2018: A Wonderful Year

Another great year has come and is almost gone! In 2018, The Kim Foundation celebrated many great moments. Here are just a few memories from the year:

In February, we started hosting Volunteer Breakfasts for interested community members to learn more about what The Kim Foundation does and what volunteer opportunities are available. We had a total of 34 people attend our three informational breakfasts, hosted at C&A Industries.

In March, our participation in AFSP’s 2018 Day at the Capitol connected us to Senator Hilkemann. There, The Kim Foundation was able to share the local efforts we are taking to promote mental healthcare and suicide prevention throughout our state. Thank you, again, to Senator Hilkemann for taking time to have a conversation with our staff; your support means a great deal and we look forward to your upcoming term! And, thank you, AFSP for hosting another successful Day at the Capitol!

National Council for Behavioral Health hosted NatCon18 in Washington, D.C. in April in conjunction with 2018’s Hill Day. Several of The Kim Foundation staff were able to attend both events to learn more about fresh mental health ideals and trends, as well as advocate for mental healthcare and suicide prevention at our nation’s Capital. Brene Brown, Kevin Hines, Thomas Joiner, and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy were just a few of the great speakers we heard – what a week!

Another great highlight for the month of April was our first ever Public Service Announcement (PSA) Contest, hosted by The Kim Foundation and Metro Area Suicide Prevention Coalition. We asked local high schoolers to create a 30-second PSA with a message of suicide prevention and hope. Public voting took place to select a winning PSA. The winners were able to throw out the first pitch at a Storm Chasers baseball game in May and their PSA was shown on the jumbo screen! The Kim Foundation, along with other community organizations, hosted a booth with information and resources for the attendees as well.

The summer ended on a high note with Maha Music Festival at Aksarben – their 10^th anniversary! The festival was taken to new heights this year with a whole extra day of music. Fans were able to visit The Kim Foundation’s booth throughout the festival to make their very own calm kit. We were able to bring back our oversized Connect Four board this year, too. It was a wonderful weekend full of great people, awesome music, and all around amazing atmosphere. We can’t wait to see what Maha has in store for 2019 – mark your calendars for August 14-17, 2019!

In September, we hosted the School Resource Fair at the Bellevue Lied Center. School staff from the Omaha metro area school districts were invited to learn more about the organizations in our community that can help a student and/or their family with mental health needs as well as various other issues. The date is in the works for September 2019!

The Kim Foundation’s Annual Luncheon, A Time for Hope & Healing, took place in October with keynote speaker Patrick Kennedy. We also hosted a private gathering for key sponsors and partners at the Holland Performing Arts Center the night before the event. Through both events, Kennedy bared his story of mental health and recovery. Thank you, Mr. Kennedy, for your bravery, advocacy, and commitment to equalizing physical and mental health.

In November, The Kim Foundation was awarded the A.W. Clark Award by the Child Saving Institute (CSI) at their annual luncheon. This award is given to the person or organization that has demonstrated vision and continued outstanding service to children, youth, and families in the community. The award itself is pretty unique in that it was made by a child served by CSI. We were so honored to receive the award and recognition. Thank you, CSI!

I can’t believe another year has come and gone; what a journey 2018 has been for The Kim Foundation! A large thank you is in order for all our donors, board members, volunteers, and staff for making this year a special one. We wish you the happiest of holidays and New Year!

Janae Shillito, Community Relations Director for The Kim Foundation

Janae Shillito has been with The Kim Foundation since February 2017. She holds two science degrees with her alma maters including the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Janae’s love of volunteering and helping those without a voice created a strong desire to become a part of the non-profit world. In her spare time, she enjoys anything crafty, reading a good book, and being outside with her husband, Cory, and Rottweiler, Hank.