You are invited to participate in a Grantmaking & Participatory Practices Study.

This project is for organizations and funders who serve the Nebraska youth and family system of care.

Please forward to your staff and colleagues to help more voices be heard!

PROJECT PURPOSE What would it take for Nebraska’s youth and family system of care to become more inclusive? How can grantmaking enhance participation?

We are eager to learn more about experiences with grantmaking, participatory practices and relationships between funders, grantees and communities.
PROJECT SPONSORS This project is funded by the Snow-Redfern Foundation in partnership with the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands.

First…

Take the Survey to share your wisdom

 CLICK HERE or use the QR code to enter the survey

•        About 10-12 minutes to complete

•        All data collected is confidential

•        Register to win one of eight $50 gift cards
Then…

Attend the Workshop to share learnings

 CLICK HERE to register to attend one of two (virtual) date options:

  • Tuesday May 7th at 2:00-3:30pm Central
  • Thursday May 9th at 10:00-11:30am Central
  • You can register within the survey also

The survey closes March 29th, 2024.

Please contact project principle Dr. Maya Chilese at [email protected] with any questions.

Another cohort of the Snow-Redfern Foundation Root2Rise program has concluded, and four brilliant young ladies successfully completed the workshop series and earned a $2,000 scholarship that will be used to promote their future career goals established during the program.

The participants of this fall cohort included Kaylee Henthorn of Alliance, Grace Dean of Bridgeport, Regan Anderson of Lakeside, and Mandie Ylander of Alliance.  They attended 6 virtual workshops and completed their own growth map, outlining plans for their future, which aligned with scholarship funds each received.

Snow-Redfern Foundation’s founder, Arvilla, was a strong, independent, female leader who believed that there is great worth in every young person; and as such, each one is a community asset with vast potential for self-defined success.  We celebrate her through this program.

This program is a priority experience for young women interested in growing their leadership potential through exposure to important topics affecting women in leadership roles today. The virtual six-workshop series creates space
for 16-19 year old female-presenting participants to engage in valuable group discussions with other professional women.

The workshop is facilitated by Dr. Maya Chilese, an organizational anthropologist and the founding principal of Blue Agate Collaborative, LLC. Dr. Chiles.  She has over 20 years’ experience in health and human service systems of care at the local, regional, state and national level and uses her gifts and talents to guide the R2R participants through a unique experience, with learning opportunities provided by various guest speakers, all of whom are strong women leaders in their fields of practice.

CARE in Central Nebraska

On any given day in Central Nebraska, you can find one of the dedicated employees of Families CARE supporting and advocating for parents, youth, and children.  With funding support from Snow-Redfern Foundation and other vital sources, this non-profit family organization provides services to parents who have children with emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges.

Parent Voice

Among the many services and supports they provide, teaching parents that they (as parents) are the most important voice in their children’s lives is the most important. Advocacy and support are provided by peers; parents who have lived experience to share with other parents, and includes helping them identify their strengths, needs, and goals, developing strategies to meet their goals, sharing resources and service referrals, supporting them at school meetings, team meetings, or court, providing support groups for parents and youth/children, offering special events, and providing the partially Snow-Redfern Foundation funded Wellness Café.

Wellness Café Support groups are offered to youth in two age groups:  Middle School (5th-8th grade) and Young Adult (9th grade – college).  Meetings consist of time to connect and eat together, activity and hands on learning, sharing and success stories for growth.

Opportunity for Connection

Executive Director, Karla Bennetts, said “this model provides youth an opportunity to build connection and add informal supports through their peers”.

All activities provide youth with a new skill or tool they can utilize in their journey to live a life of wellness.  The discussions provide youth an opportunity to learn, connect and share.  Youth learn from one another and gain support as they share their stories of challenges and successes.

Youth Voice

“Youth voice is prioritized with youth establishing comfort rules for their groups and what they wanted to learn about, discuss and do at future meetings”, said Karla.

To learn more about Families CARE and the work they do to support parents, youth, and children, check them out at: What We Do – FamiliesCare.org Parent AssistanceFamiliesCare.org Parent Assistance

                  

For the past six years, the Cirrus House youth services has co-hosted a mental health awareness arts exhibition along with the West Nebraska Arts Center, with Snow-Redfern Foundation as a funding partner.

Cirrus House has worked with dozens of local artists of all ages to share stories and images of trials and healing every year.

“In 2021 we decided to try something new and after completing our typical two-month stint the Bronson Gallery in Scottsbluff, we have taken this year’s show “Re-Bound: New Beginnings” on the road”, shared Matt Reese with Cirrus House.

