November 21 at Lincoln South Rotary - Community Action Partnership, Club Service Proposals

Heather Loughlin, the head of the Lincoln South Rotary Club Service Club Committee, was our speaker on November 21, 2025. She provided information about Community Action Partnership and proposed service activities for Lincoln South Rotary Club.
During the Club Assembly meeting - discussing the future of our club - we talked about Service Projects - what we will do, how often, etc. Our service projects committee was set up with Heather Loughman, Joyce Schmeeckle, DeEtta Vrana and Audrey Richert. They proposed the service projects for the next year - Community Action Partnership.
 
Heather Loughmn started by sharing information about Community action Partnership. She shared that they assess the community needs and then build programs to address those needs.
 
Mission: We partner with our community in fearless pursuit of anti-poverty solutions so we all have the opportunity to live well.
 
The service area is Lancaster and Saunders County. There are over 180 employees at their facilities - 4 in Lincoln and 1 in Wahoo. They serve over 19,000 people with their 12 programs.
 
The organization was started based on the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 which was a national measure to help low-income people find economic stability.
 
Community action has acted as as a nonprofit incubator for The HUB, Clinic With A Heart, Community CROPS and more.
 
There are 4 programs currently at Community Action:
 
Early Childhood Education - providing high-quality education for children and families. There are over 3600 children under the age 5 living in poverty in Lincoln. Some specific services:
- - Early Head Start (home-based & center-based)
- - Head Start (center-based)
- - Foster Grandparent Program
 
Homelessness Prevention - many people in Lincoln are just one life-event away from homelessness; there are 418 homeless currently; they provide financial support. Some specific services:
- - Emergency Services (rent, utility, & deposit assistance)
- - Supportive Housing
- - Tenant Supportive Services
- - Affordable Housing
- - Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program
 
Financial and Family Well-Being - help set the foundation for greater independence through the development of skills and knowledge. Some specific services:
- - Free to Save Matched Savings
- - Financial Education and Coaching
- - Weatherization
- - LanguageLinc
 
Hunger Relief and Healthy Food Access - The Gathering Place - is a soup kitchen that provides over 30,000 hot, nourishing  evening meals to those who are homeless, near-homeless, or otherwise food-insecure.
 
The proposed service project is focused on the Store.
 
People that participate in the programs o Community Action Partnership earn points that they can use to purchase items in the Store. The Store provides access to clothing, household goods, personal hygiene products, cleaning supplies, diapers, etc. at no cost to individuals, The store is located in the location at 210 O street and is open from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday through Thursday. 
 
There is a growing need at the Store. The number of items distributed last year was up 10% from the previous year.. They also had a 30% increase in the unique items distributed. Most in-demand items are toilet paper, diapers, wipes, laundry detergent and personal hygiene items.
 
Community Action Partnership is inviting Lincoln South Rotary to become the inaugural monthly sponsor of the Store. We are proposing a sponsorship commitment for the following months in 2026:
  • January 2026
  • May 2026
  • July 2026
  • October 2026
  1. Commitment of up to two volunteers to assist with Store operations during open hours on at least one date during the sponsored month. Shifts can be 1 to 2 hours during open time (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM). Volunteers would assist with:
    1. Helping customers find items in the Store, as requested
    2. Check-out processes, including updating the points system and bagging items
    3. Assisting customers bring items out to their vehicles, as requested
    4. Organizing and re-stocking shelves
    5. Washing and sorting clothing, towels, and linens
    6. Bundling diapers
  1. Commitment of up to five volunteers to assist in the Store during closed hours on at least one Friday during the sponsored month. Shifts can be flexible between the hours of 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM. Volunteers would assist with:
    1. Organizing and re-stocking shelves
    2. Washing and sorting clothing, towels, and linens
    3. Bundling diapers
    4. Tidying the Store in preparation for the next week
       
  2. A contribution of items for the Store. This could be structured in a variety of ways, such as:
    1. Purchase items on a pre-populated “wish list”, such as via Amazon or Walmart.com
    2. A contribution of items purchased and brought to Community Action
    3. Cash contributions designated to the Store
       
  3. To motivate achievement of a goal, we could do a drive for a certain type and amount of each item for each sponsored month. For example:
    1. January 2026 – laundry detergent
    2. May 2026 – personal hygiene products, like deodorant and toothpaste
    3. July 2026 – toilet paper, diapers, and wipes
    4. October 2026 – cleaning products, like Lysol, Clorox spray, and Comet
Community Action hopes to secure a sponsor for each month of the year. In addition to sponsoring months themselves, Lincoln South Rotary can help champion the effort by promoting the sponsorship programs to other groups interested in helping out. They can be our partners in building community support for the Store!
 
There will be recognition for the Sponsor clubs include signage at the Store, front page item in the Community Action newsletter, social media posts, media pitch to local outlets and stickers that can be placed on some of the donated items.
 
This proposal will go to the Lincoln South Rotary Club Board on 12-19-25.