CEDARS Home for Children in Lincoln is a non-profit near and dear to Michael Bash’s heart. Bash knows a healthy family environment is fundamental to any child’s lifelong well-being, not only as the father of two young children but also as someone who has seen CEDARS’ work firsthand.
“Growing up, my family participated as a foster family to multiple kids through CEDARS,” said Bash, a JEO department leader based in Lincoln. “That experience was very impactful to me as it taught me gratitude for how fortunate I was for my personal family stability and support.”
In November 2020, CEDARS launched The Heart of CEDARS capital campaign to add more than 3,800 square feet to the non-profit’s emergency shelter, as well as to provide campus updates to better serve children and families using their facilities.
“CEDARS is a well-respected local non-profit organization that has existed for more than 70 years,” continued Bash. “The Heart of CEDARS campaign provided a great opportunity to leverage the JEO Foundation’s support for their facility improvements.” The JEO Foundation provided a $500 donation toward the campaign in early 2021.
CEDARS works to provide stable living environments to foster children and educational support and resources to families, serving more than 1,800 children and families last year. Services include providing safe places for children unable to live at home, supportive and inclusive early childhood opportunities, and youth intervention development programs, in addition to being the only emergency shelter for youth in Southeastern Nebraska.
For more information, visit cedarskids.org.