Traveling Exhibit

This traveling, pop-up version of the exhibit has been in Chadron, Oshkosh, Kimball, Bridgeport, and is currently on campus at WNCC in Alliance, where it will stay until January 31st, before moving on to the next stop.

The show has been very well received at the different venues, and Cirrus House has received excellent feedback. In addition, they have been invited to return next year, and plans are already underway for their 2022/2023 mental health awareness exhibit.

Planning for Next Year

Next year’s theme will be “The Hero Inside: Comics and Mental Health,” which will run in the Bronson gallery from September through October 2022 before making the rounds across the Panhandle.

These art shows are but one small part of what Cirrus House does. From their Day Program, to their counseling program and Community Support programs, they are dedicated to providing the people of the Panhandle with mental health services, from the most urban to the most rural environments.

Without partners like the Cirrus House, many kids would not be able to access quality mental health support in the Panhandle.

Carnegie Arts Center had an incredible summer working with the Alliance Recreation Center’s Summer youth camp. The Carnegie, with support of grant funds like ours, visited the Alliance Recreation Center weekly to partner with the ARC to provide free summer art workshops to their students.

“Stay Wild” Sidewalk Safari

Visiting artist and Professor, Sandra Williams from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and two honors students travelled across the state to bring “Stay Wild” Sidewalk Safari to Alliance, NE in June of 2021. The project was the brainchild of Professor Williams who had developed it in partnership with the Museum of Nebraska Art.

Her exhibit, “Anthropocene Blues” opened at MONA while they were closed for COVID in 2020. The museum proposed having a virtual lecture series.  However, Professor Williams prefers hands on experiences.

“Community based arts have always been, and always will be, part of my creative agenda. Instead of a ‘top down’ lecture I prefer that the community explore the role arts play in creative placemaking, having the tactile experience of handling ‘cut paper’ in the form of stencils, and engage with the topic of animals in a creative manner”.

Sharing Art Project with Alliance Youth

After successfully conducting the project with multiple schools in Lincoln, Professor Williams reached out to the Carnegie Arts Center to see if we would be interested in bringing the project to Alliance.

The ARC’s total attendance of 60 youth within classes of 15 produced beautiful art!

After two days of spray chalking and stenciling, the students were given fact sheets about the different endangered species.  The youth that were old enough to write created haikus about the animals, and the younger students created beautiful drawings of the animals and recited facts they had learned. In the end, students asked to keep the fact sheets and take-home extras to learn about all the animals.

Interested in helping us support important programs for youth across Nebraska?

Give today at: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E349291&id=1

After tragically losing her beloved 13-year-old son in 1935, Arvilla Snow-Redfern sought healing from her loss by fostering fourteen orphaned youth on 20,000 acres of family ranch outside of Alliance, Nebraska. It was during this time that she began to visualize a more holistic picture of how she might help youth in need, long after she would be gone from this earth.

In the forties and fifty’s, Arvilla surrounded herself with a plethora of bright individuals that allowed organic development of her vision, which was first described in the original articles of incorporation in 1951. Her intent to “create and maintain a home and facilities for the rearing and training of orphaned, homeless, neglected or underprivileged boys that they may be raised and educated in a healthy and morally wholesome environment and trained in the theory and practice of farming, ranching, stock raising and other useful arts and vocations, and develop into industrious and respectable citizens”, was eventually realized after many roadblocks and setbacks.

Between 1964 and 2009, over eight hundred young men walked through the doors of the ranch, which effectively provided home, skills, and encouragement. Ultimately, Arvilla’s dream became a reality. Though the board of directors opted to close the Ranch doors in 2009, after state reform requirements would have changed the working ranch into a treatment facility, the foundation has continued serving many more youth through grants to nonprofit organizations.

Now in our 70th year of operation, the Snow-Redfern Foundation has served over 114,000 kids across Nebraska, which is likely many more young people than Arvilla could have ever imagined. In perpetuity we will continue to honor Arvilla’s legacy through the work we do-investing in the good life for kids.

Youth Influencers

Youth in Power, Empowered by Snow-Redfern Foundation, is now recruiting Youth Influencers and Youth Advisory Board members.

Panhandle Partnership, Community Action Partnership of Western Nebraska, and Dr. Maya Chilese with Blueprint Consulting are teaming up to implement this 3-year grant-funded program in the Panhandle and they are off to a great start.  This grant program is the first of its’ kind that we have funded.  In past grantmaking years, we primarily funded short-term basic needs and educational projects.

We want to enhance our impact of young people in Nebraska and believe awarding a more significant grant over a 3-year period for a program that serves the entire Panhandle will provide this impact.

Meet and Greet

Youth in Power Program Manger, Tristina Meister, shared that there will be a meet and greet event at 4:00pm on September 25th at the Gering Civic Center, and we strongly encourage people across the Panhandle to attend this event and to get involved.

