • 402-345-1708 www.beercornerusa.com

DINE-IN TAKE-OUT

OKTOBERFEST: SEP. 10 & 11, 2021

4524 Farnam St. - 402-991-7724 FREE PARKING . LIVE MUSIC . BIER GARDEN

R AT H S K E L L E RO M A H A .C O M

Pastas are made fresh daily, including tortellini, fettuccine, and capellini. Daily specials and menu items include a variety of fresh seafood and regional Italian dishes, such as linguini amore and calamari steak, penne Florentine, gnocchi, spaghetti puttanesca, and osso buco. Filet mignon is also offered for those who appreciate nationally renowned Nebraska beef. To complement your dining experience, the restaurant offers a full bar and extensive wine list. Be sure to leave room for homemade desserts, like the tiramisu and cannoli. MondayThursday 9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10 p.m. Reservations recommended. —pastaamore.com

SPEZIA - $$$ 3125 S. 72nd St. - 402.391.2950 Choose Spezia for lunch or dinner, where you’ll find a casual elegance that’s perfect for business guests, get-togethers, or any special occasion. Exceptional food, wine, and service, with a delectable menu: fresh seafood, certified Angus steaks, innovative pasta, risotto, gnocchi, cioppino, lamb, entrée salads, Mediterranean chicken, flatbreads, and fresh salmon daily. Enjoy a full bar, Italian and California wines, Anniversary/Lovers’ Booth (call to reserve), private dining rooms, and wood-fired grill. Open Monday-Sunday. Cocktail hour 4-6 p.m., when all cocktails, glasses of wine, and beers are half price. Evening reservations recommended. —speziarestaurant.com

MEXICAN FERNANDO’S - $ 7555 Pacific St. - 402.339.8006. 380 N. 114th St. - 402.330.5707 Featuring Sonoran-style cooking made fresh daily. Catering and party rooms also available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.10 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sunday 4-9 p.m. —fernandosomaha.com

STEAKS • CHOPS • SEAFOOD ITALIAN SPECIALTIES 7 private party rooms Seating up to 400 Lots of parking

1620 S. 10th Street

402-345-8313

www.casciossteakhouse.com

DINING GUIDE LEGEND

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Omaha

DINING GUIDE LA MESA - $$ 158th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.557.6130 156th and Q streets - 402.763.2555 110th St. and W. Maple Rd. - 402.496.1101 Fort Crook Rd. and Hwy 370 - 402.733.8754 84th St. and Tara Plaza - 402.593.0983 Lake Manawa Exit - 712.256.2762 MODERN COCKTAILS MIXED WITH AMERICA’S MUSIC

3825 N. 30 ST., OMAHA, NE @JOHNNYTSBARANDBLUES TH

Enjoy awesome enchiladas, fabulous fajitas, seafood specialties, mouthwatering margaritas, and more at La Mesa. Come see why La Mesa has been voted Omaha’s No. 1 Mexican restaurant 18 years in a row. Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. —lamesaomaha.com

ROMEO’S MEXICAN FOOD AND PIZZA - $ 90th and Blondo streets - 402.391.8870 146th St. and W. Center Rd. - 402.330.4160 96th and L streets - 402.331.5656 Galvin and Avery roads - 402.292.2028 29th and Farnam steets - 402.346.1110 Romeo’s is your friendly, family Mexican food and pizza restaurant.We take real pride in serving our guests generous portions of the freshest, most flavorful dishes made with the finest ingredients available. Zesty seasonings and the freshest ingredients combine to ensure the ultimate in flavor. Our savory taco meat is prepared every morning at each location. Make sure to try our chimichangas; they’re the best in town. —romeosomaha.com

Hamburger

SPECIAL DINING CRESCENT MOON ALE HOUSE - $ 3578 Farnam St. - 402.345.1708 Founded in 1996, we’ve grown into Beer Corner USA with the additions of The Huber Haus German Beer Hall, Max and Joe’s Belgian Beer Tavern, and Beertopia—Omaha’s Ultimate Beer Store. With more than 60 beers on tap and Omaha’s best Reuben sandwich, we are a Midtown beer-lover’s destination. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Kitchen hours: Monday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday-Saturday 11 a.m.-midnight. Closed Sunday. —beercornerusa.com

