HISTORY
“With the resources available in our community, we decided 100,000 people living in poverty in our community is completely unacceptable!”
problem from the top down, assessing what it would take for Omaha to essentially defeat
poverty.
- We know the size of the issue-100,000 under-resourced individuals
- We needed a proven solution – Bridges Out of Poverty and the Getting Ahead curriculum are used in 300 U.S. communities and are 75% successful in helping individuals lift themselves out of poverty.
- We studied what others are doing to address poverty in our community and approached the issue from a collaborative perspective. We now have more than 100 Community Partner organizations and agencies working together to defeat poverty in our community.
In the next decade, our goal is to help 25,000 working age adults lift themselves out fo poverty.
WHY IS BRIDGES THE MOST EFFECTIVE POVERTY REDUCING PROGRAM?
- It is holistic
- It empowers the individual
IS IT WORKING?
- 1. 93% graduation rate
- 2. 400 graduates by end of 2019
- 3. 400 to 600 more graduates in 2020
- 4. The average graduate has increased net income by nearly $1,500 per month (Average decrease in debt to income ratio of 58%)
- 5. Positive movement in all areas of 15 factor Stability Scale
MISSION
Empowering under-resourced families to change their lives by discovering and overcoming barriers to success
VISION
To reduce by 50% the number of families living in poverty in the next decade
VALUES
Integrity — Excellence — Collaboration — Appreciate and Value Each Individual

PLEASE JOIN US TO DEFEAT POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY!
STAFF
Roger Howard
Volunteer President & CEO

Sharon Jackson
Program Director

Carl Jackson
Director of Life Skills Coaching

Kendra Cain
Program Coordinator

Walter Garcia
Community Coordinator

Julissa Rivera
Life Skills Coach
Joanie Soverns
Office Manager
Cheryl Perry
Program Specialist
Daniel Zapata
Life Skills Coach
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Roger Howard
Volunteer CEO
Laurie Baedke
Creighton University
Deborah Dogba
Business Seals Consulting / Getting Ahead Graduate
John Langwith
Retired - TD Ameritrade
Dan Lindstrom
UBS Financial Services
Barry Major
Retired Executive
Kelly Nielsen
CHI Health
Jamalia Parker
Learning Community
Tara Slevin
Methodist Jennie Edmundson
