Civic Nebraska, a statewide nonpartisan organization that promotes civic participation and leadership, will celebrate the opening of its new Grand Island headquarters with an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 7.
Located at 203 N. Locust St. in the downtown Railside District, the office will be the center of Civic Nebraska’s service in Greater Nebraska. The nonprofit offers a range of programs to create a more modern and robust democracy for all Nebraskans, including rural civic health, voter education, and election protection programs.
“This new location is a big step in our engagement in Greater Nebraska. We look forward to not only being a part of the Grand Island community but also expanding our service in the Tri-Cities region and beyond,” said Adam Morfeld, Civic Nebraska’s executive director and founder.
In 2019, Civic Nebraska added staff members who work in communities throughout the state to strengthen civic involvement and community engagement, the foundations of a strong democracy. Civic Nebraska has increased its capacity and investment in Greater Nebraska every year since 2014.
In early 2020, the Rural Civic Action Program – which engages rural high-school students to think critically about community strengths and areas of improvement, and to act through a service-learning project to address needs in their community – will return to central Nebraska in partnership with the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Morfeld said Civic Nebraska chose Grand Island as the organization’s Greater Nebraska headquarters in part because of the city’s long history of civic involvement, which includes being honored with the All-America City Award by the National Civic League three times. The Railside District was picked because the district’s mix of history and modern energy fits with Civic Nebraska’s focus on strengthening community vitality across the state.
The Greater Nebraska headquarters will be Civic Nebraska’s third brick-and-mortar location. The organization is based in Lincoln and also has offices in Omaha. The Grand Island office will be staffed by a voting rights field organizer and a rural civic health program manager.
The Nebraska Civic Engagement Table – a separate organization that works with dozens of member nonprofits to increase voting and build an engaged Nebraska – also will have office space at the site. Table members and other community groups can use the office’s conferencing area as a meeting space. And Civic Nebraska will partner with area schools to display student art, essays, and other community-minded work.
To reach Civic Nebraska’s Greater Nebraska headquarters, email info@civicnebraska.org.