RATHSKELLER BIER HAUS-$$ 4524 Farnam Street - 402.991.7724 Rathskeller Bier Haus celebrates daily with German beer, wurst and many other menu items. Within arm’s reach of the Blackstone District and historic Dundee. Rathskeller Bier Haus is our German castle and designed to bring the storied traditions of Bavaria to the beating heart of Omaha’s metro area. Come enjoy our large outdoor beer garden and four legged friends are welcome. Prost! Open daily 11 a.m.-Late. —rathskelleromaha.com

thanks to our customers for voting us the “BEST BURGER

IN OMAHA

“Serving World Famous Hamburgers Since 1936” 106 Galvin Rd., Bellevue, NE • 402-291-6088 • Open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 am - 9:00 pm // 130 //

SEPTEMBER 2021

Omaha’s Riverfront Entertainment Venue

Omaha

DINING GUIDE WEDDINGS • PARTIES • EVENTS

GREEK ISLANDS - $ 3821 Center St. - 402.346.1528

JAMS OLD MARKET • 1101 Harney St • Happy Hour M-F 3pm-6pm

Greek cuisine with specials every day at reasonable prices. We are well-known for our gyro sandwiches and salads. We cater and can accommodate a party for 65 guests. Carry-out and delivery available. Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. —greekislandsomaha.com

JAMS MIDTOWN • 7814 West Dodge Road • Sunday Brunch 10am-2pm

LIVE MUSIC TH-SU

402-342-7827

CASCIO’S - $$ 1620 S. 10th St. - 402-345-8313

• WEDDINGS • PARTIES • EVENTS • REUNIONS • MEETINGS 151 FREEDOM PARK ROAD • OMAHA www.rivercitystar.com

JAMS LEGACY • 17070 Wright Plaza • Party Rooms & Patios • jamseats.com

Take Out & Delivery Available Online Ordering Available at Bellevue & Millard Locations

402.505.6660

Cascio’s is Omaha’s No. 1 steakhouse. We have been serving Omaha for 69 years. We feature steaks, chops, seafood, and Italian specialties. We have seven private party rooms, seating for up to 400 people, and plenty of parking. —casciossteakhouse.com

THE DROVER RESTAURANT & LOUNGE - $$$ 2121 S. 73rd St. - 402-391-7440

Please Check Website for Hours of Operation Sports Bar

402.339.1944

STEAKHOUSES

Famous for the original Whiskey Steak. Truly a one-of-a-kind Midwestern experience. Excellent food, wine, service, and value. Rare...and very well done. Lunch Monday- Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., cocktail hour 3-6 p.m., dinner nightly 5 p.m. —droverrestaurant.com

402.932.1944 DINING GUIDE LEGEND

varsityromancoinpizza.com

$=$1-10 • $$=$10-20 • $$$=$20-30 • $$$$=$30+ h Steak ouse

@The Drover Restaurant & Lounge | Gift Cards Available 2121 S. 73 St. | (402) 391-7440 | DroverRestaurant.com Open Monday - Friday 11am - 2pm | Dinner nightly from 5pm

ek Dining Gre

Family Owned Since 1983 CATERING / PARTY ROOM AVAILABLE HOMEMADE, FRESH FOOD, ALWAYS.

3821 Center St. / 402.346.1528 GreekIslandsOmaha.com SEPTEMBER 2021

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NORFOLK OKTOBERFEST Sept. 24-25 in downtown Norfolk. During this two-day festival, Northeast Nebraska celebrates the area’s German heritage and fall harvest with a beer garden, live music, German food, and family entertainment. Attendees can also count on a tailgate, teen dance, and free rides home anywhere in Norfolk from 12:30-2:00 a.m. 402.371.4862. —norfolkareachamber.com GROWN UPS’ GETAWAY AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH

TBD at Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm, Avoca. Kick off the pumpkin patch season by visiting the farm after dark to sip on beer and wine, and play games while listening to live music. 402.267.4104. —bloompumpkinpatch.com

