Who We Are

We believe in direct advocacy working alongside marginalized communities

Board of Directors | Community Organizing Leadership Team

An Intersectional Community

Stand in for Nebraska Community Leadership Team self-identify as community advocates and human rights ambassadors for the organization.

To best advance human rights and justice alongside multi-marginalized communities in Nebraska while dismantling systemic oppressions, Stand in for Nebraska Community Leadership Team enacts a diverse, shared, and supportive leadership model.

Our vision in 2021, is to enhance educational programming, outreach, and quality food security for Nebraskans.

Our Values

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Personal Integrity

We believe in remaining mindful, de-centering ego, and practicing self-care and healing to remain resilient, build stamina, and be effective.

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Relational Integrity

We believe in the value of listening to the most vulnerable, protecting our community, and using sensitive approaches to our work with others.

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Orgaizational Integrity

We engage in courageous and responsive leadership, celebrate innovative initiative, and lead with a passionate focus to get work done.

We believe in direct advocacy working alongside marginalized communities.

Our Vision

We believe in direct advocacy working alongside marginalized communities.

Stand in for Nebraska (SIFN) is a 501(c)3 grassroots organization that human rights and justice alongside multi-marginalized communities.

Through direct advocacy featuring education, community-enhancing projects, and policy work, SIFN strives to work, in deep and unyielding collaboration, toward realizing ML King Jr’s unrealized “Beloved Community” vision.

As explained by The King Center, the memorial institution founded by Coretta Scott King to further the goals of Martin Luther King:

Dr. King’s Beloved Community is a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of human decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood.

Our Board

Stand in for Nebraska is led by a diverse group of twelve active Board of Directors and community organizers who help mobilize and guide Six Active Community Organizing Circles (COCs).

Phyllis Stone

Her love of education and teaching excellence manifested new opportunities for community leadership and matriarchal innovation

Schmeeka Grayer Simpson

We can think of no better representative than Schmeeka to advance our work at the national level

Rochelle Golliday

Rochelle assists with the coordination of various activities, meetings, conferences, and town halls

Dr. Belinda Acosta

My first-people ancestors are the Huichol from what is now known as the central highlands of Mexico

Our External Advisory Boards

Stand in for Nebraska is dedicated to building a horizontal instead of vertical or heirarchical power structure.

Our Community Organizing Leadership Team

Abby Goss

Abby aims to be a leader in Public Health community projects, policies, and practices

Cheri Stollar

We implicitly trust Cheri’s wisdom, her goodness, and authenticity. Standing in her truth and light, we are steadied and made better by her influences

Dr Stephanie Bondi

Stephanie and her family have been baseline voices and supporters of human rights and justice in Nebraska

Dr. Anh Le

As a respected academic authoring an anthology featuring Vietnamese refugee stories, scholar of Buddhism, UNL ...

Freedom Thompson

Freedom is among the most expansively gifted, connecting, and nurturing humans we know.

Jason Witmer

He is a rare man—not driven to seek the limelight with his energies; and yet, his loving and ascending energies are deeply felt and impactful

John Cartier

John has walked unflinchingly alongside our grassroots-developing non-profit organization and offered invaluable guidance and advocacy

Nature Medicine Song Villegas

Nature’s loving energy, fierce resolve, and irreverent, uplifting humor are among her many superpowers

Nichole Vesely

We have grown to expect a visionary and a details-oriented thinker who helps us see and plan in both ways

Renee Sans Souci

She has been the wise constant and throughline to make this approach to community education possible

Susan Alleman

Beyond her deeply felt and respected professional investments, Susan loves with her whole being

Tanya Encalada

She advocates for policies related to disability rights, restorative justice/criminal legal reform, immigration justice, and human rights in general stemming from her lived experiences

Yolanda Nuncio

We are grateful for Yolanda’s involvement in leading SIFN’s 2022 Nourish the Plains program and eagerly anticipate ...