A Letter from the Executive Director

Excerpt from Winter 2011/12 issue of FunTimes Member Newsletter
The holidays are upon us and they bring wonderful opportunities to talk with our children about the importance of giving. There are so many ways to give back in Omaha and ways that the museum can help.

Here are just a few ideas.

Adopt a Family: Your family could provide much-needed necessities for a less fortunate family for the holidays through several local community organizations including Kids Can Community Center www.kidscanomaha.org and Open Door Mission www.opendoormission.org .

Toys for Tots: There are collection bins across the city, including one at the museum where you can drop off toys for children who wouldn’t otherwise receive them around the holidays.

Welcome Fund: The museum provides memberships to families in poverty for a minimal cost through a program called the Welcome Fund. These memberships are donor supported. You can go online at ocm.org to sponsor a membership for a family in need.

Get Creative: One year our family gave up exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve and spent the evening tying fleece blankets which were delivered to the children staying at People’s City Mission in Lincoln. We delivered them after the kids at the mission had gone to bed, so that they’d wake up Christmas morning with the warmth of a new blanket comforting them on Christmas.

Whatever you do, please know that even the smallest gesture of kindness goes a long way at this time of the year. May you be surrounded by the warmth of your family, the presence of friends and much joy this holiday season.

 
About Lindy J. Hoyer

As executive Director of the Omaha Children’s Museum since June of 2002, Lindy Hoyer brings 20 years of passion for reaching out to children through Children’s Museum work and continues striving to inspire young people to play, explore and learn. 

During Hoyer’s tenure as Executive Director, Omaha Children’s Museum has seen fantastic growth and accomplishment from hosting blockbuster traveling exhibits to completing a $6.6 million capital campaign and renovation of the museum’s permanent exhibits and seeing attendance soar to over 270,000 annually. 

Hoyer participated in the inaugural Noyce Leadership Institute along with 17 science center executives from across the world. She has served on the board of directors for the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) and participates in Qm2 Roundtable for Museum Executives. Locally, she serves on the Leavenworth Basin Advisory Panel of City of Omaha Combined Sewer Program and is a member of Omaha Sister City Association Board and VSAarts Nebraska Board.