The Fall 2021 class selected CEDARS Youth Services as a recipient of a $5,000 grant. CEDARS is an organization dedicated to children and, by extension, their families to provide safety, stability and enduring family relationships. Their services are tailored toward the youth of all ages who may be at risk of poor outcomes, focusing on youth who cannot live at home due to abuse, neglect, homelessness, running away or family crises. They provide resources, opportunities and education through various programs such as the Youth Opportunity Center, Pioneers Center Emergency Shelter, Bridges Transitional Living and foster care, community-based juvenile justice, child care and parenting services.
Beginning in 1947 with 22 children, Reverend Charles and Alberta Danner moved into their new home, the current CEDARS administration building. Last year, they served over 1,800 families and provided 88,633 nights of care to families and children in need.
Our class felt that CEDARS truly represented our values and directly aligned with our mission statement. By providing underreached youth and their families with educational programs and community-building resources, CEDARS equips people with the skills for success in life. CEDARS consolidated agencies spent 88% of all expenditures on services for children, which represents their financial commitment to their mission. They are one of Nebraska’s most trusted child-service organizations, and we recognized this in our many interactions with the staff. While we were not able to hear direct stories of impact due to privacy concerns, we saw the indirect impact through listening to staff share their love and passion with us.
Looking to the future, the city of Lincoln is in the process of receiving two million dollars to be used for youth housing services. CEDARS will be a leader in organizing this program and effectively using the grants. This is a huge opportunity for the future of youth safety and stability in the Lincoln community, and CEDARS is excited to see the impact these grants will have.
The $5,000 grant funds will be allocated to the Youth Opportunity Center, which serves transition-age youth (16-21 years old). It provides support through education, job training, and meals for youth who have experienced homelessness or are at risk of losing housing. Check out CEDARS’s website at https://cedarskids.org/