United Way of the Midlands awards $52,000 to Nebraska Children’s Home Society to fund family support programs

OMAHA, Neb. (August 27, 2021) – Nebraska Children’s Home Society (NCHS) is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded a $52,000 grant from United Way of the Midlands. NCHS will continue Pathways to the Future, a critical Family Support program based out of its Children and Family Center located in North Omaha.

Pathways to the Future empowers families towards self-sufficiency by helping them eliminate barriers to success through academic support, career planning, and parenting education. The program offers flexible one-on-one assistance to help participants progress towards personal goals and access resources to meet identified needs.

“With the generous help of the United Way of the Midlands and its donors, the Self-Sufficiency program can assist over 170 individuals and families this year,” Children and Family Center Director Lisa Richardson said. “NCHS will continue to provide comprehensive case management and referral assistance, access existing family support further, early childhood education and educational services, as well as evaluating the long-term impact on child well-being and family stability.”

Through the Pathways to the Future program and support of United Way of the Midlands, NCHS is able to improve education and further the access of resources to families so they can provide and raise their children at their best. Olivia and her children are one family currently benefiting from the program. Olivia came to NCHS because, as a single mother, she was in search of more resources to help her meet her family’s needs  and additional learning on how to parent her children without the support of a partner. Olivia needed reliable transportation, and she wanted a confidant with which she could share her needs and struggles. She was focused on being the best parent she could for her children.

Olivia now meets weekly with a Self-Sufficiency Specialist who is just the confidant she needed.  They discuss her goals and challenges  so she can plan a way to work through whatever she and her children are facing. With the individualized help, Olivia is now working towards getting a new car for reliable transportation for herself and her children. She’s made significant strides within the Pathways to the Future program. Because of the support of United Way of the Midlands, Olivia is securing herself and her children a better and more reliable future.

“The United Way of the Midlands is a valuable community partner in supporting our vision of ‘a safe and loving family for every child,’” NCHS CEO Lana Temple-Plotz said. “Their support is critical to empowering the  families we serve to achieve self-sufficiency.”