On October 9, Nebraska Appleseed will gather again to celebrate the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations who have stood up for justice and opportunity for all during the 2025 Good Apple Awards. We are proud to recognize this year’s honorees.
Roots of Justice Award recognizes grassroots advocates who have made outstanding contributions to justice and opportunity for all and have helped build a stronger community.
“TinaMaria Fernandez saw needs in her community and got to work to address them. 1) Young Latinos lacked connection to their culture. 2) The community needed to be proactive in planning to welcome a potential new population with the opening of a new meat packing plant. 3) People moving to North Platte needed support in the way of direct services to be successful in the community. She knew this would take collaboration from the whole community. She founded Hope Esperanza, a 501c3, and started the work! She brings a group of diverse community members together on a regular basis to problem solve and plan for the community. She has built strong relationships with the mayor, local police and sheriff’s departments, United Way and more and brings them into this collaboration.
She works continuously to bridge gaps in access and language in all aspects of the community from local government to health care access, workforce, and more. She organizes youth activities to both celebrate culture and bridge the gap among youth. TinaMaria has been a spokesperson on the significance of inclusion and belonging, demonstrating how that works in reality at a statewide Nebraska Chamber of Commerce event and our Nebraska Is Home virtual convenings. She frequently seeks out others who are doing this work to coordinate and share experiences.
Oh, and she wrote a children’s book with her son providing illustrations on inclusion.” – Christa Yoakum, Senior Welcoming Coordinator, Nebraska is Home
Join us in celebrating TinaMaria Fernandez at the 2025 Good Apple Awards on October 9, 2025 or make a donation in honor of this year’s honorees. For more information, contact Denni Mitchell at dmitchell@neappleseed.org.