Making History

Throughout Black History Month, our staff talked with the children and youth about the figures we remember from history and how their children and grandchildren will be remembering people from their generation. Our members answered the questions of "What would you do if you were president?" and "I want to make black history by..." and the following were some of their responses:

"I want to make black history by..."

• being the best NBA player that ever lived in my time and by being an all American athlete. -5th grade
• making the streets look good by... fixing the pot holes in the street and fix the bumpy roads. looking good and tell people to throw their trash away instead of littering. tell people to stop shooting and doing drugs and smoking. - 5th grade
  
• being the first black woman president. -7th grade
• when I get older I want to be a lawyer to help people to be safe by keeping them staying in school. -3rd grade
• I would write a book when I get older, about 67. About my life and what I went through and how I got through my troubles. why that happened. if anyone helped me get through them. -4th grade
  
• being a person / entrepreneur who helped many other determined black men and women start their own businesses and help them with the skills to keep their businesses running. -11th grade
• I will praise the Lord and go to church every Sunday and go to school everyday and get to the Hope Center safely so we can pray! -3rd grade
• President to sell money. I will be good and I will be patient and I will not hit people and I won't smack. I am going to fill a pool with pudding. -Kindergarten

"If I were President..."

• I would give everybody peace and let them enjoy their lives and I would make people healthy and make people praise the Lord and be a Christian and I would remodel the churches and all the schools and stores and would turn the water fountains to cherry coke and I would make people rich and famous and make them good people in Christ. -4th grade
  
• I'll send everyone $50 a week. I would make more jails. Change the pledge. Let people get their hair and nails done free. I'll be nicer. I'll put more Hope Centers in states. I'll make boys & girls club more organized. I'll give everyone an escalade as soon as they get their license. I'll make smoke free zones. And I'll change the school system straight in Louisiana. I'll make cheaper plane tickets. -6th grade
  

What would you do if YOU were President?

Skating Outing

Despite the frigid temperatures, the Hope Center kids participated in ConAgra's annual "Shine the Light on Hunger" event downtown. Every winter, ConAgra provides skating for the community to raise awareness on the issue of hunger in Nebraska and Iowa. The ConAgra Foods Foundation collects cans of food and all proceeds go to the Food Bank of the Heartland. The Hope Center was invited to be ConAgra's guest because of their participation in the Kid's Cafe program. Not only was the Hope Center the first Kid's Cafe in Nebraska, but it is also one of the largest Kid's Cafes in the state. The Hope Center is extremely thankful for ConAgra's dedication to helping children!

This night out of skating was a fun way for the kids to enjoy a winter activity. More than 80 youth and staff bundled up to brave the cold and enjoy a yummy dinner. ConAgra provided hot chocolate and warm food for the Kid's Cafe participants when they came in from the cold. Each participant also received a bad of goodies to take home at the end of the night.

Hope Center staff and children are excited every year about collaborating with ConAgra to participate in the event as well as their ongoing support in our Kid's Cafe. Thanks to the ConAgra Foods Foundation and the Food Bank of the Heartland for providing hope for children in Omaha, and a night of fun for the Hope Center Kids!!

Check out more photos from the skating at ConAgra on our Facebook!

www.facebook.com/hopecenterforkids

Special Thanks for the Christmas Blessings!

Thank you to Shadow Lake Community Church for your generosity at the Women's Dessert event! The hundreds of gifts you delivered to the Hope Center for our youth Christmas activities was absolutely incredible! Staff member, Terri Schenzel, and one of our youth staff spoke at the event and were able to share their personal Hope Center stories. What a wonderful night of generosity and fellowship - a true blessing for both the Hope Center for Kids and Shadow Lake Community Church!

Another group who recently blessed the Hope Center with their kindness was the Gallup Organization. They sent an ambitious team over and transformed our meeting room into a magical Christmas setting for our staff and board holiday party. Thanks Gallup, for literally bringing the Christmas spirit to Hope.

We invite you to participate in a service project for the Hope Center with your family, co-workers, or friends!

Contact us at info@hopecenterforkids.com to determine the event that works best for you!

Hope Center's gym is alive with competition on Monday nights with our in-house basketball league. All youth who want to play on a team are eligible for the Hope Draft. Staff coach the teams, and referees are brought in to officiate. A little bit of friendly competition makes for a fun night at the Hope Center for Kids!

Hope Center kids logged more than 1,000 hours of homework and study time in our education center this semester! We celebrated with a surprise ice cream cake and party. Congratulations Hope Center students!

Go to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/hopecenterforkids to see more pics!

College Visit Day!

With a pop tart and juice box breakfast in hand, eight Hope Center youth piled in a van with Hope Center staff to visit three local colleges – Iowa Western Community College, Nebraska Christian College, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. College visits are one of the most influential motivators of our educational program, the Hope Learning Academy. Members who complete the educational requirements of 35 hours of study and homework time are eligible to attend.

