April 2024

05/29 at 11:30 a.m. - AAPI Table Talk - The Role of Food in AAPI Cultures


06/26 at 6:00 p.m. - Queer Table Talk - Pride is Still a Protest


08/02 at 4:00 p.m. - Humanitarian Awards 2024

Honoring Our Champions: Humanitarian Awards 2024

As we step into May, embracing opportunities to foster unity, diversity, and equity, it's crucial that we reflect on one of the driving forces of our organization—the exceptional individuals who embody our values and propel our mission forward. At Inclusive Communities, we firmly believe that acknowledging the remarkable work of our community members is not only an expression of gratitude but also a celebration of the transformative influence they wield in our society.


For 86 years, Inclusive Communities has remained steadfast in its dedication to constructing a society fortified by diversity, inclusion, respect, equity, and justice for all. We have witnessed firsthand the power of collective action and the far-reaching effects of compassion and understanding.


It is with immense pleasure that we announce the upcoming Humanitarian Awards 2024, an evening dedicated to honoring those who have exceeded expectations in catalyzing positive change within our communities. This year, we are privileged to have Andrea Kathol & Misty Homen, Ryan Ellis & Jon Taylor, and Esther Mejia & Jeneen Sagon serving as our event chairs. Their steadfast dedication and leadership play a crucial role in ensuring the success of this event and the ongoing advancement of our mission.


We invite you to join us on August 2nd at The Diamond Room in Omaha as we shine a spotlight on five remarkable individuals who have made significant contributions to fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.



Cammy Watkins

Executive Director

OMAHA TABLE TALK

REGISTER for our upcoming Omaha Table Talk!


AAPI Table Talk: The Role of Food in AAPI Cultures

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center

6400 University Drive South

Omaha, NE 68182

REGISTER HERE

There is a virtual and in-person option to attend. If attending in-person, food will be provided.

INCLUCITY

What an incredible way to wrap up our IncluCity year! We are thrilled to share that we welcomed our largest delegate group since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges and uncertainties that have defined these past years, the unwavering dedication and support from our incredible delegates, volunteers, and camp staff have truly made all the difference. Although we're saddened to hear that some of our camp staff have declared this as their final camp, we're incredibly excited to see the amazing things they're embarking on next.


From the bottom of our hearts, we want to extend a massive THANK YOU to everyone who has been a part of our journey this year. Your passion, enthusiasm, and commitment to fostering inclusivity and belonging have created a truly special and unforgettable experience for all involved.


We also bid a fond farewell to one of our cherished mental health support camp staff, Andrew Alemán, LCSW. Since December 2016, Andrew has played a pivotal role in implementing permanent mental health support at IncluCity. His dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our delegates have left an enduring impact. Andrew's exceptional contributions have been recognized by Mentor Nebraska, who recently honored him with the Mentoring Practitioner of the Year Award.

Andrew, your passion, dedication, and the countless memories you've helped create will forever be cherished. You've touched the lives of so many within our IncluCity family, and your legacy will continue to inspire us all. As you embark on the next chapter of your journey, we extend our heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for all your future endeavors.

IN THE COMMUNITY

On Wednesday, May 8, 6:30 p.m., Urban Abbey is hosting a young person (25 & under) poetry night. The theme is politics, advocacy, and justice.


Urban Abbey is located at 1026 Jackson St, Omaha, NE 68102.

Previously on Omaha Table Talk

Native Table Talk: A Resilient People

Workplace Wellness

by Aurora Moreno, LICSW, LIMHP, Omaha Integrative Care

& Nikki Smith

AURORA: "Organizations are living, breathing systems that shape and are shaped by the individuals within them. At Omaha Integrative Care, we support organizations and those who work within them to author their path to sustainable work and whole-person wellness with RESET, Resilient and Embodied Systems Experiential Training, a resource we've developed over years of supporting organizations in mitigating modern occupational hazards of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. RESET is a wellness service of Omaha Integrative Care, a collaborative health & wellness clinic offering mental health therapy, psychiatric medication management, primary medical care, yoga, massage, acupuncture, and more. Like our clinic, our team of RESET coaches is multidisciplinary and brings diverse expertise and perspectives to coaching and experiential learning.


As an independently licensed clinical social worker and mental health provider, my coaching through RESET is informed by my trauma-focused clinical psychotherapy practice and the values of integrative healthcare. In my work as a coach, I co-author a path to sustainable wellness alongside those with whom I work. Each coaching relationship is dynamic and unique, as every member of an organization has a unique constellation of lived experience, capacity, inspiration, and goals. Through RESET, my colleagues and I have had the honor of supporting folks in healing systemic wounds of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout with diverse supports, including 1-1 coaching and experiential learning, that meet the ever-evolving needs of individuals within an organization. 


I've had the opportunity to partner with the team at Inclusive Communities for several years now to support their team's overall wellness as they navigate the complexities of fostering diversity, inclusion, respect, equity, and justice for all people in our community. We honor that movement work has always been complex, but in our current landscape, staying well in this work requires person-centered supports that reflect that complexity. OIC's RESET team has cultivated supports tailored to IC's unique needs that include 1-1 coaching, leadership workshops, wellness offerings, and experiential learning. Supporting Inclusive Communities in doing their transformative work has been an honor and delight. I am so thrilled to support their team in tapping into their innate capacity for resilience and well-being as they nourish movement work in our community."


NIKKI: “This is just more information for you to use so you can make the best decisions for yourself moving forward…” This phrase is one I have heard often throughout the last year or so from Aurora, my job coach, and one I’ve begun to say to others. Rather than looking at an unpleasant or “bad” experience with negativity, think of that situation as just information for you to use so you can make the best decisions for yourself moving forward. This growth mindset perspective and practice in acceptance has helped me reframe many experiences in this past year, both personally and professionally. That is just one of many examples of how job coaching has impacted me.


I’ve never had a job that provided any kind of coaching from an outside organization. For me, it has felt a little bit like therapy for work. If we are spending the majority of our waking hours at work, then it makes sense to have someone to talk to about just work things. I did not realize how much I had internalized the ‘hustle culture’ or how much baggage I carried from previous jobs where I was seen simply as a cog in the wheel and not as a person. I needed some help working through some of those things and learning to think about myself differently as a human and as an employee. My self-worth has grown because my coach has reminded me often that my value is not tied to my productivity or output levels. She has helped identify strengths and also been one of my biggest cheerleaders. She has taught me to celebrate things like having the courage to have a difficult conversation with someone or saying ‘no’ to something and not feeling guilty about it.


I have also deeply appreciated that Aurora continuously reminds me and demonstrates that she is there for ME. I am never worried that she has any secret agendas or that she will tell anyone at work things I share with her. Unlike traditional HR, which is really there to protect the organization, my coach helps me figure out what I need to be a healthy human. Even if that means establishing a boundary, taking time off, or, heaven forbid, finding another job (which clearly has not happened). And like any good coach, she also challenges me and encourages me to step outside of my comfort zone in ways that promote growth and not lead to burnout. She has also gently reminded me to stay in my lane when I have wanted to take on things that were not my responsibility.



Aurora is a clinical social worker, which also happens to be what I am in grad school for currently. Not only has she provided support and wisdom for me as I continue to work at Inclusive Communities, but she also taught me how to be a better social worker and mental health practitioner. I will be forever grateful for the things she has modeled in our time together that I will take with me into my own future practice someday.


We are now part of the Hanscom Park Neighborhood at The Center.


1941 S 42nd St.

Suite #380

Omaha, NE 68105

Moved recently? Email Brittany to update your contact information for snail mail from us!

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