Lincoln Cares Projects

Youth Outdoor Adventure Program

Lincoln Cares funding is use to introduce low income children and youth to the “great outdoors” through opportunities to participate in a number outdoor recreation activities including fishing, archery, canoeing, and orienteering. Funds totally $30,000 are used to purchase equipment, provide funding for a staff coordinate activities, pay for transportation, and pay entrance fees.

Parker’s Pals Swim Program Scholarships

Through a partnership between the Red Cross and Lincoln Parks and Recreation, scholarships for swimming lessons are provided to children from low-income families. Funding also will provide swim passes for these families and partial scholarships for participation in the Parks and Recreation swimming and diving team program. Lincoln Cares provided $10,000 for these scholarships in 2006.

Parker’s Pals Recreation Program Scholarships

Scholarships are provided to young people from low-income families for before-school and after-school programs, summer day camps, youth sports programs and therapeutic recreation programs. Lincoln Cares provided $10,000 for these scholarships in 2006.

Green Team Youth Employment Program

Lincoln Parks and Recreation offers a summer youth employment program for low-income and at-risk youth who are 13 to 15 years of age. The program emphasizes job-training skills including preparing job applications, interviewing, reporting to work and completing assigned tasks. Participants assist in park maintenance activities, playground construction and summer day camp programs. Participants are employed six hours per day during three-week sessions. Lincoln Cares donated $6,000 to pay program participants for one three-week session.

Woods Park Shelter

The park shelter in Woods Park was razed a number of years ago due to deterioration and ongoing vandalism. The recently adopted master plan for Woods Park includes placement of a picnic shelter in the center of the park near the playground as a priority project. Lincoln Cares provided $15,000 for this shelter.