Ms. Evell Thomas Planned Giving Coordinator Child Saving Institute
4545 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE 68132
402.504.3650 ethomas@childsaving.org
Child Saving Institute (CSI) is a not-for-profit agency serving nearly 4,802 families and children in the four programs areas of Childcare and Education, Mental and Behavioral Health, Community-Based Services and Residential Treatment. Agency services include Foster Care, Pediatric & Adolescent Therapy, Independent Living Skills, Emergency Shelter, two Early Childhood Education centers as well as other services. The mission of the agency is “to champion what’s best for each child and family.” CSI began serving the Omaha community in 1892; while children have always been the primary focus, the way in which CSI cares for children has evolved to meet the current needs of children and families. In September of 2025 CSI merged with Children’s Square and expanded our service to reach southwest Iowa. Since the merger, CSI has experienced a thirty percent increase in clients served. We anticipate continued increase in the services provided.
Evell Thomas began her tenure with CSI in 1984. Today Ms. Thomas works in the Development Department as the Planned Giving Coordinator.
With headquarters centrally located at 4545 Dodge Street, Child Saving Institute’s connection and partnerships with organizations enable CSI to best serve the children and families in this community. It is through this connection that Evell Thomas comes to share and bring you an update of the agency.
I'm a Commercial Banker at Premier Bank, where I help business owners and real estate investors with financing solutions for growth and development. I earned a Finance degree from Creighton University's Heider College of Business in 2020 and am proud to call Omaha home with my wife, Lily.
Mark your calendars, Rotarians! We're swapping our usual morning meeting for something a little more festive this month. Join fellow Rotarian Jim Sullivan for a Rotary After Hours social — good company, good drinks, and good cheer! 🥂🎉
📅 Date: Tuesday, September 29 🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (in lieu of our regular morning meeting) 📍 Location: Sean O'Casey's Pub — 2523 S 140th Ave, Omaha, NE 68144 🍺 What's included: Appetizers & drinks! 👨👩👧👦 Who's invited: Members, guests, and family — everyone is welcome!
Getting there: Sean O'Casey's is located near 140th & Center Street on Omaha's west side. From I-680, take the West Center Road exit and head west; the pub will be on your right (north side of Center), just south of the 140th Ave intersection — easy to spot with plenty of parking available. 🚗
Come unwind, catch up with fellow Rotarians, and bring the family for a relaxed evening out. We can't wait to see you there! 🙌🍻
Omaha Superhero Heart Run - Sunday, October 11, 2026
Get ready to walk, run, and FLY at the 14th annual Omaha Superhero Heart Run! Join Heart Heroes, Inc. for our annual 5k/1 mile fun run aimed at raising awareness for Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) in our community.
Day-Of Timeline
Packet Pick-up and Walk-up Registration Open: 8:30AM-10:30AM
Omaha Morning Rotary was proud to turn out in force for the Heart Heroes CPR fundraising event, continuing our club's ongoing partnership with this incredible local organization. Rotarians spent the evening brushing up on life-saving CPR skills, connecting over happy hour, and representing our club alongside other community supporters of Heart Heroes' mission.
It was a great reminder of why this partnership matters — Heart Heroes does vital work supporting children and families affected by congenital heart disease, and events like this one help fund that mission while giving our members practical, potentially life-saving skills. A big thank-you to everyone who came out to support the cause and represent Omaha Morning Rotary!
A big thank you to Mike Murphy and the team at Nelson Murphy Insurance and Investments for hosting our afterhours at their office! It was a fantastic evening filled with great food, drinks, and conversation, and we were thrilled to welcome so many new prospective guests. We also took the opportunity to bid a fond farewell to Sarah Wedebrand as she heads off to Colorado for her next chapter — we'll miss her and wish her all the best in this exciting new adventure!
Congratulations to long time Omaha Morning Rotarian, Bill Schenk who was recently recognized as only the fifth recipient since 2001 of the club’s Founders Award. A group of founding members of Omaha Morning Rotary established this award, the highest honor to be bestowed on a member of the club, in recognition of an individual who exemplifies Rotary’s Four-Way Test.
