People First Group of Lincoln Wins 2020 Chapter of the Year in State of Nebraska
The People First Group of Lincoln (peoplefirstnebraska.com/Lincoln) won the 2020 Chapter of the Year award for the state of Nebraska. People First of Lincoln comprises young adults with disabilities who are learning self-advocacy skills to stand up for their own rights. The group is directed by people over 18 with disabilities who are voted into office by the membership, and they work closely with Arc of Lincoln Executive Director Michelle Johnson, who volunteers as the advisor. At People First meetings—currently on Zoom at 10:30 a.m. on the second Saturday of each month—members discuss their concerns about issues related to people with disabilities and share their success stories, which empower others to achieve their goals.
People First of Lincoln is one of 12 chapters that operate under People First of Nebraska, Inc., which supports local advocacy by organizing new chapters across the state and building the capacity for all chapters through advocacy and advisor training, leadership experiences, micro-grants, and resources to support travel and statewide participation. People over 18 without disabilities also are welcome to join to learn to be better advocates in the community.
Members of People First of Lincoln volunteer their time to the group to tell our elected officials what is important to them and work with families, services providers, and other organizations to build the lives they want. For more information or to inquire about joining People First of Lincoln, visit peoplefirstnebraska.com/Lincoln or contact Michelle at director@arclincoln.org or (402) 421-8866.