NEBRASKA

RICHARDSON COUNTY FREE FAIR Sept. 15-18 at Richardson County Ag Society, Humboldt. Starting off each morning with a parade, the entertainment continues all three days with activities such as carnival rides and concessions. There are also competitive events including beef, horses, photography, textiles, and creative writing. 402.245.4324. —nebraskafairs.org

KARLY DRIFTWOOD AND DILLON GAIGE Sept. 8 at Shotguns Bar, 1332 P St. in Lincoln Country. Music singer/songwriter Karly Driftwood of Nashville joins Sutton, Nebraska, native Dillon Gaige. —downtownlincoln.org PLATTSMOUTH HARVEST FESTIVAL Sept. 9-12 at

various locations, Plattsmouth. This four-day annual festival— that was once a corn festival in the 1930s— presents tractor rides, carnival rides, parades, a cornhole competition, and music. 402.516.4914. —plattsmouthharvestfestival.com

OGALLALA INDIAN SUMMER RENDEZVOUS Sept. 16-18 at Rendezvous Square, Ogallala. Going on their 34th year, downtown Ogallala offers a celebration of their past with bands, entertainment, dancing, and local talents. 308.289.5674 . —ogallalaindiansummerrendezvous.com

WAKEFIELD BALLOONS ’N’ BBQ Sept. 27-29 in Wakefield. For the 16th year, Wakefield will host hot air pilots, a Legion steak feed, and the BBQ Bash. The event will also offer a color run, omelet feed, craft and food vendors, a classic rock and country band, and more. 402.287.2080.—visitdixoncounty.org PUMPKIN PATCH AND VINTAGE MARKETPLACE TBD, Bloom Where You’re Planted Farm, Avoca. The pumpkin patch season calls for a visit to the Avoca farm. Locally grown pumpkins of all shapes and colors are for sale, and guests can find activities such as hay rides on the farm. 402.267.4104. —bloompumpkinpatch.com

IOWA

20TH ANNUAL POLISHFEST Sept. 12 at Polish Heritage Center Museum HARVEST FESTIVAL Sept. 16-19 in SLEEPY HOLLOW RENAISSANCE FAIRE Sept. 4-6, Sept. and St. Francis Community Hall, Gothenburg. The three-day event is the 11-12, and 18-19 at Sleepy Hollow Sports Park, Des Ashton. This event will feature the town’s annual festival, full of arts and crafts Moines. This event is a magical experience for both music of Barry Boyce Band, educational as well as a large parade. 308.537.3505. — young and old. When people enter the gates for the workshops on the Polish language, and gothenburgdelivers.com first time they will go back in time to an era when speaker Beth Gross. Traditional Polish food royalty ruled, knights jousted, and the arts came and music will also be available. 308.738.2260. THE DILLON GAIGE BAND Sept. 17 at The Field alive. 515.262.4100. —sleepyhollowrenfaire.com — polishheritagecenter.com Sports Bar and Grill, Diller. Dillon Gaige Band are an up-and-coming group of musicians. This show ARTAPALOOZA Sept. 11 at Cedar Falls Community HARVEST FAIR Sept. 11-12 at Stuhr Museum, will feature another up-and-coming artist, Jake Main Street, Cedar Falls. Children and adults Grand Island. This popular fall event celebrates Kloefkorn. They have been participating in gigs can participate in hands-on art activities and harvest time with live music, pumpkin all over Nebraska, and are excited to continue view work from over 40 participating artists. activities, and harvest cookery. 308.385.5316. touring and meet new people. Admission: Sept. 319.277.0213. —communitymainstreet.org —stuhrmuseum.org Free. 402.984.9914. —dillongaige.com

LINCOLN CALLING Sept. 23-25 in downtown

Lincoln. Featuring headliners Lee Fields & The Expressions and Soccer Mommy, this annual nonprofit musical festival aims to celebrate creativity. The festival prides itself on equal representation between male and female performers, as well as representing the LGBTQ+ community and performers of color. Email info@lincolncalling.com — lincolncalling.com

LEGACY OF THE PLAINS HARVEST FESTIVAL Sept. 18-19 at Legacy of the Plains Museum, Gering. For the 23rd year, the annual Harvest Festival attracts thousands of visitors for activities such as food vendors, a corn maze, livestock viewing, and more. The highlight crop this year is dry, edible beans. 308.436.1989. —legacyoftheplains.org

