The Omaha Community Foundation is pleased to announce the City of Omaha ARPA Community Grant Program has awarded $9.6 million to 36 nonprofits. Funds will be distributed from 2022 to 2024.
The City of Omaha ARPA Community Grant Program focused on providing funding to expand or enhance existing programs in areas of Crisis Intervention & Violence Prevention, and Workforce Development.
The grant program received 145 applications, totaling $55.8 million in requested funds. Eligible programs included youth programs such as mentoring, gang prevention and intervention, mental health, crisis response, and assistance to unemployed workers including workforce readiness training, certification, and employment services.
Learn more about the grant recipients and their programs below. You can also view an interactive map that shows this information and more.
Crisis Intervention & Violence Prevention
> 100 Black Men of Omaha: $50,000 for Mentoring the 100 Way. The overarching goal of 100 Black Men of Omaha (the 100) is to encourage Omaha youth to be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Lead. The 100 creates a positive impact on youth with promise by integrating positive role models and mentors into mentees’ lives. The 100 seeks to meet the need for positive role models by creating impactful, engaged, and sustained relationships that will increase self-confidence, progress toward goals, and improve relationships with their family and community.
> African-American Empowerment Network: $358,475 for Omaha 360, Step-Up. The Empowerment Network Collaborative (ENC) works together with residents and leaders to transform the economic condition & quality of life for African Americans, North Omaha residents and citizens of all races and cultures living in poverty within the Greater Omaha region. The goal is to close long-standing gaps in employment, entrepreneurship, education, housing and other quality of life factors to transform the Omaha region into a thriving & prosperous community, in every zip code and neighborhood.
> Bluebird Cultural Initiative: $220,640 for REVIVE: Rebuilding and Empowering Voices with Indigenous Values and Education. Bluebird Cultural Initiative (BCI) will educate and foster intergenerational peer support relationships and change lifestyle behaviors through holistic health, community engagement and cultural reconnection. The expected outcome is to promote healing, positive cultural identity and wellness through education, art, cultural preservation and traditional wellness practices.
> Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands: $213,041 for Great Futures Program. The Building Great Futures Program supports youth in their academic learning and social-emotional skill development while also providing best practices during out-of-school time. The Clubs offer evidence-based program to support kids with academics, while also making it fun. Readers to Leaders program focuses on closing the literacy gap for youth through 6th grade.
> Carole’s House of Hope: $150,000 for Transitional Housing and Mental Health Services for Homeless Young Mothers. Carole’s House of Hope provides year-round transitional housing and services to 60 resident homeless women (most with young children) between the ages of 19 and 26 at our facility at 7815 Harney Street for up to 18 months. These residents also receive on-site, free mental health assessments by a LIMHP/LADC therapist and the opportunity to participate in both individual and group therapy sessions.
> Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Omaha, Inc.: $176,373 for Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Services. Catholic Charities Domestic Violence Services (DVS) provides domestic violence victims and their children safety, support, and hope through our 24/7 Crisis Hotline, emergency shelter, and aftercare and outreach advocacy.
> Charles Drew Health Center: $600,000 for Community Based Crisis Intervention. CDHC will utilize behavioral health advocates and case managers to provide temporary support and stabilize those in crisis before referring to CDHC’s behavioral health providers as applicable for long term care. Staff will work with partners to establish a referral system to identify individuals in need of behavioral health support. Program participants will be screened, assessed, provided short term coping mechanisms and skills then referred for long term care as identified as needed through assessment.
> Child Saving Institute: $299,436 for Mental Health Services Pediatric & Adolescent Therapy. Child Saving Institute (CSI) Mental Health Services (MHS) provides outpatient mental health care, intentionally serving underserved populations in the Omaha community – specifically those living in poverty and/or involved in the child welfare system. MHS offers mental health and family support services to families with an emphasis on early intervention for the most vulnerable populations in the community. CSI’s licensed therapists specialize in child and family therapy, providing the support, skills, and knowledge necessary to improve family relationships and reduce the impact of trauma.
> Completely KIDS: $400,000 for Out-of-School Time for Vulnerable Youth. Completely KIDS requests City of Omaha ARPA funding for out-of-school time programming at our downtown headquarters and partner All Saints Elementary. Out-of-school time programs at both sites provide comprehensive activities for youth from kindergarten to eighth grade and their caregivers. The goal of the out-of-school time program is to engage and develop marginalized students and accelerate their learning opportunities in a healthy setting.
> Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim: $432,600 for Maya Health Initiative: Empowered Women, Healthy Families. Empowered Women, Healthy Families will expand the Maya Health Initiative at Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim (CMPI) in South Omaha from case-by-case crisis management to culturally competent support and programming for women impacted by domestic violence. This expansion will better address the norms, challenges, stigmas, shame, and particular barriers that Maya women face. Those seeking services will find culturally grounded, confidential support and resources from a professional social worker and trained community advocates who speak their language.
> Girls Incorporated Of Omaha: $300,000 for The Girls Inc. Experience. The Girls Inc. Experience provides low-income girls in North and South Omaha with comprehensive academic, health, wellness, independent living, and advocacy programs that empower girls to grow up strong, smart, and bold. Through the Girls Inc. Experience, girls engage in sustained, gender-specific enrichment during out-of-school time that complements their school curriculum.
> Heartland Family Service: $500,000 for Nebraska Family Works. HFS’s Nebraska Family Works (NFW) program in North Omaha provides residential treatment and wraparound family services designed to promote long-term sobriety and economic self-sufficiency for women and mothers addressing mental health and substance use disorder challenges while improving the parent-child bond. At NFW, clients live with their child(ren) during treatment. Upon graduation, clients and their child(ren) may choose to move into one of our transitional-housing apartments for continued case management and therapeutic supports to ensure lasting sobriety and safety as they gain more success and independence.
> Immigrant Legal Center: $330,000 for Legal Services for Survivors of Crime, Violence, and Human Trafficking. The Legal Services for Survivors of Crime, Violence, and Human Trafficking Program’s purpose is to increase the impact of Immigrant Legal Center’s (ILC) team of U-Visa, T-Visa, and VAWAI-focused bilingual legal service providers. This specialized team works every day to empower undocumented immigrant women survivors by informing them of their rights; connecting them with culturally and linguistically appropriate supportive services; building bridges with law enforcement, judges, and county attorneys; representing survivors in immigration legal processes; and respecting the decisions they make.
> inCOMMON Community Development, pictured above: $183,626 for inCOMMON Youth Program. Children who grow up in poor neighborhoods are far more likely to become adults living in poverty. Our vision is that every child in our community would have the opportunity to grow up in a safe, thriving, and opportunity-rich environment. Through the development of supportive relationships, afterschool activities, and community-engagement projects, inCOMMON’s youth programs create opportunities for vulnerable children age 12-18 to reach their individual goals, as well as contribute to building a community where future generations have an opportunity to thrive.
> Kids Can Community Center: $200,000 for Mentoring. The mentoring program at Kids Can Community Center empowers youth to maximize their potential and make positive life choices. Our mentoring program is most effective when dedicated staff oversee the program’s implementation as laid out by the Elements of Effective Practice, the nationally recognized standards for mentoring. As a site-based mentoring program, Kids Can matches children ages 7 to 13 with volunteer adult mentors who promote positive relationships, encourage self-esteem and confidence, and engage in goal setting activities.
> Legal Aid of Nebraska: $244,404 for Providing Legal Services to Families in Crisis. Legal Aid of Nebraska’s (LAN) children and families unit focuses on protecting clients from abuse, where the majority of clients seeking our services are domestic violence (DV) victims needing help with protection order hearings, and in obtaining a divorce, custody, and child support orders. Funding for this program will expand our capacity to represent DV victims through our private attorney involvement (PAI) program, where we contract with outside counsel at a reduced hourly rate to represent DV clients at no cost to the client, improving the safety and stability of victims, and improve the broader community.
> MENTOR Nebraska: $94,200 for Success Mentors. Since 2018, MENTOR Nebraska has partnered with Omaha Public Schools (OPS) to implement Success Mentors, an evidence-based approach providing identified students (those who are chronically absent or are at risk for being chronically absent) with consistent and continuous school-based mentoring aimed at uncovering and solving the underlying causes of their absenteeism and facilitating referrals to school, community, and professional supports as needed. The goal of this mentoring intervention is to increase the number of students connected to positive, caring adults and improving school attendance and engagement of identified students.
> Nebraska Methodist Hospital Foundation: $187,000 for Methodist Community Counseling Program. The Methodist Community Counseling Program (MCCP) offers accessible and affordable behavioral health services in all Omaha Public high schools, middle schools and alternative programs, as well as in neighborhoods throughout our communities. During a time of intense anxiety and increasing depression, our program takes a proactive approach to helping clients manage stress, learn coping skills and discover strengths. Our behavioral health therapy services are provided by Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioners (LIMHP).
> North Omaha Area Health: $320,000 for NOAH Mental Health Outreach Program. During the course of Noah’s primary care and community outreach we encounter individuals who are experiencing a mental health crisis such as depression, substance abuse or bipolar as well as domestic violence. This grant will focus on providing crisis stabilization for up to 6 visits with a mental health counselor or psychiatric mental health nurse. All people identified will have contact with a mental health navigator to connect to long term care if needed.
> NorthStar Foundation: $110,000 for NorthStar Student Support Services Program. The NorthStar Foundation (NorthStar) will expand its Student Support Service Program (SSSP) in 2022-2024. The SSSP seeks to embed a comprehensive model of behavioral health and academic supports within NorthStar’s extended learning time services for North Omaha boys in grades 3-12. This research-tested program is designed to ameliorate barriers to school attendance, academic achievement and individual/familial well-being for NorthStar participants and, in turn, increase their protective factors against violent gang involvement.
> Partnership 4 Kids: $500,000 for College and Career Readiness Program (CCRP). Partnership 4 Kids’ (P4K) Postsecondary Program is the culmination of our organization’s pre-kindergarten to careers prevention programming and services. This program positions students from Omaha’s under-resourced communities to overcome generational poverty with education and skills that enable them to obtain a meaningful career that provides financial stability and professional satisfaction. Grant funding will enhance current programming initiatives with evidence-informed workforce development programming designed to prepare students for career pathways that do not include the pursuit of a traditional postsecondary education program.
> Police Athletics for Community Engagement: $360,000 for Prevention and Mentoring Program. Police Athletics for Community Policing (PACE) is seeking funding to expand and enhance its Violence Prevention and Mentoring programming. PACE programs are designed to connect the youth that are most likely to be involved in violent activities in the immediate future, at-risk of joining gangs, committing gang and or gun-related crime, or becoming victims of gun and gang related crime, with law enforcement mentors through athletic and educational programming. These activities provide youth and law enforcement a mechanism to be active, build trust, and learn teamwork and respect for each other.
> Siena Francis House: $95,169 for Miracles Residential Addiction and Treatment Recovery Program. The Miracles Program is a therapeutic community that provides free, residential treatment for individuals with a primary issues of addiction and homelessness, justice system involvement, and co-occurring mental health disorders. The Program’s philosophy is anchored by a person-centered, trauma informed approach combined with 12-Step model that include; honesty, acceptance, a willingness to look at self, and the idea of us/team for ongoing recovery.
> The Nebraska Medical Center: $400,000 for Encompass Omaha: A Hospital Based Violence Intervention Program. Encompass Omaha is a hospital-based violence intervention program (HBVIP) at Nebraska Medicine. Encompass Omaha provides culturally competent case management for victims of violence by building a trusting relationship with the Violence Intervention Specialist (VIS) and following a structured case-plan. The VIS engages with patients at bedside while hospitalized after for a violent injury. The Encompass Omaha team guides participants through risk-reduction resources in the community to address risk factors to ultimately reduce the participant’s risk for violent re-injury. Services include obtaining a primary care physician, mental health and substance abuse counseling, housing and food security, advanced education opportunity, job training, and medical/legal aid.
> The Simple Foundation (TSF): $426,959 for Safe Place To Play and Learn. TSF provides opportunities for underserved youth to participate in organized athletics and access critical support services that help them develop life skills, be successful in school, and maintain physical/mental health. The TSF Youth Academy is the catalyst to capture the attention and incentivize at-risk, refugee/immigrant, and low-income/inner-city youth to engage in strategies to improve health outcomes. The program is provided after-school and during out-of-school times and is offered free to participants. The organization’s objective is to increase school attendance and performance while reducing the number of encounters with law enforcement and violence in the agency’s program service area.
> Urban League of Nebraska: $300,000 for Community Coach Enhancement Program at the Urban League. The requested funding will support intensive enhancement of existing programs at Urban League. Our focus is on infusing expertise in Life Coaching and Restorative Justice, evidence-based practices that are uniquely suited to address both the current fallout from COVID-19, and the longstanding disparities in social determinants of health that underlie its disproportionate impact in low-income Black communities. The two-year project includes training and credentialing of staff, intensive program enhancement, and evaluation. The process will be led by “credible messengers,” Black Life Coaching and Restorative Justice experts all from similar socioeconomic backgrounds and with life experiences that resonate with those we serve.