“Parents, community members, and youth interested in learning more about being a Youth Influencer or Advisory Board member will be provided information and an opportunity to engage with Youth in Power at this fun event”, shared Tristina. 

Empowerment

“Inspire, Empower and Equip young people as leaders and change agents for good in their community” is the new mission statement for Youth In Power, and we proudly “empower” them to create and maintain a youth driven environment with inclusive leadership and community collaboration.

For more information about Youth In Power, contact Tristina at 308-765-9947 or [email protected].  You can also keep up to date at:

  • Facebook @Youth1np0wer
  • Instagram @Youth1np0wer
  • Snapchat Youth in Power

Help us continue to support outcome-focused programs like this by sharing a gift at: https://www.snowredfern.org/give-today/

We have moved our Alliance office location!

In August, the Alliance Spartan baseball team spent a very hot afternoon moving the entire office and all the files from the storage room over to the new location at the Alliance Chamber of Commerce – 305 Box Butte Ave.  Their bulk, brawn, and sweat was rewarded with a donation made by Snow-Redfern Foundation to support the team, as well as the boys’ knowledge that they made a difference.

Spartan Volunteer Force

This team can be spotted volunteering their time and labor in Alliance throughout the spring and summer months, not just practicing and playing games, but helping their community.  Coaches Carlos Palomo and Adrian Gonzales are embedding the importance of building transferrable skills, improving social capital, making change, and facilitating respect by engaging the players in volunteer activities.

Improving Outcomes for Youth

Former coach of 16 years, Steve Gullion, who also worked at the Nebraska Boys Ranch for over 30 years, coordinated and helped with the moving day activities.  Steve and the coaches know that, according to studies, teens who volunteer are 50% less likely to participate in risky behaviors, are less likely to use drugs, and are more likely to experience psychological well-being. Though the boys may not always appreciate the hard work, they show up all the same!

“Before retiring from coaching Legion Baseball for the past 16 years, I coached many of these boys.  They are hard workers on the field as well as off the field.  They were a great help to Snow Redfern Foundation by helping them move to a different office!” said Steve Gullion.

Steve said that they have successfully moved us in to our new location, we invite all who are in the neighborhood to stop by and say “hello”! If you see one of the Spartan Baseball boys out and about, give them a pat on the back and thank them for making our community a great place to live and thrive.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help us support our local youth, email us at [email protected] or by sharing a gift at https://www.snowredfern.org/give-today/.

Ellen Lierk, current Development Committee Chair, has served on the Snow-Redfern Foundation Board as President, Secretary, and as Chair and member of various committees, for nearly twelve years and four terms, dating back as far as the Nebraska Boys Ranch days.

Leaving the World Better

As a child, Ellen’s mother encouraged her to leave the world better than she found it and so she has applied her mom’s sage advice to her careers, community involvement, relationships, and as an inclusive leader, visionary, and spiritual steward. Ellen and her husband, Charles, embedded these values with their three adult children and five grandchildren to permeate the future with hope, courage, and love.

Ellen’s professional life began as a social studies teacher and guidance counselor, with a bachelor degree in history and masters in guidance & counseling and in pastoral studies.  She also worked as a gift buyer for the family business Thiele Pharmacy & Gifts, as Box Butte County Economic Development Director, and as Pastoral Minister at Holy Rosary Catholic Church.

Her many years of service to the Snow-Redfern Foundation Board is informed by two strong beliefs.

First, “Each person is made in the image of God and each life is sacred. ”The second, “Each of us is blessed to be a blessing.” 

These beliefs echo in Snow-Redfern’s efforts to encourage young people to strive, succeed, and find light in darkness, despite challenging circumstances.  The young poet, Amanda Gorman, reminds us that “there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it.  If only we’re brave enough to be it.” 

As one who shares her light with others, Ellen believes that the Snow Redfern Foundation, those we support, and our benefactors who make the work possible, are lights. The light that is shared helps young people embrace their own light, ensuring that we all will have a brighter future.

Each Person is a Leader

Ellen has been impacted by Martin Luther King Jr.’s words that each person can be a leader, because each one can serve.  Throughout her life, Ellen has exemplified how servant leadership can be a light for others.  Ellen shares her light by listening carefully to others; persuading through reason; and healing divisions while building a compassionate community.

As Ellen prepares to finalize her 4th term on the board this year, she has dedicated the past year to mentoring and coaching young leaders to take her place as a giver of their own light.

Fortunately, everyone has a light that they can share with others.  If you would like to learn more about how you can share your light with children, reach out to us at [email protected] or by sharing a gift at https://www.snowredfern.org/give-today/