Community Resource Sharing Newsletter

Collaborating to Conquer Food Accessibility

According to the Community Health Needs Assessment, 10% of Nebraskans struggle with food accessibility and the numbers are even higher in some of our specific counties. In an attempt to tackle food access in our local communities, Community & Family Partnership and Columbus Area United Way have teamed up with local organizations and individuals to bring food to those that need it.

The Local Food Purchase Assistance Grant started providing eggs and beef to organizations that assist those that need food in November 2024 and since the start, has provided over 4,500 dozen eggs to our four counties! We are getting eggs to all four counties and working with people we haven’t before. We also have lots of volunteers that are working together to ensure everybody is getting what they need.

With our partnership with Catholic Charities of Omaha and Whispering Roots, we have provided over 1,200 food boxes containing fresh produce, protein, and other items so far in 2025 (and there is more to come!) Local service providers sign up for these boxes and ensure that those who truly need the food are getting it. We also work with volunteers at Harrah’s Casino in Columbus to distribute the boxes.

A local producer in our area has been donating their unsellable produce to us as well and we have been providing fresh produce for families and individuals since July 1st. On average, our organizations are picking up produce for around 600 individuals! The best part of this project is that the community is all-in. We have partnered with local groups such as the Columbus Police Department, the Columbus Fire Department and lots of other businesses to help pick up and deliver the produce to a central location for distribution.

Along with the local produce, we are in the process of working with another local producer to donate potatoes. We have done this in the past and it has worked well so we are excited to do this again.

You may be asking, what now? First, a huge THANK YOU to every partner, organization, individual, business, etc. who has helped us with these efforts. We have provided a lot of food for those in our communities with your help. But our job isn’t done. The data has shown that many households and individuals in our four-county area are struggling with their access to food. Let’s continue to work together in our existing efforts and find new ways to help those that we can.

Kate Wythers Community Prevention Director

Community Prevention staff have worked with families of school-age children to obtain school supplies. Guadalupe Ramirez attended the Back-to-School event at Schuyler Elementary School. Tammy Bichlmeier attended the Back to School Bash through Centro Hispano held at Frankfort Square. Belle Maldonado and Guadalupe Ramirez attended the Summer Camp event through ESU 7.

The Community Prevention team participated in the Nebraska Juvenile Justice Conference on July 30, 2025, at East Central District Health Department. This conference was informative and educational for attendees. The agenda was centered around supporting young minds – strategies for behavioral and mental health wellness.

The Community Prevention team also participated in a training regarding Human Trafficking and Child Abuse through Faith Regional Child Advocacy Center and ESU 2. Attendees were given insightful information about Child Abuse and Neglect Multidisciplinary Teams, the Nebraska Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, and Human Trafficking Prevention.

Cheryl Drozd, RIR Coordinator

We have five coaches and one provider who are attending the Midwest Conference in Chicago this November. All six who are attending are presenting at some capacity, either as the presenter or a co-presenter. Platte County is ready to share their knowledge and experience for the first time ever Midwest Pyramid Model Summit.

Our new coaches have hit the ground running this month and all our cohort 3 providers have met their coaches and will begin their first training with us in August.

Cohort 2 is entering their last year in Rooted in Relationships with us and will be doing Booster trainings with Cohort 1 at our Collaborations this year.

We want to personally thank the Columbus Library for holding all our Cohort 3 training courses this new grant year, Immanuel Lutheran for holding all our Cohort 2 trainings and for Saint Bonaventure for providing us space for our PIWI class this Fall. We appreciate our community support! Please see the attached flyer for more information on our upcoming PIWI for Parents and their Children that is beginning this September.

Kim Parsons, Early Childhood Community Coordinator

Strong Starts Schuyler Quality Early Childhood Partnership is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to bridge significant gaps in childcare services, which results in a negative economic impact of $3.2 million in Colfax County.

(Source: Economic Impacts of Inadequate Child Care Access, Economic Development Department, NPPD, December 2022.)

Schuyler needs to strengthen, sustain and expand their childcare options. Quality childcare lets parents work with peace of mind. The efforts of Strong Starts Schuyler strengthen the workforce and economy by providing dependable childcare and sustainable solutions for families. Our goal is to have a positive impact on children, families and the community of Schuyler.

Schuyler has 436 children under the age of 6, with both available parents working
Schuyler has 151 licensed childcare spots
Schuyler has 285 children unable to access quality childcare

Strong Starts Schuyler has 3 goals to help bridge this gap.

Goal 1

Develop and build sustainable, right-sized solutions for High-Quality Early Childhood Care and Education Opportunities for all. Pursue a mix of funding sources, including grants, local philanthropic organizations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations.

Goal 2

Retain and recruit a high-quality early childhood workforce through strategic partnerships with Early Childhood Collaboratives, Networks and Resources, focusing on best practices in early childhood education, child development and business management

Goal 3

Cultivate a vibrant and inclusive Schuyler where families feel a strong sense of belonging, fostered through sustained community-wide engagement. This will ensure all children and families have increased awareness of and access to integrated resources and support for optimal early childhood development, high-quality care and education, and enhanced family workforce well-being.

Would you like to learn more about how you can help cultivate a place of belonging for Schuyler's children and families? Contact Kim Parsons, Early Childhood Community Coordinator at 402.615.2685 or eccc@columbusunitedway.com

Strong Starts Schuyler Early Childhood Partnership is bringing The String Beans—Nebraska’s favorite entertainers for young children—to our community this summer!

This free family concert will take place on Sunday, August 31, as part of Schuyler’s Annual Labor Day Celebration. The String Beans are known for their fun, high-energy music that inspires movement, laughter, and learning—creating a memorable experience for children and families alike.

Ready to be a changemaker for families? Join the Bring Up Nebraska Network!

Bring Up Nebraska is a call to action to help families thrive and is supported by Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. Bring Up Nebraska is focused on prevention and strengthening families BEFORE crisis to empower them within their communities. It is about uniting those with shared agendas, implementing systems and providing evidence-based training to support meaningful opportunities and creating partnerships.

Helping families thrive and focusing on preventive efforts is a priority area of Community and Family Partnership and more voices are needed. The more people involved in the shared mission of improving the quality of life for young people and families, the more impact we can have. Let’s do this together. See more information in the flyer below or visit BringUpNebraska.org.