Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands (BBBS) believes that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life.  Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 7 through 14, throughout the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.  BBBS help develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people.  As a donor and volunteer supported mentoring organization, they are here to help children reach their potential, and through them, transform families, schools and communities. For more information contact: Sheryl Lindau (slindau@bigomaha.org) or Shawna Singhoff (ssinghoff@bigomaha.org)

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands (BGCM) reach thousands of youth each year. BGCM deliver a proven youth development strategy, access to Club services five days a week, a safe and clean environment, life-changing programs, and the opportunity to receive mentoring experiences and relationships with diverse, trained and caring staff and volunteers in a supervised and structured environment. Just as a Boys & Girls Club staff member’s one-to-one work with each boy or girl is the key ingredient to deepening impact, a volunteer mentor’s personal attention and guidance can truly open new doors of hope and opportunity for them. For more information contact: Regina Tullos-Williams (rtwilliams@bgcomaha.org)

Child Saving Institute (CSI)

Child Saving Institute provides three different mentoring opportunities to Omaha’s Community. In the School and Family Enrichment (SAFE) program, CSI partners with Omaha Public School students in developing social skills, increasing coping skills, enhancing their self image, learning strategies for responsible decision-making, assisting with homework and providing one-on-one support and friendship. In the Independent Living Skills (ILS) program mentors help with children aging out of the Foster Care System prepare for independent life. Mentors are instrumental in helping with job preparation and finding resources for continued education. Child Saving Institute also offers mentoring opportunities for Young Parents to help meet their goals of continued education, reducing the risk of abuse and neglect for their infants and learning problem solving and independent living skills. For more information contact: Sherri Harris (sharris@childsavings.org)

Girls Inc. Pathfinder

The Pathfinders Mentoring Program at Girls Incorporated of Omaha encourages all girls to be Strong, Smart, and Bold! In an inequitable society, mentoring has been critical to the success and achievement of many women. Pathfinders is a long-term match program where mentors work with a young lady until she is a senior in high school. Girls are accepted into the program between the ages of 10 and 14. At a minimum, mentors are asked to mentor a girl for three years. The time commitment for Pathfinders is: one 3-hour initial training session, one meeting with the mentee per month for at least two hours, weekly contact with the mentee via phone or e-mail, and quarterly group workshops. For more information contact: Antonia Valentine (avalentine@girlsincomaha.org)

Goodwill GoodGuides

Goodwill® GoodGuides is a national mentoring program for youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who are at risk for making harmful choices such as dropping out of school or joining a gang. These youth may also be at risk for delinquency. The goal of the GoodGuides program is to help youth build career plans and skills, and prepare for school completion, post-secondary training, and productive work. Funded by a two-year grant to Goodwill Industries International from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Goodwill GoodGuides program is run by 56 independent Goodwill agencies around the country. For more information, contact Miriam Blair  (mblair@goodwillomaha.org)

Hope Center for Kids

The Hope Center for Kids is an after-school and summer program located in North Omaha. Relationships are at the heart of our program as we work to faithfully inspire hope in youth and children through faith, education, employment and collaboration. Many of the Hope Center members simply need the support of a positive adult, to initiate significant change. Mentors spend six hours per month with a specific student in fourth through twelfth grade. This time can include a combination of program activities and pursuing interests one-on-one. For information, contact: volunteer@hopecenterforkids.com or 402-341-4673, 1002.

Midwest Trailblazers Youth Program

The Midwest Trailblazers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, composed of a group of committed volunteers – Board of Directors, coaches, parents, and administrators working together to support our young scholar athletes. Generous sponsorships and donations help offset the cost of running the program allowing us to minimize player registration fees. The Midwest Trailblazers Youth Program puts students, athletics, academics, and community first. Using grassroots strategies, Trailblazers works with students to help them hone interpersonal, academic, and athletic skills so they go on to be productive citizens for their community, state, nation, and world. For more information, please contact Nicole Nash (nnash31@gmail.com) 

Ollie Webb Center, Inc.