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SEPTEMBER 2021

APPLEJACK FESTIVAL Sept. 17-19 various

locations, Nebraska City. To kick off the apple harvest, this historic festival—with a turnout of 60,000 to 80,000 people- consists of apple pie, apple cider, caramel apples, and all other things apple. The weekend has over six craft fairs, a car show, live music, and has been named a USA Today Top 10 Fall Harvest Festival. 402.873.6654. — nebraskacity.com

ANNUAL STEELE CITY FLEA MARKET AND ANTIQUE FARM MACHINERY SHOW Sept. 18-19 in Steele

City. With food and live music, and free vendor space for vendors selling everything from crafts to antiques, this event attracts many. 402.729.5131. — visitnebraska.com

BEAVERDALE FALL FESTIVAL Sept. 17-18 in Beaver Falls, Des Moines. More than 40 years ago, merchants in the Beaverdale area first began this annual fall tradition, which now features sidewalk sales, carnival rides, music, beer tents, and a parade. The festival includes several activities such as an arts and crafts market, talent show, and horse rides. —fallfestival.org

43RD ANNUAL HOT AIR BALLOON DAYS Sept. 17-19 at Creston Municipal Airport, Creston. Almost 40 hot air balloons will participate in races while guests stroll around the arts and crafts fair, flea market, and food booths. In addition there is a parade with a marching band contest, a balloon night glow, food booths, and more. 641.782.7021. —unioncountyiowatourism.com

FAMILY FUN, FISHING, FESTIVALS AND MORE. FIND IT ALL THIS FALL IN SARPY COUNTY! Tree Rush Adventures at Fontenelle Forest, Bellevue

t, Bellevue

Fontenelle Fores

Werner Park, Papillion

Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna

UPCOMING EVENTS Night Climb at Tree Rush Adventures, Fontenelle Forest. Now through Sept.

Fishing the area lakes & rivers

SEPT 24-OCT 31 Vala’s Pumpkin Patch Open Gretna SEPT 18-OCT 31 Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Ranch Open Bellevue

Soaring Wings Vineyard & Brewing, Springfield

OCTOBER 2 We Are Old Dominion: Live from the Ballpark Concert Tour Werner Park, Papillion Nebraska Crossing, Gretna

Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Farm, Bellevue

Sarpy County awaits with a wonderful mix of fun things to see and do. Check out Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Bellevue Berry & Pumpkin Ranch, Scary Acres or Haunted Hollow for some great fall fun you won’t find anywhere else. Sample the offerings at one of our many local breweries, distilleries and winery. And with over 2,300 affordable rooms, free parking and no minimum night requirements, Sarpy County is the perfect place to stay during football season. Kick off your adventure today at GoSarpy.com!

BELLEVUE • GRETNA • LA VISTA • PAPILLION • SPRINGFIELD • OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE • OMAHA METRO

// EXPLORE CALENDAR //

WORLD FOOD & MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 17-19 in

downtown Des Moines. This festival will return to its location in downtown Des Moines’ Western Gateway Park for its 17th year. This weekend offers international food, live music, dancing, cooking, wine and craft beers, and an exciting atmosphere. 515.286.4915. —dsmpartnership.com

DES MOINES OKTOBERFEST Sept. 24-25 in

downtown Des Moines. This weekend has much to offer, including a Craft Beer Village, Lederhosen Lane, and a Silent Disco Party. Prizes will be awarded to attendees dressed in authentic German attire. 515.371.4742. —oktoberfestdsm.com

LATINO HERITAGE FESTIVAL Sept. 25-26 at Western Gateway Park, Des Moines. This family-oriented event educates attendees through arts, food, children’s activities, and cultural exhibits from Central and South American countries. The festival aims to teach a better understanding of Latino culture, and emphasize an appreciation for diversity. 515.279.0715. —latinoheritagefestival.org

KANSAS

Landing Park, Leavenworth. Craft vendors, live entertainment, a firework display, and more can be found at this second annual festival, featuring hometown hero Melissa Etheridge. The iconic GRAMMY- and Oscar-winning singer/ songwriter and activist will be joined by several local and regional acts throughout the weekend. 913.758.6752. —visitleavenworthks.com

2021 LATINO ARTS FESTIVAL Sept, 25 at

CIDERFEST Sept. 25-26 and Oct. 2-3 at the Louisburg Cider Mill, Louisburg. Activities such as pony rides and donut-making can be found at this annual fall festival. Visitors can also count on live music, and a 10-acre corn maze. 913.837.5202. —louisburgcidermill.com

MISSOURI Sept.

