Less than a week after Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders began circulating a statement in support of unaccompanied children at the border, 140 leaders signed on -- including Nebraska Episcopal Bishop Scott Barker and NE Lutheran Bishop Brian Maas.

The campaign was precipitated by OTOC immigration action leader Sr. Kathleen Erickson, who had spent 5 weeks on a mission trip to San Pedro Sula in Honduras (the murder capital of the world). With legal experts and other Sisters of Mercy, the immigration action team educated OTOC leadership about the dangers children face in Central America.

Read more

Perhaps for the first-time ever, representatives from Nebraska Associations as disparate as Restaurants, Cattlemen and Dairy joined the owner of Campbell's Nurseries and the co-chair of IAF organization Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) in a strongly worded plea for support of immigration reform. Stating that "the current immigration system hinders Nebraska employers from maintaining a stable workforce and hurts law-abiding Nebraska businesses" they note that "there is nothing 'seasonal' about feeding or caring for livestock," among other occupations.

Read more

Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders applauded the decision of the Mayor and City Council to finalize $957,000 for demolition of condemned houses and $25,000 to support job training in the 2014 Budget.

OTOC advocated for increased demolition funding in the 2013 budget and as a result, approximately 93 structures will be demolished this year, nearly triple the number from 2012. OTOC expects that the $957,000 in demolition funding in the adopted budget will allow the city to demolish over one hundred dangerous, condemned buildings in 2014. "These demolitions will heighten the quality of life for neighborhoods, businesses, and nearby institutions like churches and schools like the one where I work " said OTOC leader Karen McElroy.

Read more