Finalist 1
1st Place
“Hands to feathers”: Rescuing Raptors across Nebraska
By Makayla Maxson
50 years ago Betsy Finch started the Raptor Conservation Alliance in Elmwood, Nebraska with the mission to “provide care and support for injured and orphaned raptors in preparation for release; to assist in the management of raptor populations and raptor research; to enlist public support for raptor conservation through educational programs, displays and special events utilizing live raptors as ambassadors for their kind”(Raptor Conservation Alliance pamphlet). Betsy, her husband (Doug Finch) and her team are all volunteers, this allows all the money to go to the birds, so the Raptor Conservation Alliance can help raptors across Nebraska. They work hard to ensure all the raptors are cared for and given a good quality of life, this is a seven day a week job for the couple to ensure their mission is achieved.
2nd Place
Cookies, Chicken, and Connection: Volunteers and Neighbors at Matt Talbot
Brady Cornelius
This photo story documents a Saturday lunch service at Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach in Lincoln, Nebraska, highlighting both the volunteers who serve and neighbors who rely on the meal. Images of community members assembling meals, alongside security opening the doors at 11:30 A.M. sharp, illustrate the coordinated teamwork required to serve a hot lunch. This story centers lived experiences of the guests waiting outside—some navigate homelessness, mental illness or recent incarceration—who gather for food and connection. Moments such as 1-year-old Cyncere Harris eating his meal and 10-year-old Morgan Zuerlein placing a cookie into a to-go box punctuate the generational nature of service and need. These photographs reveal how a simple meal becomes a point of dignity and community in Lincoln.
3rd Place
Music brings Lincolnites of all ages together, uplifts local voices
By Alex Gryczanowski
Lincoln, Nebraska, is an unlikely hotspot for live, local music. Whether supporting a friend’s band at Duffy’s Tavern or watching history be made at the Zoo Bar, the music scene inspires and touches the hearts of Lincoln. However, the scene is about more than the music itself, and people’s connections over a similar interest create lasting friendships that make the most impact, former Bodega’s Alley owner Ryan Detlefsen said on Downtown Lincoln’s website. No matter the genre, many Lincolnites bond over their love for music and its positive impact on their lives.
Finalist
“Crafting Community”: How Second Chances Can Change the Trajectory of a Life
By Hannah Herrera
The United States has the highest rates of incarceration and recidivism of any country in the world. LaRue Marcos, Ooh De Lally’s Director of Community Voicing Partnerships, works tirelessly to change that statistic. Through the guidance of Metropolitan Community College’s 180 Re-entry Assist Program and Omaha’s Ooh De Lally nonprofit restaurant, he was given a second chance at a successful life after serving time in prison. Now, Marcos provides community, safety and support for those who are facing the same barriers that he has.
Finalist
A Day of Reflection: Pastor and Counselor Hobbs
Amanda Yuan
Clifton Hobbs III was born on February 3, 1980, in Bellevue, Nebraska. By the time he graduated high school in 1999, he knew he’d be a pastor. At 33 years old, he started his own church called the Glory Tabernacle. Each Sunday, they play live music with drums, bass, organ, and keyboard while they worship and dance. When the work week hits, he’s off to either his Lincoln or Bellevue counseling office where he works to aid in the public mental health crisis. Specifically, the Black therapist shortage. While African Americans constitute approximately 14.4% of the country's population, they represent only 2% of practicing psychiatrists according to the National Library of Medicine. This is due to systemic racism and segregation in the medical field, and Clifton Hobbs is doing what he can to help. Black patients prefer someone they can relate their identity to, according to Clifton.
