For Immediate Release: Omaha Public Schools Media Advisory / May 16, 2022
United Way Volunteers to “Build the Shelves” for Lothrop Elementary Students
What: Members of the United Way of the Midlands (UWM) Emerging Leaders group and volunteers from HDR will visit Lothrop Elementary to build bookshelves and provide books for students. Volunteers will also read with students.
When: May 17, 2:15 p.m.
Where: Lothrop Elementary
3300 N. 22nd Street
Omaha, NE 68102
Details: Funded by a grant from the HDR Foundation, the United Way of the Midlands “Build the Shelves” event will allow students to select books and decorate the bookshelves volunteers build for them.
“These bookshelves will help inspire curiosity, imagination and aspiration by giving young students a permanent place in their lives for reading,” said Rex Fisher, chair of the HDR Foundation Board of Directors. “We frequently find ourselves in awe with the passion our young professionals have to volunteer for meaningful causes, and our YP Action Grant program is designed to support their leadership through projects like this.”
UWM’s Emerging Leaders are a group of young professionals who make connections with a purpose. They participate in events and volunteer projects to create positive change in the community.
Program leaders will be available for interviews at the event.
About OPS: Omaha Public Schools is the largest school district in the state of Nebraska and is governed by a nine-member Board of Education. OPS employs approximately 7,200 full-time staff and has 83 schools and 13 alternative programs serving approximately 52,000 students in grades K-12,
including special education and English language learners. The district’s vision – Every student. Every day. Prepared for success. – and its mission – to prepare all students to succeed in college, career and life – demonstrate OPS’ commitment to ensuring all students can be successful in the classroom and beyond.
About United Way of the Midlands: For the past 99 years, United Way of the Midlands (UWM) has used its community-wide perspective to identify local needs that are going unseen or unmet – and how it can partner with corporate, government organizations, nonprofits, and donors to tackle them. Today, UWM remains committed to uniting our community’s caring spirit to build a stronger tomorrow. It invests donor dollars in more than 100 local nonprofit programs that, together, form a circle of support around our community. These programs are addressing pressing social and economic disparities and providing the essentials families need to thrive, such as food, a safe place to go after school, and job support.
About the HDR Foundation: The HDR Foundation provides grants to qualified organizations that align with HDR’s areas of expertise: education, healthy communities and environmental stewardship. As an employee-funded and employee-driven foundation, preference is given to organizations located in
communities in which HDR employees live and work, and those with strong employee involvement. Since its inception, the HDR Foundation has provided more than $4 million in grants to over 200 organizations. You can learn more at hdrinc.com/foundation.