Compassionate Support on the Front Lines in Lexington, Nebraska
As word spread through Lexington that the Tyson plant was closing, Handy Marin Diaz felt her heart breaking. She immediately recognized the devastation losing the city’s #1 employer would cause. As Program Manager in Lutheran Family Services’ Lexington office, she knew many clients who worked at Tyson. Harder yet for Handy – so do her husband and many other family members.
So, during Thanksgiving week, Handy and the rest of the LFS team jumped into action: hosting a “Know Your Rights” meeting attended by nearly 400 people. Opening LFS Lexington’s relatively new community computer lab so people could search for and apply for jobs. Removing barriers to people looking for resume support or mental health referrals. A close partnership with local Rapid Response helped coordinate efforts to ensure no one fell through the cracks.
Already over 800 people have received help with job searches and filing for unemployment, with two additional job fairs scheduled. As the closing date (January 20) inches closer, Handy is considering what else LFS can do to ease the transition for one-third of her town.
“LFS is a major behavioral health provider for the state, so we will have counselors available, both in person and via telehealth,” says Handy. “We know people need help finding jobs and paying their bills, but they also may need someone to talk with who understands. We’re here.”
How You Can Help Today
• Volunteers and donors are welcome to support LFS’s work in Lexington. To help us with outreach, events, or one-on-one support for the affected individuals. Contact: Josue Dieudonne, josue.dieudonne@onelfs.org, 402-739-1638; or sign up here.
• Donate to help families with emergency rent, utilities, and transportation.
Building Traction on Digital Safety
It’s not like Australia, which has banned all social media for children 16 and under, but Nebraska and Iowa are both taking significant steps to protect children and teens online. Three new Nebraska laws went into effect on January 1, 2026. One aims to curb addiction by requiring chronological feeds instead of algorithm-driven ones, protects minors’ private information, and provides parents with the tools to monitor their child’s activity. Another makes it a felony to possess an explicit AI-generated image from a child’s photo. The third requires parental consent and age verification before young teens can create an account.
Iowa is evaluating similar legislation – some of it tied up in legal tangles. Andrea Neuzil leads the LFS digital safety programming team, also known as Smart Gen Society.
“It’s a great start, and we are so grateful,” says Neuzil, LFS Director of Community Education and Digital Wellness. “There’s a dramatic learning curve here for parents, and we are making progress. Honestly, the bigger challenge though is the gaming platforms – Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite – they all have mostly unmonitored chat rooms. And this is where children and teens spend the larger part of their time. We also need hard conversations about Character AI that children and teens can mistake for a real therapist.”
So, one step at a time, but education pays off. Thanks to generous grants, our Smart Gen team can offer one-to-one support to families facing challenges with digital safety. The team also speaks in schools, churches, and to other parent, teen, and senior groups, hoping to stay abreast of existing and emerging dangers. Contact us at SmartGenSociety@OneLFS.org. Find more info at LFS Smart Gen Society.
Raise for LFS – A Sweet New Way to Support LFS
We all know that the Omaha area is famous for its wealth of amazing restaurants and bakeries. Now, imagine having access to many of those yummy and tasty treats all at one event!
It’s coming this March, so you might want to add in a few extra laps so you can indulge at the new RAISE FOR LFS event. Local dessert makers will prepare their indulgent creations as we celebrate those whose dedication makes the work of LFS possible. Also, part of this new event is the 2026 Raise Awards. In this first year, we will honor long-term LFS employees (15+years), plus organizations and individuals whose compassion, service, and leadership have greatly impacted the mission of LFS. It’s a can’t miss event at a gorgeous new location.
Raise for LFS will be at A View West Shores, March 12. Tickets to this new and fun event are available here.
Save your spot now. Hope to see you there!