First stop, Iowa Western. With several of our youth already planning to attend this school next year, the students were eager to learn more. One of the favorite topics discussed was the TRIO program, which provides support to first-generation and low-income students. College staff provides individualized services that address students’ specific needs as they confront the challenges of completing a college degree.

En route to the second stop, Nebraska Christian College, many of the kids experienced their first time driving on a gravel road. They were fairly certain that 114th and Highway 370 was indeed the “country.” After the initial location-shock wore off, students were impressed with the new community-focused campus. A non-denominational Bible college with less than 200 students, Nebraska Christian offers biblical-based teachings with a strong focus in service.

Our last tour was at UNO, a school all of our kids are familiar with and a stiff competitor on all of our students’ college determination lists. Visiting the Office of Multicultural Affairs provided an added incentive. This program is responsible for developing and maintaining services to ensure the successful recruitment, retention and graduation of underrepresented students. Through scholarship aid, academic and personal support, students are empowered to attain their educational and professional goals.

Although one of the biggest highlights of the day may have been the delectable nachos from lunch at Qdoba, this college visit trip was a rewarding and enlightening experience for everyone. In just one day, Hope Center youth were able to experience three completely different collegiate atmospheres: a medium-sized community college; a small, Christian-based ministry; and a large, four-year, state university. As they toured, students were asked to record notes and reactions to each school’s visit. Later, they were able to put together full reflections, which encouraged them to decide what components of each place fit their needs best. Alyssa Smith, Hope Center’s education coordinator, said, “When our kids walk onto a campus and stand in a classroom or student center, they can really visualize themselves there as a college student. They say, ‘this is going to be me next year’ and I know they are willing and ready to make that happen.”

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Check out our Facebook page for more pictures from the day!

When God Seems Silent

I mean, I know He's still there and here and everywhere, but what about those times when He doesn't seem to be speaking to my situation, my trial?

So how does He speak to me? How do I know when He's connecting with me?

1. An awareness of His presence- Most all of the time, I have a sense of Him being in me and with me. It just a knowing beyond words. I love it which means I love Him, being with Him.

2. The nudge- You know, that nudge in your heart that is laced with His love and kindness and protection? It's that nudge in your heart that wants some kind of a response. Sometimes the nudge is telling me to make a phone call or text someone. It's a prompting and impression on my heart that interrupts my thoughts. If I initially disregard the nudge, if it's Him, He gently sustains the nudge until I respond.

3. An "aha" in my heart when reading His Word- I love it when I’m reading the Bible and I come across a verse and He, His Spirit personalizes that verse to me and my situation. It feels like the verse that I read a bunch of times before, now is clear and understandable and totally applies to me and what I’m going through.

4. Hearing His Voice- Yes, I said "Hearing His voice.”" Did I really hear His voice? The best way I can describe it I heard in my heart clearly. There wasn't a voice tone; it was a knowing that I heard. I remember back in my early 20's when I was going through a season of wondering whether I was ever going to get married. I was even fearing that He might ask me to be celibate my whole life (what could be worse?!). So there I was in my parents' house visiting for the Holidays. I decided to sleep on the couch that night. I had just turned out the lights and was settling in for a night's sleep when "I heard" clearly "Proverbs 18:22". I had no idea what the verse was or what it said. I got up and got my Bible and found the verse. I was so wonderfully dumbfounded. It says, "He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord." So not only did He speak to me, He spoke to me directly about my situation and struggle. How personable! How meaningful! How timely! So, not only was OK to get married. Getting married increased favor from the Lord!

5. Creation- I'm not much of an "outdoors man" but when I'm in and around creation, wow! How can you not feel His presence? I even experience His presence sometime when I watch the History Channel.

6. People in conversations- Over the years, the Lord have spoken to me through people. Most of the time they probably don't know God is using them in such a way. This confirms that it is the Lord at work.

7. Sermons- I think a lot of people have gone to church and heard a particular sermon and wondered if the preacher had a conversation about us with one of our family or friends. The message was that specific and personal to our situation. I love it when the Lord communicates this way.

So, when He seems silent, when He isn't communicating to me when I feel like I need Him the most, what am I to make of it? Usually these "seasons of silence" seem to occur during the most difficult times. I really don't think it's a "spiritual warfare" issue. I think He's up to something. I think He's initiating the silence, because even in the midst of the silence, there's no sense of abandonment.

It's Ok not to know why the silence seems so pronounced. It doesn't last forever. That I know. When there is silence, there's peace- peace that it's going to be OK. There's the peace that the day will come when He breaks the silence. Maybe then, I get context as to why the silence. But if I don't know why, that's ok too. It's because the silence takes me deeper into knowing Him deeply.

Silence is ok when you're secure. I’m ok with silence when I’m around my wife because I’m not worried about how she feels about me. I feel awkward when I have someone in my car, just the two of us, and there's silence. Why? It's because I'm not secure about the relationship.
When He is silent, I feel secure about how He feels about me. When He's silent, I don't doubt His love or commitment to me. When He's silent, I look forward to when He speaks again.