|
In the
News...
Empowerment Network, Empower
Omaha, Omaha 360,
and North Omaha Village Zone...
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Empowerment Events &
Activities...
Empowerment
Network
Monthly Community Meeting
Open to the Community
Unite & Rebuild!
Working Together to Make a
Measurable Difference!
Saturday,
August 14, 2010
Omaha North High School
9:00 Breakfast and Networking
9:30
Interactive Community Meeting
FOCUS:
Education and Youth Development
Tables
and Displays to help Parents,
Families, Students & Community
Sign up to become a Mentor or
Adopt-A-Class Partner
Learn more about specific ways
to help students succeed
Plus,
Special
Interactive Presentations &
Discussions
Faith and
Church Engagement
Adopt-A-Block,
Community Outreach, Churches
Moving Beyond the Walls
Jobs,
Job Training, and Business
Development
Jobs,
Entrepreneurship, Access to
Capital and Credit
Housing &
Neighborhood Development
North Omaha
Village Zone and North Omaha
Neighborhood Alliance
Violence
Intervention and Prevention
Omaha 360 - A
City United, Working Together to
Stop Gun Violence
Education
and Youth Development
Communities in
Schools, Education Super Summit,
Back-to-School
Urban
Policy
Updates from Elected Officials
Health & Healthy Families
A
Renewed focus on Community
Priorities for Health and
Healthy Families
2010
Recommit. Rebuild.
Reinvest!
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COMMUNITY EVENTS &
ACTIVITIES
Mark Your Calendar
Community Communications
Update...
Calendar brought to you by the...
Empowerment Network
Connect Communicate
Coordinate Collaborate
Create Celebrate
Please e-mail your
July “MAJOR” events
and activity listings to
info@empoweromaha.com
by
Friday, June 25th.
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PAST NETWORK COMMUNITY EVENTS
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THANK YOU FOR
PARTICIPATING!
Over 100 participated!!!
Over 500 have participated in
the planning process.
It's not too late.
REBUILD NORTH
OMAHA...
North Omaha Village Zone
Connecting a Rich
History with a Promising Future
Thursday, May 27,
2010
6 pm to 8:00 pm (light dinner
available at 5:30 pm)
Omaha
North High School – Viking
Center
Now is the TIME! Help create a
New Vision!
24th and Lake
16th and Cuming
30th and Parker/Lake
(former location of Pleasant
View Housing)
Adams Park, Malcolm X, & Miami
Heights
This is the third in a series of
community visioning and planning
meetings. Hundreds have
provided input on the vision.
It’s not too late to get
involved! Your input and ideas
are needed. This plan builds on
the work of the North Omaha
Development Project and
Empowerment Network’s Village
Strategy. It’s time to work
together to Rebuild North Omaha
- Block-by-Block, led by
community residents and
stakeholders, supported by the
Village Zone Partners.
a comprehensive, collaborative
development initiative in
partnership with the Empowerment
Network, North Omaha Residents
and Stakeholders, Alliance
Building Communities, City of
Omaha, North Omaha Development
Project, Omaha Housing
Authority, and Nebraska
Investment Finance Authority
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THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN
THE
2nd Annual HARMONY
WEEK 2010
A City United, Working Together
to Stop Gun
Violence
Thousands participated in over
20 events and rallies!
Presented by the Omaha 360
Violence Intervention and
Prevention Team
Omaha 360 and its partners are
asking individuals, families,
neighborhoods, organizations,
faith institutions, businesses,
& others to participate in
Harmony Week! Let’s come
together city-wide to kick-off a
safe summer!
Friday, May 21
6:00 pm Harmony Week
Networking Event
Hosted by Emerging Leaders
Loves
Jazz and Art Center
Saturday, May 22
Help Your Neighbor Day
(Serve someone in your
neighborhood)
Participate in a Neighborhood
Clean-up/Participate in Stroke
Walk
12:00-4:00pm Malcolm X
Celebration and African Festival
- Malcolm X Birthsite
Hosted by African Cultural
Connection
Sunday, May 23
3:00 pm
Harmony Sunday – A City United -
Memorial Park
Speakers, Music, Food,
Children's Activities, and More!
4:00 pm
Safe Summer Rally and
Prayer Service at Memorial Park
Monday, May 24
6:00 pm Family Night
At Home
No TV
Night - Spend time talking about
being safe during the
summer.
Tuesday, May 25
6:00 pm Neighborhood
Night and Harmony Week Town Hall
6:30
pm KMTV Action 3
hosting Town Hall – Lewis &
Clark Middle School
Host
an event in your home, watch the
town hall, and discuss
solutions.
Wednesday, May 26
8:00 pm Harmony Week
Prayer Vigil – Hosted by Faith
Leaders
Host
a Prayer Vigil at your church
(After Wednesday Worship
Service)
or in your neighborhood.
Thursday, May 27
5:30 pm North
Omaha Village Zone – 15 Year Vision & Concept
for North Omaha
North High School – 5:30 pm to
8:00 pm
Review the vision & provide your
thoughts and ideas.
