Omaha Bridges to Celebrate 2K Graduate Milestone at Sept. 20 Ceremony at CU’s Harper Center

Omaha Bridges, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering under-resourced families in Omaha and Council Bluffs, will host its third-quarter graduation at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Mike and Josie Harper Center, Hixson-Lied Auditorium, on the Creighton University campus. 

The ceremony marks a significant milestone: more than 2,000 graduates since the organization’s founding in 2016. The event will bring together family members, community leaders, alumni, and graduates for a day of recognition, festivities, and networking.

Since its inception in 2016, Omaha Bridges has celebrated graduates across 214 cohorts, said Marcus Bell, CEO of Omaha Bridges. The organization’s mission is to empower under-resourced families to change their lives by discovering and overcoming barriers to success. Its vision is to reduce the number of families living in poverty by 50 percent in the next decade through collaboration with community agencies.

While this milestone figure reflects the number of community members who have experienced poverty, Bridges emphasizes the celebration of each graduate's determination in taking steps to build a stable, thriving future.

“Every graduate represents a story of resilience and change,” Bell said. “We’re proud of every individual who has chosen to rewrite their story.”

Over the past nine years, Bridges has partnered with more than 250 local organizations to provide free, evidence-based programs in goal-setting, financial literacy, and job readiness skills. Among graduates, average annual income has increased by more than $18,000, and the average debt-to-income ratio has decreased by 50 percent, signaling measurable impact and long-term momentum.