SPINACH FESTIVAL Sept. 11 at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park, Lenexa. This family-oriented event celebrates the Spinach Capital of the World. Food, music, entertainment, art vendors, and the World’s Largest Spinach Salad can all be found at this free event that draws 8,000 people each year for a fun day of shopping and activities. 913.477.7131. —lenexa.com WALNUT VALLEY FESTIVAL Sept. 15-19 at Winfield

Fairgrounds, Winfield. For five days, more than 3,000 contestants from all 50 states, as well as several foreign countries, gather in Winfield. Hired artists appear on stage and within the campground, while most attendees bring an instrument to play. 620.221.3250. —wvfest.com

IRISH FEST Sept. 3-5 at Crown Center Ice

SEPTEMBER 2021

BLUEGRASS BATTLES HUNGER Sept. 24-25 at Coleman Hawkins Park, St. Joseph. Proceeds from this concert go towards supporting hunger relief efforts through Second Harvest Community Food Bank. Guests can look forward to food truck cuisine and vendor fare. Email info@bluegrassbattleshunger.com for more information. —bluegrassbattleshunger.com FALL FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND CRAFTS Sept. 24-26 at Main Street, Washington. The historic town attracts many artists to sell their unique products. Live music, a food court, and a children’s area are also some highlights of this event. 636.239.1743. —visitmo.com

SANTACALIGON DAYS FESTIVAL Sept. 3-6 at Independence Square, Independence. Celebrated annually, this festival honors the City of Independence as the starting point of the Santa Fe and Oregon trails during America’s westward expansion. Expect to see live entertainment, vendors, and a carnival. Sawyer Brown is the headliner. 816.875.4112 —santacaligon.com

LEE’S SUMMIT OKTOBERFEST Sept. 24-26 in downtown Lee’s Summit. This free festival will have all things Oktoberfest—live entertainment and activities included. Taste home brews and chow down on brats, or take a trip to the “Rootbiergarten.” 816.524.2424. —lsoktoberfest.com

GRAPE AND FALL FESTIVAL Sept. 8-11 at Nelson

Hart Park, St. James. Carnival rides, live music, a grape stomp, demolition derbies, and more are found at this event. Maddie & Tae will perform on Thursday night. 573.265.6649. —visitmo.com

INDEPENDENCE UNCORKED WINE FESTIVAL

Sept. 11 at Bingham-Waggoner Estate, Independence. Bring your ID and leave the kids and dogs at home for an afternoon of tasting wines from 25 Missouri wineries and spirits from a local distillery. Email Info@independenceUncorked.com for more information. —independenceuncorked.com

LAURIE HILLBILLY FAIR Sept. 17-18 at 269 Fairgrounds Drive, Laurie. Crafts, food, music, and carnival rides make for an enjoyable weekend in Laurie. 573.374.8776. —cityoflaurie.com

// 134 //

HARVEST HOOTENANNY Sept. 17-18 at Mark Twin Cave, Hannibal. Featuring many activities for kids and adults, the two-day event celebrates the town’s history and scenery. Arts and crafts, pumpkin painting, and tree climbing are just some of the all-age activities offered. 573.221.2477. —visithannibal.com

Terrance, Kansas City. This three-day event has been named one of the top Irish Festivals in the nation, and features over 30 bands, shops, food, and music. Email @kcirishfest.com. —kcirishfest.com

9-12

KANSAS STATE FAIR Sept. 10-19 at Kansas State Fairgrounds, Hutchinson. This 10-day long fair promotes Kansas culture with several attractions including animals, music, and shopping. 620.669.3600. —kansasstatefair.com