6:30 pm Family First
and Youth Revival - Hosted by A
Call to Action and
Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance
St. Mark Baptist Church – 6:30
pm
Friday, May
28
5:00 pm No More
Violence Rallies – throughout
the city
Location
Host
24th
and Lake
Delta Sigma Theta, Fire
Department, You Are Not Alone
24th
and Binney
Heart Ministries, DIVA’s
26th
and Hamilton
Boys & Girls Club
30th and Ames
EIE Street Patrol
30th
and Martin
Trinity Lutheran/Neighborhood
Assoc./Citizen Patrols
918
Izard
Omaha Home for Boys -
Independent Living
4102 Florence Blvd.
Gethsemane Baptist Church -
Amachi Mentoring Program
72nd
and Dodge
Mom’s Against Violence, First
Responders
24th
and L
Boys & Girls Club and South
Omaha VIP
6:30 pm Family First
and Youth Revival - Hosted by A
Call to Action and
Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance
St. Mark Baptist Church – 6:30
pm
Saturday, May 29
1:00 -6:00 pm Concert – Fontenelle Park – Hosted by
Impact One
Music, Food, Activities, Games,
Rally and Major Concert
6:30 pm Annual May
Feast – Hosted by Old School
Breakfast Club
Boys and Girls Club –
Ticketed Event - $10 -
402-206-7410
Please e-mail us at
info@empoweromaha.com to let
us know that you plan to
participate.
For more information go to
www.empoweromaha.com or call
402-502-5153.
STEP UP AND STEP FORWARD…A
City United, Working Together to
Stop Gun Violence
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Thank you for attending the
Community Visioning and Planning
Session
PART II (part 3 will happen in
May 2010)
North Omaha Village Zone
Connecting a Rich
History with a Thriving Future
Community Visioning and Planning
Session
- Part II
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Omaha North High School - Viking
Center
6 pm to 8 pm (light
dinner available at 5:30 pm)
It's Time to
DREAM Again.
A preliminary vision, concepts,
and models were presented and
discussed for these areas:
24th and Lake
24th Street
16th/Cuming
30th and Parker (former Pleasant
View)
Adams Park
Malcolm X Area
Thank you for providing your comments, ideas,
and suggestions.
a comprehensive, collaborative
development initiative in
partnership with the Empowerment
Network, North Omaha Residents
and Stakeholders, Alliance
Building Communities, City of
Omaha, North Omaha Development
Project, Omaha Housing
Authority, and Nebraska
Investment Finance Authority
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Thank you for attending the
Rebuild North Omaha...Block by
Block!
North Omaha Village Zone
Connecting a Rich
History with a Promising Future
Community Visioning and Planning
Session
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Omaha North High School - Viking
Center
6 pm to 9 pm (light
dinner available at 5:30 pm)
It's Time to
DREAM Again.
a comprehensive, collaborative
development initiative in
partnership with the Empowerment
Network, North Omaha Residents
and Stakeholders, Alliance
Building Communities, City of
Omaha, North Omaha Development
Project, Omaha Housing
Authority, and Nebraska
Investment Finance Authority
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SPECIAL EVENT
Thank you to all of those who
attended our first Education
Super Summit! Over 200
parents, students, teachers,
administrators, college and
university representatives,
community organizations, early
childhood specialists, after
school workers, and others
participated.
GET READY TO
S.O.A.R.
(Seize Opportunities And
Resources)
EDUCATION
SUPER SUMMIT!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Omaha North High
School
Viking Center, Auditorium, and
Classrooms
8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
GREAT OPPORTUNITIES:
(All in one
place...don’t miss this
event!!!)
-
Get
Information on
Scholarships and
Financial Assistance
-
Learn
about Jobs and Job
Training Opportunities
-
Gain
Access to Valuable
Resources and
Opportunities
-
Attend
Informative Sessions and
Get Your Questions
Answered by School
Representatives and
Community Groups
-
Enjoy
Free Breakfast and Lunch
-
Chance
to Win Prizes and
Drawings (for
participants)
-
Learn
more about special
opportunities for
parents, families and
students from over 40
community groups,
organizations, and
elected officials
Hosted by the
Empowered Schools: Ready by 21
Cradle to Career Initiative
Empowering African-American and
North Omaha Parents, Families
and Students to
S.O.A.R.
SPONSORS, PARTNERS &
PARTICIPANTS…(more organizations
and groups are joining daily)
Over 40 community organizations,
colleges, and universities…plus
educators, elected officials,
and specialists to answer your
questions and provide valuable
information.
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Thank you to all that
participated in the 2009 Housing
Summit!
Empowerment Network Monthly
Community Meeting and HOUSING
SUMMIT
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Skinner Magnet
8:30 am Breakfast and
Networking
9:00 am Network Meeting
10:30 am to 12:30
Housing Summit
presented by
Family Housing Advisory
Services,
Alliance Building Communities,
and the Empowerment Network
TOPICS:
Homeless Prevention
Housing Development
Home Ownership
Financial Stability
Community Involvement
Forming a North Omaha Housing
Alliance
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MOBILIZE: Empowerment
Challenge
Thank you to all that
participated with the Small and
Emerging Business Ordinance.
