Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty was awarded the Core Bank Community Impact Award for the fourth quarter with a gift of $5,000. They were selected among several other applicants also very worthy of the award. The Committee’s focus is on where “real impact” can be seen and measured, and Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty marked those boxes.
The mission of Omaha Bridges is “Empowering under-resourced families to change their lives by discovering and overcoming barriers to success.” Omaha is a great place to live and work, but like many urban metro areas, poverty has been a persistent and growing problem. In 2016, the founders of Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty began looking at poverty in the metro area. They discovered that more than 100,000 people were living in poverty in metro Omaha/Council Bluffs. This program teaches individuals how to get out of poverty. Their curriculum and post-graduation life skills coaching not only build resources in 11 key areas but also produce a more focused worker who is more productive with reduced absenteeism and turnover.
Dr. Ruby Payne, founder of Bridges Out of Poverty stated that of all 200 + communities in the U.S. using Bridges, Omaha has developed the most scalable model. Their average total cost per graduate is $3,000.
Individuals with various backgrounds and life journeys get assistance and come to them through their partnerships with other local communities: Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, Siena Francis, etc. The instructors are not there to “teach” the individuals the material, they are there to “provide” them with the information they need to create their own journey. Each of the graduates receives a “check-up” on their progress. All can come back at any time for additional resources and support. Over the next decade, Omaha Bridges Out of Poverty is committed to helping 25,000 working-age adults lift themselves out of poverty.
The Core Bank Community Impact Award reflects a deeper commitment to improving economic prosperity, especially for under-resourced individuals, families, and small businesses. Core Bank is dedicated to building healthier, more resilient, better connected, and inclusive communities throughout our footprint.
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