Community Resource Sharing Newsletter

NDOT Project – Pause

After thoughtful consideration and a thorough evaluation of the current environmental landscape, we have made the decision to temporarily pause discussions regarding the NDOT transit project. This decision is made with respect for the time and capacity of our partners and stakeholders, ensuring that we are all aligned in our efforts.

We will be reassessing the situation in the coming months to determine the most appropriate time to resume stakeholder conversations. Please know that this pause does not diminish the importance or urgency of the transit service for our community. Rather, it reflects our commitment to collaboration, community, and ensuring that we are all in a position to deliver the best possible outcomes for everyone involved.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Sincerely,

Hope Freshour

Investing in Early Childhood: A Strong Start for Our Communities

Across our four-county area in Nebraska, working families depend on quality early childhood care and education—not just as a convenience, but as a foundation for lifelong learning, healthy development, and economic stability. Yet, our local child care programs, especially those that are private or nonprofit, face ongoing challenges in maintaining competitive wages and retaining skilled teachers.

In Nebraska, early childhood professionals earn only 62% of the median wage of workers in

other industries, and turnover continues to be a critical issue. These workforce challenges are deeply felt right here at home. With limited funding sources and increasing demand, it's more important than ever that we come together—families, community leaders, businesses, and policymakers—to invest in early care and education.

As a community, we need to retain quality caregivers and early education teachers and keep these programs open. When we support our youngest learners and the professionals who care for them, we strengthen not just individual families but the future of our entire region.

Stay Informed and Make a Difference

Understanding and participating in local legislation is crucial for the advancement of early

childhood education in Nebraska. First Five Nebraska offers a comprehensive legislative

tracker that updates daily during the legislative session, providing insights into bills affecting

the care, education, and healthy development of young children. Stay informed and see

how you can contribute to shaping policies that impact our community.

Track Legislation with First Five Nebraska

Source for wage percentage

Libby Crecco, Industry Central Navigator

I’m Libby Crecco and I’m the Industry Navigator at Columbus Area United Way. Not only is the position new, but I am also new to the field of social services. I’m really enjoying it, and working to establish my position in the industries has proven to be worthwhile. My goal is to connect employees in factories like Cargill, Camaco, BD, and Behlen with the many resources available in our community. We often learn that employees in need previously weren’t aware of many local or state resources that can help make tough times a little easier.

Fellow Central Navigator Belle Maldonado and I have had much success at Cargill in

Schuyler, where we’ve been very busy handing out flyers and making referrals for the last month and a half.

We’ve found that employees assume that since they have a job, they make too much money to be eligible for our help, which isn’t true! To work with an Industry Navigator there are no financial guidelines. We look forward to continuing to serve this underrepresented population and making sure those who need it have access to assistance.

Like what you see? Want to share the news?

Download your own copies of these flyers by clicking on the picture!