Lighthouses in the community

Twenty-five years of an organization’s good work is certainly cause for celebration, especially when the anniversary comes at a time when there are no signs of slowing down with helping the community.

Abide is a non-profit, inner-city organization in Omaha that strives to eliminate the inner-city environment and instead promote a thriving neighborhood, full of community involvement and positivity. Josh Dotzler, Chief Operations Officer of Abide, can remember when his parents first started the organization twenty-five years ago and grew up with Abide being an integral part of his life.

Twenty-five years of transformation

Josh and his family have done amazing things through Abide. Churches have been started. Families have been served. But at the forefront is the transformation of inner-city areas that were once underserved and dangerous into neighborhoods where the residents work together to create something special. Abide spurs and facilitates these changes, ushering the evolution along while offering the kind of assistance that nobody else is willing to provide.

One of Abide’s most impressive ongoing projects is the creation of “lighthouses.” These are dilapidated, abandoned homes in the inner-city that are fully renovated by Abide and their partners, allowing a family to move into the home and get positively involved with the community. Homes that were once problems and potential hubs for criminal activity transform into homes where a family lives, and these families pledge to be positive “lights” within a community that was once full of darkness.

Taking an abandoned, crumbling home and turning it into a beautiful residential home that becomes a beacon for the entire neighborhood is no small task. Abide relies on partnerships with various companies and other organizations in order to get the job done.

Consistent support

It’s a cause that’s a great fit for Pella. “They donated windows, and literally installed the windows in the lighthouses,” says Dotzler. “They are very supportive and hands-on, big time.”

Dotzler is impressed by Pella’s willingness to support Abide’s various endeavors. “They participated in clean up days,” he remembers. “They have been very involved. During the Christmas toy drive, their office and staff collected money, gift cards and several bags of toys.” Dotzler adds, “They don’t want to just give money; they want to be a part of the solution.”

It’s a great partnership, and it’s one that’s changing lives for the families in the inner-city. For Pella, it’s one of many opportunities they seize to give back to the local area and help communities thrive.