Bill has maintained perfect attendance for 37 years, served as Club President, Foundation President, and Secretary. He is a regular participant in both local and international service projects, and mentored countless members who have stepped into club leadership roles.
Congratulations, Bill. You are a most deserving recipient of this honor and recognition.
We are sharing the Chair of the Day schedule for our weekly Omaha Morning Rotary meetings. This role includes welcoming the speaker, making introductions, and helping the meeting flow smoothly. Please review the schedule and note your assigned date. If you are not able to serve on your date, please arrange a swap with another member and notify the Program Committee.
Thank you for helping us keep our meetings organized, engaging, and a reflection of the strong fellowship in our club.
Mark your calendars, Rotarians! We're swapping our usual morning meeting for something a little more festive this month. Join fellow Rotarian Jim Sullivan for a Rotary After Hours social — good company, good drinks, and good cheer! 🥂🎉
📅 Date: Tuesday, September 29
🕔 Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (in lieu of our regular morning meeting)
📍 Location: Sean O'Casey's Pub — 2523 S 140th Ave, Omaha, NE 68144
🍺 What's included: Appetizers & drinks on us!
👨👩👧👦 Who's invited: Members, guests, and family — everyone is welcome!
Getting there: Sean O'Casey's is located near 140th & Center Street on Omaha's west side. From I-680, take the West Center Road exit and head west; the pub will be on your right (north side of Center), just south of the 140th Ave intersection — easy to spot with plenty of parking available. 🚗
Come unwind, catch up with fellow Rotarians, and bring the family for a relaxed evening out. We can't wait to see you there! 🙌🍻
🐻 Rotary Service Project: Caping Bears for Heart Heroes! 🦸
Mark your calendars — Tuesday, October 27th, 5:00–7:00 PM, in place of our regular after-hours and morning meetings, we're heading to Heart Heroes for a hands-on service project: putting capes on Heartbeat Bears for kids battling Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)! 🧸✨
📍 Location: Heart Heroes, 220 N 89th Street, Suite 203, Omaha, NE 68114
🚗 Directions: Heart Heroes is located just north of West Dodge Road near 89th Street, on the west side of the building complex. From West Dodge Road, head north on 89th Street — the office is a short distance up on your right (east side of the street). Look for suite 203.
👨👩👧👦 Everyone is welcome — Rotarians, guests, and family members alike! This is a fun, low-lift, high-impact way to give back together.
💛 Why Heart Heroes?
Omaha Morning Rotary selected Heart Heroes as our grant recipient this year and is proud to provide $3,000 in funding to help supply Heartbeat Bears to children facing CHD. Heart Heroes has been an Omaha-based lifeline for CHD families since 2009, providing superhero capes, Totes of Hope surgery care kits, Camp Brave Heart, support groups, and more. They're the only CHD nonprofit in Nebraska and the largest in the Midwest. 🏆
🫀 A few facts about CHD:
CHD is the most common birth defect and the leading cause of birth-defect-related deaths
1 in 100 babies is born with a congenital heart defect
In Nebraska, a "Heart Hero" is born roughly every 32 hours — about 300 kids a year
Nearly 400 pediatric heart surgeries are performed annually at Children's Nebraska
There is no cure and no known cause for CHD
Let's show these brave kids some Rotary love — cape by cape! 🦸♂️🧸💙
Good morning, and welcome to the Omaha Morning Rotary Club.
We are a community of professionals united by one simple belief — that we can do more together than apart. Each week we gather not just to share a meal, but to share ideas, build friendships, and take action on behalf of our community here in Omaha.
Service is at the core of everything we do. Whether through local projects or global initiatives, our members show up ready to make a difference. But just as important is the fellowship — the relationships built here last a lifetime.
If you're considering joining us, we'd love to have you at our table.
Sean O'Casey's