ANNUAL AUTUMN DAZE ARTS, CRAFTS, AND MUSIC FESTIVAL Sept. 16-18 in downtown Bran-

son. This free event features live music, homemade crafts, and a sidewalk sale. Throughout each day, an entertainment stage will feature free live music from some of Branson’s finest entertainers 417.334 .1548. —exSept. plorebranson.com

KS Avenue of Murals, Kansas City. This event provides an opportunity for local Latin artists to showcase their work to the community. The artists will display pieces that influence, inform, and celebrate Latino culture, with singers, dancers, poets, bands and more. 913.940.4136. —latinoartsfoundationkc.com

DANCEFESTOPIA Sept. 9-12 at Emerald City,

La Cygne. This three-day festival pairs a wild dance party with outdoor activities. This year features performers GRiZ, Zeds Dead, Rezz, and more. 877.987.6487 —dancefestopia.com

STATE OF THE OZARK FESTIVAL Sept. 18 at Historic Downing Street, Hollister. A variety of activities are offered at this festival, including dancing, shopping, yoga sessions, cosplay, and crafts. 417.335.1371. —explorebranson.com

CAMP LEAVENWORTH Sept. 24-25 at Leavenworth

OVERLAND PARK FALL FESTIVAL Sept. 25 at Overland Park Farmers Market, Overland Park. This community-oriented celebration features high school bands, local businesses, dance troupes, and a parade through downtown Overland Park. 913.344 .8656. —opkansas.org

Event times and details may change.

Visit omahamagazine.com for complete listings. Check with venue or event organizer to confirm.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

// 135 //

NOT FUNNY // COLUMN BY OTIS TWELVE // PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL SITZMANN

S PAC E : TH E FI N AL N AH

t just popped into my head the other day when I was cleaning the air filter on my Lawn Boy. Maybe it was fumes from the gas I’d spilled on the deck of the mower when I filled it with the old red can with the leaky spout. Maybe it was the sun on the back of my neck. After all, it was closing in on 90 degrees and the humidity was somewhere past Panama Canal Zone in intensity. That combined with the fact that the thick air was as still as the inside of Leona Helmsley’s prison locker, and that I had not been watching my fluid intake since the night before when I tossed down one-third of a six pack of Nonalcoholic Clausthalers to go with three handfuls of low-salt “Cheddarific” microwave popcorn—a class of snack that should be forbidden by the Geneva Conventions. At any rate, for just a second, I was floating above my yard looking down on the guy cleaning the air filter—me. As I floated higher I noticed the gap on my back between my sagging beltline and my T-shirt as it crept up my sweaty spine…the classic plumber-bending-over pose. (These kinds of “near death” experiences are invariably humbling, which is why you never hear of a narcissist who has ever had one.) Luckily, I continued ascending and that little fleshy tableau blurred out of focus as my altitude increased. The topmost branches of the huge maple in my neighbor’s yard came into view, including the home of my nemesis, Mr. Squirrelly Squirrel McSquirrellypants. The dastardly rodent who pilfers my suet and disturbs my Nuthatch friends at the feeder. Then higher and I saw my block and every garden that was doing better than mine—no doubt because some people have time to weed—and then higher, and as I gathered speed, I just missed the police chopper as it circled the nearby interstate interchange where odds are there was at least one idiot in a Tesla testing his auto-drive…and higher still. It was like a YouTube video that you start watching and then lose interest in, but the mouse isn’t responding despite your frantic clicking, and on you go. I passed through clouds and out into the stratosphere where the air was thin and suddenly a guy who looked like Richard Branson was staring at me with a near-frozen grin from a passing porthole followed shortly by a bald, grimacing billionaire whose name I could not quite place in a much louder and smokier rocket…That’s when I sneezed and began to fall. Down I went, like zooming your iPhone camera in on an ant on the patio between your Birkenstocks. Before I knew it, I was cleaning the air filter again, only slightly dizzy, tugging at the beltline at the back of my jeans and trying to remember where I’d put the butterfly net that held it all together. So, I was thinking of launching myself into space, but then I decided…nah. Otis Twelve hosts the radio program Early Morning Classics with Otis Twelve on 90.7 KVNO, weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. Visit kvno.org for more information.

SEPTEMBER

// 136 //

2021

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Omaha Magazine - September 2021 - The 2021 Giving Issue

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