Unlocking Potential: The Next Chapter Capital Campaign
Renderings of New Our Place After School Care and Freedom Factory
Responding to Current Community Issues
Lack of Specialized Socialization Opportunities
The Our Place after-school program provides a structured environment where activities and peer interactions are tailored to the teens' needs and abilities, directly facilitating the development of social skills and fostering a sense of belonging. The new facility will significantly enhance this by allowing for more diverse and simultaneous activities, dedicated sensory/quiet spaces, and inclusive participation for all teens regardless of physical limitations.
Limited Access to Vocational Skills
The Freedom Factory initiative directly addresses the need for vocational skills and economic empowerment by providing a platform for teens to create, market, and sell their products, teaching them valuable skills in production, sales, and financial literacy. The new facility will expand this success with larger, more versatile training areas for various skills (like food preparation) and ensure accessibility for all teens, regardless of mobility challenges.
Economic Empowerment
The Freedom Factory directly fosters economic empowerment by giving teens a platform to create, market, and sell their handcrafted items on a commission basis, which instills financial literacy and the pride of earning money. The new facility's larger, more versatile training areas will expand the Freedom Factory, leading to increased production and higher commission earnings, thereby significantly enhancing real-world economic empowerment for this population.
Reduced Development of Independent Living Skills
The Our Place program directly addresses this need by teaching life skills and providing a supportive environment, which equips teens with the tools and confidence to navigate daily life more independently. The new facility will significantly enhance this by providing simulated living environments for practical skill practice, facilitating meal planning and preparation, and promoting independence in personal care with features like ADA bathrooms and a lift track system.
Lack of Certified Caregivers and support for families
The Our Place program provides critical support to exhausted families by offering a trusted and safe after-school option for their teens, while also assisting parents in connecting with essential community and state resources. To combat the severe caregiver crisis, the new facility will enable staff retention through competitive wages and specialized Mandt training, while also expanding capacity to serve more teens and offer adult day services, thereby increasing the overall care safety net.
Replicating our program across Nebraska and the U.S.
The Our Place model is intentionally designed to be replicable, with the goal of expanding specialized after-school care to teens with disabilities across all of Nebraska and eventually the U.S. This is validated by current demand, as people are already asking Our Place to help them start similar programs in their own communities, blazing a trail for inclusive communities nationwide.
How We Know We Can Make A Difference
Through this project, we know we can make a difference in the following ways:
Teens served increased by 75%
Increase the number of teens served by 75% within two years.
Independent Living Skills
Improve teens' independent living skills measured by pre- and post-program assessment.
Employment Rates
Track employment rates of teens after participating in the Freedom Factory program.
Vocational Training by 50%
Increase the number of teens participating in vocational training by 50%.
Engage Volunteers from the community
Involve community members as volunteers, providing them with firsthand experience of the program's impact.
Collaborate with other Organizations
Partner with schools, vocational rehabilitation agencies, and other community organization to enhance services and reach a wider audience.
Together We Can Make A Difference
We have a powerful opportunity to create a brighter future for teens with disabilities in Hastings and nearby communities-but we need your help.
When you give to Our Place, you empower local teens to reach their potential, develop life skills, receive vocational training, and feel a true sense of belonging.
A new facility will allow us to expand our programs and serve even more teens.
Your support ensures no one is turned away due to lack of resources.
Every gift matters. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive community. Give today.
Investors Can Help!
There are many different ways that you can give to this project, whether it is through a one-time donation, a pledge over several years, a planned gift in your estate, etc.
If you wish to financially support this project, please contact Addie Johnson or an Our Place Board Member.
Every gift makes a difference. Everyone can play a role in the solution. Together, we can achieve so much more.
Our Partners
