Each year, the University of Nebraska Foundation offices mount a holiday giving effort.
In Omaha this year, the foundation bestowed its efforts on the Munroe-Meyer Institute.
“We had just done a food drive for the Maverick Food Pantry around Thanksgiving, so we wanted to do something at UNMC this year,” said Amy Trenolone, co-chair of the foundation’s Social Outreach and Responsibility (SOAR) Committee. “We thought that since MMI was moving into a new building, there might be things that they need that we could rally behind.”
With the help of Melonie Welsh, director of the MMI Department of Community Engagement, Trenolone and co-chair Cindy Meschede mounted a toy drive, with a twist.
Since the entire office was working remotely, having a “gift tree” — a tree adorned with notes expressing needed items that foundation employees could purchase — was not feasible. Welsh helped Trenolone and Meschede create and distribute an Amazon wish list of toys, books and other materials that will be used in the new MMI building’s waiting, clinical and play areas or for programming purposes. The drive resulted in more than 60 toys valued at more than $700.
Children who are enrolled in various forms of therapy can adjunct their learning while having fun with educational toys. Giving a child the opportunity to have fun while preforming activities repeatedly can amplify their retention with the things they learn. These resources also help MMI advance their commitment to creating a family centric environment at MMI where everyone can be successful.
“MMI department and program directors provided the list of toys, books and other resources that were appropriate for the population they served,” Welsh said. “The collective list was used to create as wish list on Amazon, which allowed our supporters at the foundation to shop remotely and have the items sent directly to MMI.”
“When I first reached out to Melonie to see if they had needs the foundation employees based here in Omaha could help address, we really didn’t know what this was going to look like,” Trenolone said. “We asked ‘How are we going to coordinate this?’ Melonie floated the idea of an Amazon wish list, and we thought that would be fantastic.
“The loss for us is that sense of office community, that ability to see what we did collectively, but the core mission of giving back was able to be carried out,” she said. “We’ve shared updates with the office – photos of purchased toys, thank you notes — including a wonderful one from (MMI Director) Karoly Mirnics, MD, PhD. We were able to forward things like that to the staff, and they appreciated it.”
SOAR is dedicating to enhancing the lives of foundation employees and the community by offering philanthropic and volunteer opportunities that benefit the University of Nebraska and the communities in which the foundation works, Trenolone said. Similar holiday efforts took place this year in Lincoln, Kearney and other communities.
“It’s designed for us to volunteer, give back, and serve our community in a broader way,” she said.
Neither Trenolone nor Meschede has toured the new MMI building, at 6902 Pine St., yet, but both are excited about the project.
“We are part of the UNMC team, and Brian Anderson, our colleague who works with MMI, has been so wonderful about sharing updates with us,” Trenolone said. “Whenever there’s a building opening, there might be only a few people at the foundation office who are working directly on the project, but it’s exciting for everyone.”
“We’ve seen the outside of it and it’s amazing,” Meschede said. “I’ve been in the old building, and it’s really exciting to have this new building — I’m going to be excited to see it.”
Employees strongly supported the holiday effort.
The project was one of many examples of the vital partnership MMI has with the University of Nebraska Foundation.
“We work for the foundation, we work for a non-profit,” Trenolone said. “It’s inherent in all of us that we like to give back, or we wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing.”
“Through this pandemic all year, we’ve been working remotely, and we’re all incredibly grateful that we can continue our non-profit work,” Meschede said. “I for one am happy to be able to give — it makes you want to give more this year.
Trenolone agreed.
“We feel so blessed that we were able to do this.”