Activities of nonprofits…

Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska was awarded a $115,000 grant from United Way of the Midlands. The grant will help nearly 2,000 girls in under served areas within the Omaha metro area have access to the life-changing benefits of Girl Scouting in their schools and community centers. With support from this grant, Girl Scouts will continue to be able to offer weekly and bi-weekly leadership programming to serve girls like the middle schooler who found her light again.

Heart Ministry Center will host the annual Holy Smokes event on Aug. 10 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at a new location, The Diamond Room. There will be a BBQ Buffet, hosted bar and music by Secret Weapon. An after-party will also be held at The Mattress Factory, where 10 percent of the evenings sales will be donated to The Center. The Center has been providing food, heath care, and clothing for those affected by poverty in Omaha for more than 35 years.

The United Way of the Midlands awarded College Possible a $25,200 grant and the American Red Cross an $80,000 grant. College Possible supports the work of students at 10 partner high schools across the Omaha area. While a student is in high school, College Possible AmeriCons coaches assist with ACT exam preparation, scholarship and college applications, financial aid preparation, campus visits and college fairs. The American Red Cross will use the grant for its Disaster Cycle Services program this year in Burt, Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Harrison, Mills, Pottawatomie, Saunders, Thurston and Washington counties.

Omaha Home for Boys has achieved national reaccreditation through the New York-based Council on Accreditation. The Home was expedited for reaccreditation for the second straight cycle as a result of scoring top marks in all accreditation standards. Organizations pursue COA accreditation to demonstrate the implementation of best practice standards in the field of human services. COA evaluated all aspects of Omaha Home for Boys’ programs, services, management and administration.