It was passed by the City
Council on a 6-0 vote!
City Council - Public Hearing
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
2:00 PM
Legislative Chambers - 1819
Farnam - Omaha, Nebraska
Your
participation in this public
hearing made a big difference!!!
Item of focus:
Small and Emerging
Business Ordinance
The Ordinance will help create
opportunities for small and
emerging businesses that have a
direct impact on areas of high
poverty. The ordinance
has the possibility of generating millions of
dollars for companies and
contractors that do business in,
are located in, or hire
employees from North and South
Omaha! The entire city
will see a positive impact!
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Thank you to everyone that
participated in our first VIP
Week...
Violence
Intervention
and
Prevention
Week
Sunday, October 18 to Saturday,
October 24, 2009
SAFE OMAHA!
NO MORE
Gun Violence!
Homicides in
Omaha are down 27%. Felony
Assaults are also down this
year. We want to stay on
this path of decreasing gun
violence. One life lost to
gun violence is one too many.
Let’s come together to Keep
Omaha Safe!
If you’re tired of shootings,
gun violence, and funerals,
let’s work together to end gun
violence! We’ve lost too many
lives to senseless death.
Enough is Enough. No More Gun
Violence!
Empower Omaha! and its partners
are asking individuals,
families, neighborhoods,
organizations, faith
institutions, businesses, and
others to participate in Safe
Omaha…VIP WEEK! Our purpose is
to increase awareness and bring
a stop to gun violence.
This is just one part of a 24/7,
365 day comprehensive,
collaborative plan.
Sunday, Oct.
18
Safe
Omaha!
Day
Monday, Oct. 19 6:00 pm Safe
Omaha!
Family Night At Home
No TV Night - Spend time talking
with family about keeping your
home and neighborhood safe.
Discuss what to do in case of
emergency.
Special opportunity for home
owners…please call
444-3560
for a free smoke or carbon
monoxide detector. (while they
last)
Tuesday, Oct. 20
6:00 pm Safe
Omaha!
Neighborhood Night
Talk
to your neighbors about ways to
keep the neighborhood safe.
Join
your neighborhood association or
neighborhood watch efforts.
Wednesday, Oct. 21
2:00 pm Safe
Omaha!
News Conference
Collaborative Efforts to Stop
Gun Violence
24th and Lake – Lake
Point Building
7:00 pm Safe
Omaha!
Prayer Vigil at Church Services
Pray for a Safe City and Pray to
Stop Gun Violence!
Thursday, Oct. 22 5:00-6:00pm
Safe
Omaha!
Rally Against Gun Violence –
Please join us…
24th & Lake, 30th
& Lake, 24th & Ames,
30th & Ames, 42nd
and Ames,
24th & L, 72nd
& Dodge, or in your own
neighborhood.
Friday, Oct. 23
6:00 pm Meet
me at 24th and
Lake
–
Safe
City
Event
Come to 24th and
Lake. Participate in positive
events at Lake Point,
Chef Mike’s Café, and the
Love
Jazz
Arts
Center
Saturday, Oct. 24 4:00-6:00 pm Safe
Night Out –
FREE
Event – Northeast Precinct
30th & Taylor – Candy
and Games for Kids
6:00-8:00 pm
Hope Skate Event –
FREE
Admission
Presented by the STD Omaha/HIV
Awareness
If you would like to volunteer,
contribute,
or support efforts to stop gun
violence in our communities and
city, please e-mail us at
info@empoweromaha.com or
call us at 402-502-5153.
Omaha 360 is an initiative of
the Empower Omaha Violence
Intervention and Prevention
Collaboration
Safe Omaha! No More
Gun
Violence!
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Thank you to everyone who
participated in the...
Empower
North Omaha!
Unite and Rebuild
Community Meetings
Held on Saturday,
August 8, 2009 and Saturday,
September 12, 2009
at Omaha North High School in
the Viking Center
Over 300 participants have
worked together to updated and
develop strategies for North
Omaha. We thank all of the
elected officials, residents,
community organizations,
neighborhood associations,
educators, law enforcement
representatives, business
leaders, pastors and ministers,
philanthropists, and other
partners that participated.
More details are coming soon.
Do your part...Live the
Covenant. Stay involved.
Spread the word.
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Thank you to everyone who
participated in the...
Empower
North Omaha!
Unite and Rebuild
Community Meeting
Held on Saturday,
July 11, 2009
at Omaha North High School in
the Viking Center
Hosted by The Empowerment
Network, Coalition
of Elected Officials, North
Omaha Neighborhood Groups and
Residents, North Omaha Pastors
and Ministers Coalition and
City-wide Churches, North Omaha
Funding Coalition, and others.
We had a productive meeting on
Saturday, July 11, 2009.
