Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. kicked off the city's "Year of the Neighbor" initiative by presenting the first monthly recognition award to Jose Flores Jr., president of South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance (SONA).
Flores received the key to the city, the mayor's challenge coin, and recognition for his volunteer community organizing work during a packed ceremony at the mayor's office. The inaugural award launches a year-long program celebrating community engagement.
"That's always going to be the catalyst for this work is individuals volunteering bringing other people together," Ewing said.
Flores was nominated for his commitment to South Omaha, including hands-on community work.
"I'm more comfortable behind the scenes getting my hands dirty literally and figuratively when it comes to like cleaning the parks," Flores said.
During his acceptance speech, Flores dedicated a portion in Spanish to immigrants, saying he would continue supporting and fighting for their rights as a member of the community.
English translation: "A message to my countrymen, to my immigrant brothers and sisters. As a member of this community (Omaha), I will support and fight for your rights. We must remain strong. We must forge ahead."
February focus shifts to family relationships
Mayor Ewing announced the next area of focus is family, encouraging parents and children to examine how they can be better neighbors to each other. This comes after learning that the majority of homicides in 2025 had familial ties.
"I was very disappointed when I had the Omaha Police Department share with me the information about the homicides last year, where we actually had 20 out of the 26 that were somehow either DV or connected to a family relationship. That's not the Omaha we want to have. We want families to be the pillar of our community," Ewing said.
The mayor is partnering with the Women's Center for Advancement to provide resources for families in crisis.
"We know that it's 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men that experience intimate partner violence, and you need to think about that number. It's literally 25% of women, so we all know someone who's experienced violence. These are our neighbors, they're our coworkers, they're our friends from church," said Jeanette Taylor from WCA.
The city is also working with the YMCA to provide opportunities for families to get active. Rebecca Detterin, YMCA President/CEO, emphasized that financial assistance ensures "cost is never a barrier to belonging."
"At the YMCA, our mission is simple: to strengthen communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. We do that by providing safe, welcoming places to belong, places where people of all ages can grow, connect, and thrive. When families are supported, our entire community is stronger," Detterin said.
One Omaha is joining the effort because the organization works directly with neighborhood associations.
"Strong neighborhoods don't just happen, they're actually built very intentionally... What excites me about this recognition is the opportunity to go beyond celebrating individuals and begin strengthening neighborhood systems, leadership pipelines, engagement infrastructure, and collaboration between City Hall and community organizations already doing the work," said Kimara Snipes.
The mayor is encouraging Omahans to nominate their good neighbors through the city's website.
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