Impact Stories

In 2016, CHE supported the renovation of the Willard Community Center in Lincoln's West A neighborhood. CHE's Place Matters report showed the need to invest in this neighborhood which faces disproportionate public health challenges, poverty levels, and ethnic/racial diversity. When CHE learned that Mourning Hope, Lincoln's only community resource for bereaved children and families was lookin to relocate, connections were made, and the idea of a wellness campus was born. Mourning Hope continues its work with grieving children and families while partnering with Lutheran Family Services to offer home-based services such as counseling, parenting classes, and wellness services. Lincoln Parks & Recreation also partnered on this project, with CHE funding renovations of adjacent Schroder Park, which has been transformed into a play and gathering space for the neighborhood.

Healthy Food Access (HFA) is a collaborative project between Community Action and the Food Bank of Lincoln to increase access to healthy foods in Lincoln, particularly for children living in the city's highest needs neighborhoods. The project responds to a need to connect children to foods that will support their long-term development and health.
CHE funding supported a 5,000 square foot commercial kitchen has been constructed at Community Action's 210 O Street location. The Healthy Food Access Kitchen is used by Kinder Bites to prepare healthy meals with fresh produce and other ingredients for children participating in the Food Bank's Summer Food Service Program and child care centers across the city. The kitchen is also used by Lone Tree Foods, a local food sales and distribution company, to store and package locally sourced foods (produce, meats, and cheeses) to healthcare facilities, schools, and retail markets.
CHE funding also supported the Lincoln Fresh truck, operated by the Food Bank, which delivers fresh produce to Lincoln's highest needs neighborhoods (including those with high poverty rates, high obesity rates, and low access to healthy foods, as highlighted in CHE's Place Matters study).

In 2015, CHE funded Health 360, a partnership of Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and Bluestem Health. Health 360 integrates mental health, substance use and primary care services to produce the best outcomes. Located in one of the most vulnerable neighborhoods in Lincoln, according to CHE's Place Matters report, Health 360 provides an affordable, holistic approach to care for many of Lincoln's most vulnerable.

In 2015, CHE helped fund MilkWorks, a non-profit specializing in breastfeeding support, through a grant for the larger Lincoln Breastfeeding Initiative. Working closely with other CHE grantees, MilkWorks has since greatly impacted low-income and culturally diverse mothers in Lincoln through their Community Breastfeeding Educators project.

In 2015, St. Monica's Behavioral Health Services for Women sought a CHE grant to fund a pilot program that offered women struggling with addiction or mental instabilities a chance to explore and ultimately overcome their issues through a perfectly Midwestern companionship: human and horse. St. Monica's results, like the project concept itself, have proved to be exceptional.

In 2015, CHE proudly funded an imaginative approach to tackling food disparities in Lincoln. The Veggie Van, a project from Community Crops, has since been making waves in the community as it brings fresh produce to low-income and refugee families. Lamya Ali, a local translator, understands what this van means to Lincolnites.