Over 120 leaders and residents
joined together to prioritize
next steps to help Rebuild North
Omaha. North Omaha
Neighborhood Associations and
residents were well represented.
Elected Officials Councilman Ben
Gray, Councilman Pete Festersen,
Commissioner Chris Rodgers,
Douglas County Treasurer John
Ewing, Senator Tanya Cook,
School Board Member Freddie
Gray, Metro Board Member Fred
Conley, and Learning Community
Councilor Justin Wayne
participated in all aspects of
the event. Mayor Jim
Suttle and his Chief of Staff,
Steve Oltman, worked with groups
to identify key issues and
potential solutions. We
had one of our most diverse
groups including youth and young
adults, neighborhood residents,
pastors, ministers, law
enforcement, educators,
non-profit organizations,
violence prevention specialists,
social agencies,
philanthropists, business
executives, and others present.
Consensus was developed on key
issues, opportunities, and next
steps. A North Omaha
Neighborhood Alliance is now in
development. A North Omaha
Funding Coalition is also in the
works. Results from the
meeting will be posted on the
web-site. We will work to
provide a survey online for
those that were not able to
attend the meeting.
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GREAT SUMMER JOBS
PROGRAM 2009
an initiative of
the Empowerment Network
Covenant...
The
Great Summer Jobs Program 2009
was officially launched on June
1, 2009. The program is in its
second year and represents a
partnership between the
Empowerment Network, Omaha
Public Schools, Impact One
Community Connection, Omaha
Economic Development
Corporation, The Minority
Community Development Fund,
Eastern Nebraska Community
Action Program, Center for
Holistic Development, 100 Black
Men, New Community Development
Corporation, Metro Community
College, and over 40 different
businesses and community
organizations. Over 150 youth
and young adults are
participating in a range of
educational, training, and work
experience opportunities.
During the morning, participants
are engaged in educational and
training sessions including
summer school, GED, college
prep, and entrepreneurship.
Afternoons include intensive
training on life skills,
employability, history and
culture, managing money,
customer service, vocational
careers, housing rehabilitation,
urban farming, marketing and
communications, media
development, and community
research. The final piece of
the puzzle is on the job work
experience in over 20 different
fields including banking,
health, culinary, automotive
repair, special projects, and green
jobs.
Thank you to our partners.
Thank you to everyone involved.
If you would like to support
this effort, please call
402-502-5153 or e-mail us at
vqferris@empoweromaha.com
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HARMONY WEEK…
Safe Summer Kick-off 2009
From
Violence to
PEACE in the
City…No More!
Violence
Empower Omaha! and its
partners are asking
individuals, families,
organizations, faith
institutions, businesses,
and others to participate in
Harmony Week! Let’s come
together all over the city
to
kick-off a safe summer!
Saturday, May 16
Help
Your Neighbor Day
(Serve someone in your
neighborhood)
Participate in a
Neighborhood Clean-up
Network Partnership with
Highlander Neighborhood
Association
Meet at 29th and
Charles at 8:00 am
Sunday, May 17 3:00
pm Music, Food, and
Activities at Fontenelle
Park – 42nd and
Ames
4:00 pm Safe Summer
Prayer Rally and Service at
Fontenelle Park
Monday, May 18 6:00
pm Family Night
At Home
No TV Night -
Spend time talking about
being safe during the
summer.
Tuesday, May 19 6:00
pm
Neighborhood Night
Host an event in your home
and discuss ways to improve
the
neighborhood.
Wednesday, May 20 8:00
pm Harmony Week Prayer
Vigil
Host
a Prayer Vigil at your
church
(After Wednesday Worship
Service)
or in your neighborhood .
Thursday, May 21
Listen and Serve: Reach out
& Connect Youth w/ Seniors
Day!
Create
an opportunity for youth to
listen to and serve seniors
in the neighborhood and/or
in senior housing.
Friday, May 22 After 3:00
pm Neighborhood
Block Parties
Host an event at your church
or neighborhood. Provide
positive
activities
for children and youth on
the last day of school.
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TIME FOR CHANGE
Saturday, December 13, 2008
2nd Annual
State of African-Americans &
North Omaha:
Focus: Violence
Prevention, Jobs, Careers,
Business and Education
Over 100
community leaders and residents
participated in the 2nd Annual
Summit.
PRESS
RELEASE...
On Saturday, December 13, 2008,
the Empowerment Network and
Urban League of Nebraska will
jointly release the first part
of a new report produced by the
Pew Partnership for Civic
Change.
The summary overview will be
presented at the Second Annual
State of African-Americans
Summit, hosted by the
African-American Empowerment
Network, at the Tip Top Ballroom
and Conference Center in Omaha,
Nebraska. The summit will
be held from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. and include the annual
Empower Omaha! update, Pew
Partnership Presentation, and
feature interactive roundtable
discussions and action plan
development focused on
economics, jobs, business
development, and violence
prevention. An informal
networking session starts at
10:30 am.
