OMAHA BY DESIGN AWARDS NEIGHBORHOOD LEAF TO OMAHA PASTOR
August 16, 2007
August 16, 2007
OMAHA BY DESIGN AWARDS NEIGHBORHOOD LEAF TO OMAHA PASTOR
OMAHA – Rev. Stephanie Ahlschwede is the inaugural recipient of Omaha by Design’s new Neighborhood Leaf award.
The Neighborhood Leaf recognizes an individual, organization or business that has worked to preserve and enhance the metropolitan area’s residential neighborhoods. Ahlschwede, pastor of Dietz United Methodist Church at 1423 S. 10th St., was selected for her commitment to fostering systemic change that allows neighborhood residents to improve their lives. She was honored at the Aug. 15 meeting of the Omaha by Design Advisory Committee.
Among her many neighborhood projects:·
* The BIG (Building Independence and Growth) Garden Project, which manages 15 community garden sites throughout east Omaha and Bellevue;
* The Leavenworth Health Project, which brings health screenings and educational activities to local residents in partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Mobile Nursing Unit; and
* The Blue Flamingo, a thrift store on Omaha’s South 10th Street that began as a clothing closet at Dietz United Methodist Church. The store – which also serves as the site of a free monthly series featuring live music, readings and art demonstrations – features a line of fair trade products.
“Omaha by Design takes great pride in recognizing Rev. Ahlschwede for her commitment to improving Omaha’s neighborhoods,” said Rex Fisher, president of Qwest Nebraska and chair of the Omaha by Design Advisory Committee. “Her actions set a wonderful example for others to follow.”
The Neighborhood Leaf is the second of a new trio of awards that emphasizes the goals of the city’s Urban Design Element, a planning tool that lays out a framework for changing the quality of development in Omaha while protecting and enhancing the city’s natural environment. Each will be presented annually in addition to Omaha by Design’s Laurels Award, which honors an individual, organization or business for significant contributions to great public spaces in the City of Omaha.
For more information about the new awards, contact Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design, at connie@omahabydesign.org.