First Light Child Advocacy Center

08/28/2026

A big THANK YOU to Grand Island Old Navy for supporting the children and families we serve! 💛

Their team recently brought in a generous donation of school supplies, including backpacks, notebooks, headphones, crayons and more. These items help us make sure children have what they need as they head into a new school year.

We are so grateful for community partners like Old Navy who continue to show up for kids in our community. Thank you for thinking of First Light! ☀️

08/26/2026

We are incredibly grateful to Bob Pavelka, a previous First Light board member, for his generous $1,000 donation made in honor of Ray O’Connor. 💛

Ray’s impact on First Light and the Grand Island community will be felt for years to come. Gifts like this are a meaningful way to carry his legacy forward while continuing to support the children and families we serve.

Thank you, Bob, for honoring Ray in such a special way and for your continued support of First Light. ☀️

08/25/2026

We’re proud to partner with Heartland United Way and see firsthand the impact their support makes in our community. 💙

As Heartland United Way approaches 80 years of showing up for our community, they’re collecting stories from people whose lives have been impacted by their partner organizations.

If you or your family have been supported by First Light, we invite you to share your story. Whether First Light helped you feel heard, supported, safe or simply less alone during a difficult time, your experience matters.

Your story can help show the difference organizations like First Light and Heartland United Way make every day.

🔵 Share your story with Heartland United Way using the link in their original post.

🔵How has the Heartland United Way or our 20 community partners SHOWN UP FOR YOU?

🎉As we approach our 80th year, we want to know how HUW volunteers and donors have IMPACTED YOUR LIFE.

👪SHARE YOUR STORY: https://www.heartlandunitedway.org/form/share-how-you-show-up

08/20/2026

Every child deserves access to hope and healing, no matter where they call home.

First Light Child Advocacy Center proudly serves children and families across 10 Nebraska counties, ensuring they have access to compassionate advocacy, forensic interviews, family support, and resources when they need them most.

Our coverage area includes:
☀️ Hall
☀️ Howard
☀️ Hamilton
☀️ Merrick
☀️ Garfield
☀️ Greeley
☀️ Clay
☀️ Nuckolls
☀️ Webster
☀️ Wheeler

If you or someone you know lives in one of these counties, we're here to help. Together, we can create a community where every child feels safe, supported, and believed.

Learn more about our services and how we're making a difference throughout central Nebraska.

08/19/2026

Ray O'Connor believed that every child deserved to be safe, heard and protected.

For more than a decade, Ray was a champion of First Light Child Advocacy Center and the children we serve. In 2014, he played an instrumental role in helping us move into a fully renovated child-friendly facility that allowed us to better meet the needs of children and families. His support didn't end there. He continued to invest his time, leadership and generosity into our mission, co-chairing our Child Abuse Prevention campaign, advocating for children throughout our community and helping make our current home possible through an extraordinary gift alongside Jennifer O'Connor and Michael Staenberg.

Ray once said:
"We as individuals can create a social fabric woven to the benefit of all... The time to address this problem is now. Together we can make a difference."

Those weren't just words. They were the way he lived.

Because of Ray's vision, compassion and unwavering belief in our mission, countless children have found hope, healing and a safe place to begin again.

To Jennifer, the O'Connor family and everyone whose lives were touched by Ray, we extend our deepest sympathies. Thank you, Ray, for believing in First Light, for believing in our community and most of all, for believing in our children.

Your legacy will continue to shine through every child who walks through our doors. 💙

08/18/2026

Happy Birthday to one of our incredible SANE nurses, Deena! 🎉💙

Today we're celebrating someone who makes a difference in the lives of children and families through compassion, strength, and unwavering dedication.

Thank you for the care you provide, the comfort you bring, and the countless ways you support those who need it most. Your work has a lasting impact, and we're so grateful to have you as part of the First Light team.

We hope your day is filled with joy and all the things that make you smile. Happy Birthday!

08/13/2026

These conversations don't have to be scary—they can be empowering.

Teaching children about body safety helps build confidence, encourages open communication, and gives them the tools to recognize unsafe situations.

Keep the conversation age-appropriate, ongoing, and judgment-free. The more children know, the more confident they'll feel speaking up when something doesn't seem right.

Small conversations today can make a lifelong impact.

08/05/2026

Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, supportive environment. While child abuse can be difficult to talk about, education and awareness are some of the most powerful tools we have to prevent it.

When we learn the signs, have open conversations and know how to respond, we become part of a community that protects children and supports families.

Together, we can create a future where every child feels safe, heard, and believed.

08/04/2026

$17,551.12 raised for children. 💙

That's the incredible impact of this year's Hornady Platte River Charity Shoot.

On Saturday, sponsors, participants, volunteers, and supporters came together for a day of competition with a purpose, raising vital funds to support the children and families served by First Light Child Advocacy Center.

Because of this generosity, more children will receive the advocacy, resources, and compassionate care they need during one of the most difficult times in their lives.

Thank you to Hornady for once again making this event possible, and to everyone who participated, sponsored, volunteered, and donated. Your support is changing lives, one child at a time.

Together, we're creating brighter futures for children. 💙

08/03/2026

Meet the Judges Family Fun Day ⚖️💙

Last week we were honored to be part of the second annual Meet the Judges Family Fun Day!

This special invite-only event helps the children and families we serve prepare for the upcoming school year by providing much-needed school supplies. It also creates a unique opportunity for children to meet judges and other professionals from the juvenile court system in a fun, welcoming environment, helping build positive relationships with the people who work to support and protect them.