Support G-Force 60: Keep North Omaha Generations Center Open

HELP NORTH OMAHA SENIORS KEEP THEIR COMMUNITY

My name is Alajia McKizia, a local community member, North Omaha Native, and artist. I'm raising funds on behalf of the G-Force 60, a group of 60 strong, passionate, and loving senior citizen women in our community. Heartland Family Services Generations Community Center is slated to close on Sept 30th, 2024. With its closing is the loss of community for North Omaha senior citizens, a third place, and the dedicated staff who have built this program. This center and the programming is essential for our senior citizens, and we need the community's support in keeping it open.

Please read the following letter from G-Force 60 and ways to support:

Dear Omaha Community Members,

We are G-Force 60, a dedicated group of senior citizens from the North Omaha community, reaching out for your support. With the imminent closure of the Heartland Family Service Generations Senior Center on September 30th, we are in urgent need of assistance to continue this vital program.

At the Generations Center, we have been gathering, participating in activities, receiving education about our health, and sharing meals every Tuesday through Friday. The sense of community and the joy we experience here are irreplaceable, deeply contributing to our mental and physical well-being. These gatherings are not just activities—they are lifelines that bring us together, helping us maintain our health and find joy in our lives.

Before many of us started attending the center, we were isolated, struggling with loneliness. As predominantly low-income seniors, this center has provided us with a safe haven. It has become a place where we can escape the seclusion of our homes, combating the mental stress that comes with isolation. We engage in exercise classes that boost our physical health, and enjoy activities like bingo, bible study, line dancing, bowling, mall trips, and putting on plays. There is even NA and AA groups at the center.This sense of belonging and purpose has brought immense happiness into our lives.

The thought of losing this program, and with it, the only place we have to go for day-to-day activities, for meals and transportation, is devastating. It puts us at risk of falling back into a debilitating cycle of loneliness, stripping us of valuable opportunities to connect with others, and have a safe, welcoming outlet outside of our homes.

One of our members shared, “I spent 2020-2024 in my bed, and this saved me. It was a lifeline, and if it goes away, I will go back to that depression.”

We are humbly asking our community to remember your elders by helping us continue to build a safe place, community, friendships, and joyful memories that will last the rest of our days.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and we are that village who raised the children.”

Thank you for taking the time to consider our plea to keep the Generations Center open.

Sincerely,

G-Force 60

WAYS TO SUPPORT

* Donating to our GoFundMe campaign

* Spreading the word about our situation

* Connecting us with donors or grants that can support the $300,000 that needs to be raised

*Helping find a North Omaha partner that can host us incase the Center does close

*Providing activities or visits to museums/places around Omaha for our members

* Signing this petition OR writing a personalized letter to the Heartland Family Service Board of Directors to continue to support this program, or atleast for another year before closing.

* Volunteering or supporting developing a long term plan for the center and this vital program

The total cost to keep the center open is $300,000 and the center has some fundraising leads. If all funds are raised, they will be directed to Heartland Family Services Generation Center for operational costs, building maintenance, program costs for the center, and staff wages for a year.

If you’d like to donate directly to the Heartland Family Services Generations Center, contact Program Director Ché Orduña

@corduna-HeartlandFamilyService.org

Any fund exceeding $300,000 will go towards more activities for the seniors, broadening the ability to provide meals and transportation to a wider radius in North Omaha, and to staff wage increases. If the funds are raised, myself and others will work with the Generations Center team and attendees to help determine a long term plan for the programs viability, even if exploring becoming it's own program.

If the center does indeed close, 100% of funds will go to the G-Force 60 and/or an organization that can host and plan day-to-day activities in North Omaha for them.

We will keep supporters updated as this process continues.

Support G-Force 60 and Save the Generations Center!!!

If you're interested in supporting in the listed ways or other ways, please email us.

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