EPIC for Girls
EPIC for Girls, an organization dedicated to empowering girls of color through sports, education, and mentorship, recently celebrated its first cohort of Girls Ref the World (GRoW) Academy. The group of young women completed a program designed to boost their careers in sports officiating. The graduation ceremony, which took place Nov. 9 at the Village Empowerment Center, featured leaders in the sports industry and speaker Brenda Council.
Participants in GRoW Academy are between the ages of 14 and 24 and reside in North or South Omaha. EPIC for Girls partnered with Jeffrey Williams of J’s Braintrust to launch the program. The four-week course was funded by the James E. Semerad Foundation and grant funding from The Simple Foundation Crime Prevention & Intervention program.
Giving Machine
A vending machine designed to help those in need has arrived at Westroads Mall. Located near Santa Claus in the Von Maur courtyard, The Giving Machine is part of the #LightTheWord campaign under the sponsorship of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Members of the community can visit the vending machine now through Nov. 28 to donate items such as clothing, food, medicine, baby items and livestock. Local charities participating include: One World, Sienna Francis House, House of Bah, Catholic Charities, Foster Care Closet of Nebraska, iDE, American Red Cross and Mentors International.
YES Groundbreaking
Youth Emergency Services (YES) was scheduled to have a groundbreaking ceremony on Nov. 27 at 575 S. 28th St. in Omaha. As part of the organization’s capital campaign, YES will commemorate its 50th anniversary by setting out to raise $12.6 million to reach its $28 million goal. YES, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness for youth, aims to consolidate nine sites into a centralized campus that will include 40 affordable housing units. Readers can visit www.50yearsofyes.org for more information on how to get involved.
