Each year for Nebraska Appleseed’s Good Apple Awards, we recognize community partners leading the fight for justice and opportunity in Nebraska. This year, our celebration will look a bit different. While we won’t have an in-person event, our goal of uplifting and highlighting the work of inspiring Nebraskans remains the same.
Each week throughout October, we’re excited to use our digital platforms to spotlight Nebraskans taking on the toughest challenges in our communities and paving the way for change with courage, resilience, and hope.
In each of these honorees, we celebrate the progress they’re creating in Nebraska, and share their stories and experiences to amplify their mission and sustain the momentum behind their movements. They each have a vision for the best of what Nebraska can be, and are pushing to make their dream a reality.
Starting this week, join our celebration by visiting our blog and social media for content spotlighting the work of these amazing honorees. You can also visit neappleseed.org/goodapple to find the latest content as it becomes available.
Here are the honorees of the 2020 Good Apple Awards!
The Children of Smithfield
A collective of young leaders whose parents and loved ones work in meatpacking plants across Nebraska, The Children of Smithfield advocate for workers’ rights and better working conditions. In their own words, their mission “was born during COVID-19,” but their hope is that workers keeping us fed are treated as essential—pandemic or not.
Black Leaders Movement
As is often the case, it’s up to young people to rewrite what’s possible in Nebraska. The Black Leaders Movement, established in June of 2020, is an organization of young Black leaders in Lincoln who believe “we are the solution to our own problems.” Their energy, passion, and youth have led a summer of change in Lincoln, and now as a collective with a clear mission, they continue their march toward racial equality.
NOISE
North Omaha Information Support Everyone (NOISE) is out to make news more accessible for all. With a broad multimedia platform led by committed advocates, their goal is to bridge the information gap and reshape the narrative within North Omaha by connecting citizens with vital information in their communities with storytelling as vibrant and diverse as the area itself.
The Tenant Assistance Project
As a pandemic threatened tenants across Lincoln, the City of Lincoln and a number of community partners joined together to ensure all Nebraskans have a safe place to call home. The Tenant Assistance Project brings together volunteer attorneys to assist people at risk of being made vulnerable by housing insecurity.