Pew is an internationally known
research and community
engagement firm that specializes
in analyzing communities and
providing customized best
practice recommendations for
making short-term and long-term
improvements. The Pew
Partnership Report takes a fresh
look at the history and current
state of African-Americans,
North Omaha, and the greater
Omaha area.
The purpose of the Pew
Partnership report is
three-fold: first, to document
the challenges facing the
African American community in
Omaha; second, to present the
impact of these challenges on
the community as a whole; and
third, to recommend next steps
that the community must embrace
for the situation to improve.
The report was funded by African
American business owners and
senior corporate executives
along with key business and
philanthropic leaders. The
funding effort was lead by Dick
Davis, President and CEO of
Davis Companies.
Omaha boasts some of the best
public schools in the nation,
but has received national
attention regarding the overall
poor performance of some of its
African-American students.
Omaha has typically maintained
an unemployment rate of less
than 4 percent; however,
African-American unemployment
ranges from 12 to 18 percent.
And now with the current
recession, African-American
unemployment could reach more
than 20 percent and certain
census tracts in North Omaha
already have 35 percent or
higher unemployment. Omaha
has evolved into what the Kerner
Report (Report
of the National Advisory
Commission on Civil
Disorders 1968)
projected, “two
societies, one black, one white
– separate and unequal."
With an outside-in perspective,
Suzanne Morse, President of the
Pew Partnership for Civic
Change, seeks to analyze how
Omaha has produced a community
that ranks in the top five in
the United States, regarding
African-American poverty, while
simultaneously creating a much
documented economic rebirth in
other parts of the city.
The report doesn’t stop with
just issues, facts, and data.
The Pew Report provides
additional insights that will
help the community understand
how things got the way they are
and also presents creative, best
practices for closing
educational and economic gaps.
Many of the findings confirm and
shine new light on reports that
have been released over the past
two years in the Empowerment
Network’s “State of
African-Americans” report, Omaha
World-Herald’s “Poverty in Black
and White” series, and the
Building Bright Futures
Community Action Plan.
“I’m most excited about moving
forward. It’s good to know
the history. It’s good to
know the data. But, most
importantly, we are prepared to
take these recommendations and
move forward,” said Thomas
Warren, President and CEO of the
Urban League of Nebraska.
“We need to build on the good
things that have already
started.”
The report also discusses the
development of strong capacity
building efforts and highlights
the importance of accessible
credit and incentives for
entrepreneurship. “The Pew
report reveals that creating
pathways to entrepreneurship
helps build personal wealth,
generate employment and is a
vehicle to grow the larger
economy as well” says Ed
Cochran, executive director of
the north Omaha development
project. “We must
indentify gaps in service and
investment and effect
performance driven strategies
and self help mechanisms to
address the challenges we face.”
In addition, the report also
introduces the “Thriving
Communities Index,” a Pew Center
exclusive model, which allows
cities to make valuable
comparisons with other urban
areas. The Index
identifies key variables that
help determine how a city is
performing with regards to
economics and quality of life.
The report compares Omaha to
selected Midwestern and other
“high-performing” cities on 12
different components.
Morse writes in the report:
“Based on data collected
through a national regression
model, Thriving Communitiesä,
Omaha has a strong economy and a
good quality of life. This
analysis suggests that Omaha has
all the building blocks in place
to go from a very strong
community to a national model.
What is missing is a laser focus
on the issues that affect
Omaha’s most disadvantaged
populations.
“The analysis of the 387 cities
in the Thriving Communities
model shows that the strongest
cities in America—those that
have the most productive economy
and the highest quality of life
do two very significant things:
first, they create a vibrant
economy of high wage jobs and
low unemployment using four
interrelated approaches: build
on strengths, develop key
assets, generate a positive
reputation, and attract job
generators. To enhance their
quality of life they focus on
six variables: safe
neighborhoods, highly educated
workforce, healthcare access for
all, affordable and available
housing, arts and recreation,
and civic engagement.”
The report ends with immediate,
short-term, and long-term
recommendations to help Omaha
become a model for the rest of
the nation. A few of the
solutions that are highlighted
include: developing a
comprehensive, multi-year
development plan for youth;
creating a new approach to
workforce development; creating
new pathways for
entrepreneurship and access to
capital.
“It’s great to see that this
report, compiled and written by
an internationally respected
research organization, confirms
some of our earlier findings,”
stated Willie Barney, President
and Facilitator of the
Empowerment Network. “The
recommendations are totally
compatible with the strategies
that the community has focused
on with the Empowerment
Covenant, Building Bright
Futures and the North Omaha
Development Project.
“The Pew report gives us a much
needed framework and context for
future solutions. It also
provides a different perspective
for how Omaha compares to other
cities and what can be
implemented right away to make a
real, tangible difference.”
Omaha is well positioned to
finally close gaps that have
produced a divided community.
The Pew Partnership report
strongly recommends that success
will only come when silos are
removed, walls are broken down,
self help strategies are
initiated and the entire city
makes addressing these
disparities a priority.