The Just Friends Program of Ollie Webb Center, Inc. is a peer mentoring and friendship program that matches adolescents (ages 13 – 18 years) with developmental disabilities (e.g., Learning Disabilities, Down syndrome, Autism, etc.) to adolescents without disabilities. Just Friends was created to bring social, recreational and friendship opportunities to individuals with disabilities. Volunteer Mentors are asked to make a one year commitment in which they hang out with their ‘friend’ twice a month by participating in social/recreational activities such as bowling, shopping, movies, etc. and making weekly telephone contact. For more information contact: Lisa Dougherty (ldougherty@olliewebbinc.org)

Omaha Home for Boys

The Omaha Home for Boys is a non-profit residential group home that provides a structured living environment in a cottage setting with caring House Parents, balanced meals and educational support for boys ages 10-18. The Omaha Home for Boys is looking for adults who have a strong desire to work with youth and are willing to commit to a weekly phone call and one outing per month. For residents at the Omaha Home for Boys, being mentored is a chance for a youth to receive individual attention from a caring adult and, most importantly, a chance to just have fun. For more information contact: Nicole Heim (nicoleh@omahahomeforboys.org) 

Omaha Street School (OSS)

The Omaha Street School is a private high school located in North Omaha, designed specifically for teens who have been unsuccessful in the traditional school setting. Utilizing an approach focused on the whole child, OSS incorporates core principles and values into its daily school activities. Mentors at OSS are trained volunteers for the school, and often have additional roles in the school – such as tutoring in a classroom, assisting with college prep material, or working on career assessments. In the context of tangibly assisting our students, mentoring relationships develop. For more information contact: John Parsons (jparsons@omahastreetschool.org)

Partnership For Our Kids

All Our Kids is a scholarship program providing group mentoring to over 600 Omaha Public School students from 6th-12th grades. Mentors act as role models and participate in the age appropriate curriculum such as: community service projects, career exploration, college access, youth leadership development, academic goal setting, tutoring, prevention education and field trips. All Our Kids gives committed adults the opportunity to improve public education by spending time with students twice a month in a fun structured environment. For more information contact: Jessica Warren (jwarren@thepartnershipforourkids.org) or Phil Jarrett (pjarrett@thepartnershipforourkids.org)

Release Ministries

The Juvenile Justice Mentoring Program is designed to help youth lay a foundation upon which they can continue to build toward success in every aspect of life. This spiritual foundation is the launching point that empowers them to reach beyond themselves and their circumstances into an arena of promise for their future. The mentor is matched to a youth in a one-to-one relationship in order to become a trusted friend and guide. The relationship building may take place within a detention, group home facility and/or out in the community. The mentor and the youth meet once a week for 1 to 4 hours. The focus of the match is relationship building with emphasis on enabling the youth in their spiritual growth. Structured activities may include goal setting, strength assessment and vocational guidance, and discipleship exercises. For more information contact: Woody Winchell (woody@releaseministries.org), Marcus Brown (marcus@releaseministries.org) or Sandra Preston (Sandra@releaseministries.org)

TeamMates Mentoring Program

The TeamMates Mentoring Program was co-founded by Tom and Nancy Osborne in 1991. Presently, there are over 4,000 mentors in Nebraska and Iowa in 113 communities. TeamMates is a school-based, one-to-one mentoring program. Volunteers who wish to be TeamMates mentors are screened and trained before they are sent to be matched to an elementary, middle or high school student. Mentors spend about an hour a week with a student in a school during school hours. The commitment is for at least one year. A TeamMates mentor is a positive role model that gives a young person a sense of hope, purpose and vision. For more information contact: Julie Swain (jswain@teammates.org) or Tom Miller (tmiller@teammates.org)

Youth Emergency Services (YES)

Youth Emergency Services has four programs that strive to provide homeless, at-risk and street dependent youth with the support necessary to thrive. We have a Drop In Center and Emergency Shelter that serves youth ages 13-21. Our two newest programs are the Maternity Group Home and Transitional Living Program serving youth ages 16-21 in the Omaha and Council Bluffs areas. The mentoring program at YES serves the youth in the Maternity Group Home and Transitional Living Program. The mentors provide support and guidance as the residents work to become independent and successful. We ask our mentors to make a commitment to the youth for the duration of their time at YES, with one face-to-face meeting per month and regular contact. For more information contact: 402-345-5187.