> Women’s Center for Advancement: $250,000 for Safety and Mental Health Services for Victims/Survivors. Safety and Mental Services is a core program for the Women’s Center for Advancement (WCA). With a mission of assisting survivors to stay safe and grow strong, the Safety and Mental Services program provides immediate assistance to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. For many survivors, it is the first step in ensuring they stay safe while laying the groundwork for longer-term stability and empowerment. Referrals often come directly from law enforcement, hospitals, and the WCA hotline.
> YouTurn: $245,473 for Make a 180 Against Violence. The program utilizes evidence-based strategies to deter youth and adolescents from violence and address the psychosocial needs of program participants. Strategies of suppression, intervention, prevention, and education are used to reduce the prevalence of violence and reach those who are most at risk of being involved in or being impacted by violence. Intervention strategies provide individuals associated with gang/gun violence, with viable alternatives to gangs and violence.
Workforce Development
> AIM Institute: $154,354 for Accelerated Technical Training. The AIM Institute Accelerated Tech Training program consists of a pipeline of content leading to a variety of in-demand tech careers. The pipeline begins with introductory content and individual and group career sessions to help participants choose an optimal tech career path. Introductory content leads to coursework in web development, data management, computing, and design, which pave the way for advanced specialization courses tailored to the needs of the tech ecosystem.
> Heart Ministry Center, pictured above: $200,000 for Fresh Start. Fresh Start is an 18-week individualized job training and placement program for adult men and women who are unemployed, have no opportunities elsewhere, and have exhausted their resources searching for employment. The objective of this program is to not only match clients with jobs that earn a livable wage, but to provide clients with the necessary job training, life skills, and soft skills needed to maintain steady employment.
> Heartland Workforce Solutions: $600,000 for American Job Center South. The Heartland Workforce Solutions (HWS) American Job Center (AJC) South reflects the one stop public workforce system service delivery to south Omaha residents in the QCT. Results connect people to careers in demand industry occupations. To achieve this, customers include career seekers and businesses needing talent. Services on location will include: reemployment services, connection to public workforce development programs, skills assessment, career coaching, mentoring, employment planning, job search, resume assistance and mock interviews, adult education, visual and language accessibility, business engagement, job fairs, in-person and virtual meeting space, entrepreneurial assistance, community referral connection, career path awareness, labor market information, connection to pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship and more.
> Latino Center of the Midlands: $148,832 for Siembra Nebraska: Youth Internship Opportunities in South Omaha. Siembra Nebraska, the Latino Center’s youth internship program, will create learning, earning, and career opportunities for young people from low-income families, especially Latino and Latina youth in South Omaha. The program addresses systemic unemployment, low educational attainment, and persistent inequities between Latino and Latina workers and the city’s workforce at large – challenges that became more severe during the pandemic. Specifically, this ARPA grant will help us expand the program’s construction skills component, Siembra Construccion. We will partner with Project Houseworks to engage interns in rehabilitating homes in their own community.
> Ollie Webb Center, Inc.: $89,418 for Supported Employment. OWCI’s Supported Employment Program is a community-based work option for adults with developmental disabilities; individuals who have traditionally been excluded from opportunities in typical work settings. Supported Employment is characterized by regular opportunities for interaction with coworkers without disabilities and the general public; pay and benefits are equal to those received by coworkers without disabilities in comparable positions. Supported employment is based on the premise that work should be accessible to everyone, regardless of disability. By providing the necessary support, individuals with disabilities are increasing their opportunity for community integration, independence, and productivity.
> Omaha Home for Boys: $260,000 for Branching Out Independent Living. OHB’s Branching Out Independent Living Program serves young adults ages 14 to 26 who are current or former foster care youth. The young adults live on their own in the community but are often living in a state of crisis. Branching Out helps young adults develop the workforce readiness skills needed to live self-sufficient lives.
> The Bike Union Mentoring Project: $100,000 for Bike Union Apprentice Program. The Bike Union is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides workforce development and life skills to young adult that have been impacted by the foster care system. Program participants take part in the 12-month, paid training program. While in this position, employees will do the technical day to day work of the social enterprise business. In addition to this, they will take part in a whole host of core competency program designed to help them be successful in the workforce. Activities in these programs include: financial literacy classes, cooking and nutrition classes, academic tutoring, mindfulness meditation, among others.
> The Hope Center for Kids: $100,000 for The Hope Employment & Learning Academy. The Hope Center for Kids was established in 1998 to serve the needs of young people living in Northeast Omaha with after school and summer programs. The Hope Center’s primary program is The Hope Employment and Learning Academies. Initiated in 2012, The Hope Academies provide young people with the academic and personal support needed to progress on grade-level, graduate high school and be able to get and keep gainful employment.