Morse concludes in the Pew
Report, “Poverty and
underachievement costs the
nation and communities like
Omaha untold millions of
dollars. These issues must be
addressed immediately.
Omaha has the opportunity to be
a model for the rest of the
nation, but there is no time to
waste.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Stop the Violence Conference
Crime Prevention Summit
Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May
10, 2008
Black Men United, National Hip
Hop Political Convention, ACLU,
Douglas County, Malcolm X
Foundation, African-American
Association (UNO), Circle of
Brotherhood, and Empowerment
Network hosted the First Stop
the Violence Conference and 2nd
Annual Crime Prevention Summit.
The event attracted over 100
leaders, community advocates and
youth for two days of planning
and networking. Five
national speakers were on hand
to share information, success
stories, and strategies for
reducing youth violence.
Local experts also presented
best practice strategies and
successful ideas.
Elected officials, police
officers, faith leaders,
non-profit organizations, crime
prevention specialists, parents,
students, and others worked
together to generate ideas to
reduce violence.
Strategies are in development
and the Empowerment Network
Crime Prevention Covenant will
be updated to reflect
recommendations from the
national consultants and
speakers. It's time to
work the plan!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Neighborhood Clean-up
April 26, 2008
The Empowerment Network
partnered with the Highlander,
Prospect Place, and Prospect
Hill Neighborhood Associations
during their annual clean-up
day. Partners from
throughout the city worked
alongside neighbors to fill up
several city dump trucks.
We helped to remove trash,
brush, furniture, and other
items from the neighborhood.
Thanks to all of the volunteers.
Other efforts are being planned
for later this year.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rebuilding the Village
Conference
April 4, 2008
On Friday, April
4, 2008, the Empowerment Network
and Empower Omaha! presented the
2nd Annual Rebuilding
the Village Conference.
Three nationally known speakers
were on hand to deliver five
power-packed sessions featuring
real-life examples of how
neighborhoods have been
transformed through
partnerships, networks, and
various community-based efforts.
George Fraser, President/CEO of
FraserNet, Denise E. Gilmore,
President/CEO of the Jazz
District Redevelopment
Corporation (Kansas City), and
Kenneth Dobson, an international
Community and Economic
Development Consultant, proved
to be an incredible line-up.
A diverse
audience of over 160 leaders and
community advocates,
representing over 70 different
organizations, participated.
All areas of the Empowerment
Covenant were present, including
disciplines of education,
business, faith, crime
prevention, cultural arts,
political empowerment,
economics, housing, youth
development, health, healthy
families, neighborhood
development, and media.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
National Night Out...Empowerment
Outreach
Thanks to all who attended the
National Night Out...Empower
Omaha Community Outreach on
Tuesday, August 7th. It
was one our first ventures out
into the streets...a successful
start to our Neighborhood
Partnership Plan.
Thanks to the Empowerment
Network Crime Prevention Leaders
and Stacy Henry for providing
leadership and helping pull
things together in a very short
amount of time with the National
Night Out.
In the end, God held off the
rain, volunteers served in every
capacity, and groups came
forward to help make the event a
success. We had a good
turnout and gave out over 200
servings of fish, 200
hamburgers, over 250 hot dogs,
500+ bottles of water and soft
drinks.
Chef Mike - cooked hamburgers
and hot dogs
Lutfi's - donated, cooked and
served catfish and made a
financial contribution
No Frills - donated hot dogs and
hot dog buns
Charles Drew - handout out
health related information and
answered questions
Creighton University Youth
Program - provided back packs
for kids
Creighton University Medical
Center - brought the portable
health unit
Fire Department - brought out a
fire truck and the Fire Mobile
Command
Police Department - brought out
the Mobile Command Unit
DJ Joe Parks - played a mix of
gospel, jazz and a little bit of
old school
Pastor Teran and his team
allowed us to use his church
parking lot and many church
volunteers joined in to help.
Pepsi - helped with soft drinks
Wells Fargo - helped with bottle
water
Eagle Haven/Rainbow of Hope -
provided the No More Tears
Ribbons
We handed out copies of the
covenant and discussed it with
residents, played games and
activities with the children in
the neighborhood, talked to
residents about needs and ideas
to help improve the community.
We had many conversations with
neighbors about how to help stop
the violence.
Many organizations, groups, and
individuals were present,
including; African-American
Achievement Council, Don't Get
it Twisted, OEDC, Charles Drew,
Creighton, Juvenile Probation,
Weed & Seed, Totally Motivated,
Eagle Haven, Rainbow of Hope,
Omaha Urban Area Health
Education Center, Target,
Christian Couples Fellowship
International., Aframerican
Bookstore, Black Men United,
Clark Connection Group, 100
Black Men, Chef Mike, Lutfi's,
Freedom Assembly, Afresh
Anointing Church, Agape Church,
Salem Baptist Church,
representatives from OHA,
representatives from all of the
Neighborhood Associations, Fire
Chief Dahlquist and
representatives from the Fire
Department, Chief Warren and
representatives from the Police
Dept....and representatives from
every area of the Covenant.
