The second annual IN the Neighborhood Conferencetakes place this Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30 at Metro’s South Omaha Campus.
Julie Smith, Program Manager for One Omaha, says the conference is a collaboration of neighborhood associations, city departments, nonprofits and private businesses.
She says they review the good things happening in Omaha and Council Bluffs neighborhoods. Smith says it can be tough to get traction to face issues separately in each neighborhood.
She says the conference provides a good chance for people to understand the issues, decide how to come up with solutions, and address them collectively.
"This is one of the only opportunities where people from neighborhoods All across Omaha and Council Bluffs to get together and share stories and really network and get to know each other. These are the most engaged community members that Omaha has. They are pouring thousands of volunteer hours into our communities. And they’re not really all connected at one time until the neighborhood conference every year.”
Smith says there will be five different tracks during the conference. Those tracks are green communities, health and safety, economic growth and development, empowering neighborhood initiatives, and a Spanish track.
This culturally inclusive event will also offer four sessions in Spanish.