We put great efforts in 2017 to providing a platform for support services. To enable the weekend social entrepreneur – the do-gooder that wants to have a long term impact with those hours outside of their day job. Let me tell you about those we work with –
A few friends which we continue to support, including their incredible communities:
- The Bay and Hear Nebraska are now Rabble Mill. They spent the year building up their internal team and focusing how they serve their clients. It was a year of growth and we can’t wait to see what these seeds grow into.
- Sparks4Change Rwanda continues with 10 kids in the program. We are far away but continue to check in regularly to see that all are taken care of.
- The Latino Summit Scholarship awarded 15 students with $1,000 towards their future education at post-secondary institutions. This program is the efforts of a special couple looking to make their own impact one individual at a time.
- A new group we began with this year : Summer Mission Camp (SMC) which brings churches together that couldn’t normally take that summer mission trip due to number of participants or economics of it. Brings them together to go be the hands and feet of Christ.
- We were fortunate to go visit our friends in Haiti at the Red Door. It was a great week to spend time with friends we rarely get to see. This was the 9th trip to Haiti in as many years, which we never imaged when we first got off the plane. We spend the week building a new space for kids to be educated and leaders to be rejuvenated.
Our two largest programs made great strides in 2018. They wanted to share a few notes:
In 2018, Dancing Beyond Limits served 50 adaptive dancers in the spring, and 56 in the fall. We also trained and supported as many volunteers to provide a buddy for each dancer during our 8 week sessions. We added 2 classes in our Omaha program, and focused on community performances which included the Orpheum Stage with Fusion Dance, The Spirit of Chase Dance Recital, a National Conference for Trisomy 21 in Omaha, and the Lied Center Stage with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. Dancing Beyond Limits also hosted a combined “Greatest Showman” Recital, where students performed for one another and were honored for their hard work with a medal and a keepsake program. Other activities included a square-dance social for Omaha and Lincoln students, leading a dance class at a local Respite Night event, and opportunities to share the mission of Dancing Beyond Limits with the community through Lance’s Journal (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWJq44-m4ow), Consider This on NET (http://netnebraska.org/interactive-multimedia/outreach/consider-dancing-beyond-limits-2113), and speaking to Creighton University graduate students. Several trios and solos also performed throughout the year by DBL dancers and a yoga student for various school talent shows, dance competitions, recitals, and the Miss Amazing Pageant.
And True Potential
In 2018, provided 26 scholarships. 2018 was also a special year because we began seeing more and more of our students finishing the programs they started with our help: Luis Olivas, from our first round of scholarships 5 years ago, finished his academic program at Central Community College, transferred to UNK with a full scholarship and is now employed full time as a Diversity recruiter with the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Liliana Martinez finished her Early Education degree at Southeast Community College is now a full-time employee at the Lincoln Public Schools district. Several other students have finished their academic transfer programs at various community colleges and are currently attending a four-year university pursuing degrees in Nursing, Social Work, Political Science and others.
We at Matters On Tomorrow headquarters are grateful to be working with people that care. People that see a need and meet it. The Best is Yet to Come!