(and I'm sure I'm missing
others)
It was just the beginning of our
community outreach efforts.
We will meet this Saturday to
continue putting the covenant
into action. Enough is
Enough...it's time to Be About
It!!!! We've planned.
We've met. We now have a
road map. It's time to do
the work!
____________________________________________________________________
“It’s Time to Work Together!”
Community Summit, Update and
Planning Sessions
Held
on SATURDAY, JULY 21, 2007
Omaha North High School
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
On Saturday, July 21st,
over 150 leaders and community
representatives came together
for the Empower Omaha! Community
Summit, Update and Planning
Session. Participants
discussed the State of
African-Americans in Omaha,
reviewed solutions that have
been identified, announced
initial leadership projects, and
participated in break-out
sessions designed to help turn
the Empower Omaha! Covenant into
specific action plans.
The covenant seeks to help
address challenges faced by
African-Americans living in
Omaha and provides a road map
for what individuals, families
and leaders can do to help
improve the community. The
Empower Omaha! Covenant is a
local plan that was created by
the African-American Empowerment
Network with participation from
African-American leaders and
with input from over 400
community members. The
call now is for everyone to “Do
Their Part and Live the
Covenant.” It follows the
model of the Covenant with Black
America developed by Tavis
Smiley and a panel of national
experts. An increasing
number of individuals and groups
are joining the Network every
week.
SCHEDULE:
9:00 a.m. Networking
Opportunities/Visit
Displays/Information and Sign-up
Tables
(Free TMC Card
w/Discounts & Special Values
from African-American
Businesses)
10:00
a.m. Community Update on
the Empower Omaha! Covenant
Update on the State of
African-Americans in Omaha
Update on the Empower
Omaha! Covenants, Partnerships
and other Major Projects
Overview of Solutions and
Ways for You to Get Involved and
“Live the Covenants”
11:00
a.m. Community Q & A
Session
Noon
Lunch available for purchase
from African-American
Restaurants
1:00—3:00 Break-out
Sessions & Summits
Share ideas on
solutions and how we can work
together to accelerate our
progress.
(Areas: Education,
Economics, Crime Prevention,
Housing, Health/Environment,
Faith, Families,
Voting/Politics, Arts/Cultural
Activities,
Media/Communications)
Presented by: The
Empowerment Network and WDB
Resultants, LLC
____________________________________________________________________
On Friday, April 27, 2007, we
hosted our
Empowerment Network Lunch with
George Fraser from 10:00 am to
1:00 pm at Chef Mike's Community
Cafe - 24th and Lake.
At the luncheon, we launched the
first phase of the Empowerment
Covenants and held our first
press conference.
We had great attendance at the
event. The opening
conversation with George Fraser
was a beautiful start to the
day. Mr. Fraser wasted no
time getting to meat of his
presentation. He
encouraged us to keep moving and
doing what we've been called to
do.
The
press conference was well
received. The
Omaha World-Herald featured the
launch of the covenants on the
front page of both the morning
and evening editions.
Three television stations
covered the event and presented
coverage on their 5:00, 6:00,
9:00 and 10:00 news. We
want to thank the media for
helping us to present this
extremely important initiative
to the community. We plan
to announce the Leadership
Initiatives in mid-May.
After the press conference, we
had the opportunity to enjoy a
wonderful lunch prepared by Chef
Mike. We want to thank
Mike and his team, Teresa Hunter
and her staff, and all of those
who helped to make the lunch
portion of the day a success.
Then, it was back to George
Fraser. He picked up right
where he had left off in the
earlier session. He
continued to drop wisdom left
and right. He challenged
us. He encouraged us.
He inspired us. We are
working to make DVD's and CD's
of the presentation available.
Fraser is
an internationally-known Author,
Visionary, and Network Builder.
Founder and leader of the #1
Network for African-Americans in
the World, Fraser has created a
global movement to increase
opportunities for people of
African descent. He is the
author of Success Runs in our
Race, SuccessGuides, and
Founder/Host of the
PowerNetworking Conference,
featuring the most influential
African-American leaders of our
generation.
Thank you to all who attended
and supported the event.
Now, it's time to take it higher
and put the covenants to work!
____________________________________________________________________
The Crime Prevention Summit
was held Saturday, April 14,
2007, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at
Omaha North High School.
It was a very productive work
session including groups,
organizations and individuals
who are dedicated to reducing
crime and creating safe
neighborhoods. Part II is
in the works.
____________________________________________________________________
Health
and Healthy Family Summit
- Very productive meeting
on 3/31/07. We held the
Summit at Omaha North High
School following the Black
Family Health and Wellness
Association's 9th Annual Health
Fair. We had a very
positive response and gathered
very valuable ideas,
recommendations and feedback
from the community and
representatives of various
organizations. We had
strong representation from a
significant number of health and
healthy family organizations.
We also have 90 in-depth
feedback forms completed.
____________________________________________________________________
Economics
and Housing.
Great meeting on 3/24/07.
Strong representation from many
areas...even with the rain.
Business and organizational
leaders from for-profit and
non-profits were all present.
New participants have joined the
effort. We're working
towards a follow-up meeting to
identify our key initiatives.
Subcommittees are being formed.
____________________________________________________________________
AFRICAN-AMERICAN EMPOWERMENT
SUMMIT and FORUM - Part II
Held on March
10, 2007
Thank you to all who attended
the March 10 Empowerment Summit.
We presented the updated
Empowerment Covenant, issued an
Empowerment Challenge,
kicked-off the Month of
Empowerment, gave out a free
card that allows participants to
receive great discounts from
African-American businesses,
provided updates and meeting
dates for your participation on
solution teams, and announced
future plans for converting the
covenant into action!
Thank you to our panelists,
speakers, presenters and all who
attended.
More updates are coming.
Summits for Economics, Health
and Healthy Families, Education
and Youth Development and Crime
Prevention are coming soon.
Visit the site for updates.
Presenters and Panelists:
Elaine Adams
Principal - Boyd Elementary
School
Femi Awodele
Executive Director/Founder -
Christian Couples Ministries
International, Author
Dr. Richard Brown
President/CEO - Charles Drew
Health Center
Paul Bryant
Executive Director - Wesley
House Leadership Academy
Deb Bunting
Nebraska Arts Council
John Ewing
Douglas County Treasurer
Dell Gines
President - District 2
Neighborhood Association
Carol Woods-Harris
State Board of Education
Teresa Hunter
President/CEO - Family Housing
Advisory Services
Michael Maroney
President/CEO – Omaha
Economic Development Corp.
Steering Committee- North Omaha
Economic Development Project
Pastor Jeremiah McGhee
Senior Pastor – Mt. Sinai
Church; President –
Interdenominational Ministerial
Alliance
Dr. Rubens Pamies
Vice-Chancellor – Dean of
Academic Affairs – University of
Nebraska Medical Center
Chris Rodgers
Douglas County Commissioner
Pastor Vanessa Ward
Senior Pastor - A Fresh
Anointing Church
Thomas Warren
Omaha Chief of Police
Tommie Wilson
President – NAACP
____________________________________________________________________
AFRICAN-AMERICAN EMPOWERMENT
SUMMIT, FORUM
and COMMUNITY
PLANNING SESSION - PART I
Held on
December 9, 2006.
PRAYER/WELCOME
Minister John Ewing – Douglas
County Treasurer
OPENING REMARKS/
Willie Barney
PRESENTATION
State of African-Americans in
Omaha –Overview
Empowerment Network – Vision,
Covenant & Strategic Plan
PRESENTATIONS
Education and
Youth Development
Ben Gray – AA Achievement
Council
Economics
Michael
Maroney – OEDC/North Omaha
Economic
Teresa
Hunter – FHAS (Housing)
Health/Environment
Dr. Richard
Brown – Charles Drew Health
Center
Healthy Families
Femi
Awodele – Author, Christian
Couples International
Voting/Politics
Chris Rodgers – Douglas County
Commissioner
Crime Prevention/Justice
Dell Gines – District 2
Neighborhood Association
Arts/Cultural
Activities/Entertainment
Deb Bunting –
Nebraska Arts
Council
INTRODUCE THE
PANEL
Willie Barney,
Tim Clark and Willie Hamilton
Moderators
PANEL DISCUSSION
Questions from the Audience
(on index cards to Moderators)
BREAK-OUT
PLANNING SESSIONS/COMMUNITY
INPUT
(Opportunity to
provide input on issues,
solutions, groups/organizations
and ask questions)
DECEMBER 9, 2006 SUMMIT & FORUM
Panelists/Speakers:
Femi Awodele
Christian Couples Ministries
International, Author
Rev. Dr. Selwyn Q. Bachus
Senior Pastor - Salem Baptist
Church
Dr. Richard Brown
President/CEO - Charles Drew
Health Center
Deb Bunting
Nebraska Arts Council
John Ewing
Douglas County Treasurer-elect
Bishop John Ford
Church of God in Christ
Ben Gray
KETV Host/Co-Chair -
African-American Achievement
Council
Dell Gines
President - District 2
Neighborhood Association
Carol Woods-Harris
State Board of Education
Teresa Hunter
President/CEO - Family Housing
Advisory Services
Michael Maroney
President/CEO – Omaha Economic
Development Corp.
Steering Committee- North Omaha
Economic Development Project
Chris Rodgers
Douglas County Commissioner
Pastor Vanessa Ward
Senior Pastor - A Fresh
Anointing Church
Thomas Warren
Omaha Chief of Police
Tommie Wilson
President – NAACP
Moderators/Hosts
Willie Barney -
Facilitator of the Empowerment
Network
President -WDB Resultants,
LLC./SMB Enterprises, LLC.
Tim Clark -
President – Clark Connection
Group
Vice-President of Membership –
Omaha Chamber
Willie Hamilton - Leader –
NANOSO Voter’s Coalition and
Black Men United
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