News from Partners for Otoe County

November 11, 2011

P4OC Focus 2020 Event Highlights Service to the Community & Outcomes for the Future

Approximately 50 people attended the Partners for Otoe County Focus 2020 Event at the Nebraska City Center for Children and Families on November 10th. The purpose of the event was to recognize folks who make an outstanding contribution to the community, get acquainted with people serving new professional roles in the community and to announce new community-wide outcome measures planned through the year 2020 and beyond. Dave LeGrand, Vice-Chair of the Partners for Otoe County Board of Directors presented the awards.

Jenni Brant and Pat Friedli accept the Organization of the Year Award on behalf of the Kimmel-Harding-Nelson Center for the Arts

Organization of the Year - KHN Center for the Arts

The Kimmel-Harding-Nelson Center for the Arts was selected as the Organization of the Year for 2011. P4OC has been holding a Summer Art Camp in the classroom at the KHN Center for the past four years. The facilities are wonderful and the center displays student work after camp is over for the community to see.

The staff at the KHN center are highly collaborative partners in after school programming at the middle schools in Nebraska City and Syracuse. They assist in finding qualified artists to lead after school clubs, they connect students with their artists in residence whenever possible, and they open exhibits for student viewing. Jenni and Pat provide expertise that enhances the quality and artistic merit of local youth programming. Most communities of our size do not have local exposure to the arts like the KHN Center provides, and we are indeed lucky to have them in our community.

Volunteer of the Year

The 2011 Volunteer of the Year is Brooke Chaney. Brooke began volunteering with People United for Families back in high school when she became a Study Buddies Tutor. She became a TeamMates Mentor in March of 2005 and was matched with a third student last month. Brooke was elected to the Board of Directors in

Dave LeGrand presents Brooke Chaney with the Volunteer of the Year Award

2007. She served as

Vice-Chair of the

board last year and Chairs its Marketing Committee. Brooke has been a member of the Otoe County CASA Board since they began planning for the local program in 2008 and currently serves as Chair. Brooke's "day job" is with the Southeast District Health Department where she coordinates the Growing Great Kids Program in Southeast Nebraska and other public health prevention activities. Brooke is a great role model for community service.

Catalyst for Change Award - Officer Ben Murry

Chief Dave Lacy accepts the Catalyst for Change Award for Office Ben Murry

The Catalyst for Change Award recognizes a p

erson or organization who recognizes a problem and initiates change to do something about it.

Officer Ben Murry was chosen for the award this year for initiating the Designated Driver Rewards Program. Two years ago Officer Murry attended the National Lifesavers Conference, and came back with the idea to create this program. P4OC wrote a mini-grant so Officer Murry could implement the program this year and the Southeast District Health Department provided the funding. With the Designated Driver Rewards Program, people who do not use alcohol and give rides home to others receive gift cards donated by local merchants.

Officer Murry began full-time for NCPD in August of 2008. Chief Lacy says that Officer Murry coaches the younger officers as to what to look for and often will assist other officers during their traffic stop for drug interdiction investigations. He also spends his work time assisting our Field Training Officers with new police officer training with new police officer training.

Officer Murry serves as the Nebraska City Police Department's liaison officer with other department drug investigators and proactively shares drug Intel with other agencies.

Officer Murry is a great source of Intel for the department as he has developed many relationships with individuals who trust him.

For a list of former award winners, visit http://www.p4oc.org/about/awards/.

Guard for a Day

Submitted by: Dawn Leu - Pioneer Connections Red Ribbon at Nat'l Guard

NCHS PRiDE enjoyed being "Guards for a Day" on Wed., Oct. 26. Sgts. Joseph Strack and Jennifer Feldt led the day with a bus ride to the Lincoln Nat'l Guard Air Field.

Students got to sit in the seats of a Blackhawk helicopter, climb up in trucks that served in Iraq, look through heat sensing devices and night vision glasses. They toured the work shop, weight room and electrical shop where they learned how the military blocks radio contact from the enemy. Before enjoying a pizza luncheon, the students were challenged with pushups, leg lifts and holding their arms straight out for the longest period of time.

Briana D Jamie Horstmann 50 caliber gun ubas, Collin Rarig and Mason Martin were among those who won prizes for their endurance. Pictured is Jamie Horstmann trying to cock the charging handle of a 50 caliber gun.

Syracuse Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

November 08, 2011

Mrs. Lechners 3rd grade door

The students in grades K-8 grade celebrated Red Ribbon Week from October 31- November 4. Red Ribbon Week is an

awareness campaign which gets information to the public about the dangers of drug abuse and making unhealthy choices. Red Ribbon Week was a way to get people talking with one another by working on activities that helped build a sense of community and common purpose. It was positive and fun-two things necessary to read more....

Issue: 54

In This Issue

P4OC Recognizes Outstanding Community Service

PRiDE Students are Guards for a Day

NADAA Invitation

Syracuse Schools Celebrate Red Ribbon Week

Calendar of Events

CASA Volunteer Training Begins 11-18

Volunteers Needed

Stop the Texts-Stop the Wrecks

Painkiller Deats Triple

Upcoming Events

November 1 - 30

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

National Adoption Month

National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

National Diabetes Month

National Scholarship Month

Nov 7 - 11

National Young Readers Week

Friday - Nov 11

Veterans Day

veterans day

Nov 12 -20

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

Nov 13 - 19

American Education Week

Nov 14 - 20

World Kindness Week

Nov 16 - 22

National Teens Don't Text and Drive Week

Thurs - Nov 17

Great American Smokeout

Saturday - Nov 19

National Family Volunteer Day

Sunday - Nov 20

NADAA Banquet

Auburn 4-H Building

Nov 20 - 26

National Family Week

Thursday - Nov 24

Thanksgiving

thanksgiving

Fri - Nov 25

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

National Day of Listening

Tues - Nov 29

P4OC Board Meeting

NCCCF12:00 - 1:00

PROMOTE YOUR FAMILY-FRIENDLY SUMMER EVENT

CONTACT Laurie to post YOUR information.

New CASA Volunteer Training Begins November 18th

A new group of prospective CASA volunteers will begin training on

Friday, November 18th, from 10:00 to 4:00, and there is room for additional people in the class.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are ordinary citizens who are

appointed by judges to speak in court

for the safety and well-being of

abused and neglected children.

Nebraska CASA supports court-

appointed volunteer advocacy for

abused and neglected children so

they can thrive in safe, permanent homes.

Call Mari at 873-6343 for more

information

We're Recruiting!

TeamMates of Nebraska City is currently recruiting 5 men and 5 women to serve as TeamMates Mentors. TeamMates matches a volunteer mentor with a student

to meet at school for one hour

per week and share a variety of activities.

For more information, contact Stacie at 402-873-6343. To get a jump start on the paperwork you can visit: www.teammates.org and click on the "Become a Mentor" button.

Get the facts & discover tips on how to avoid texting while driving - read more...

Not everyone should text and walk. No one should text and drive.

Number of Prescription Painkiller Deaths Tripled in Last 10 Years

More people now die from painkillers than from heroin and cocaine combined. How many people died from painkiller overdoses in 2008?

Partners for Otoe County (P4OC) Services

Partners for Otoe County
917 Wildwood Lane, Suite H | Nebraska City, NE 68410
402-873-6343 | www.p4oc.org

Partners for Otoe County is a registered trade name of
People United for Families, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation