Millie Howe has a big heart for children.
As a young child, Millie and her family escaped World War II by fleeing their home in Latvia and coming to Lincoln, Nebraska. After living through that experience, Millie has responded with gratitude by living her life caring for others to give them opportunities.
She worked for many years as a leader for Girl Scouts, so she knows the impact a camp experience can have on a child. That’s why she’s so connected with Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries (NLOM).
Trish Haniszewski, NLOM Development Officer, met Millie a number of years ago and quickly became intrigued by her amazing story. “She has become such an incredible friend with a huge heart —not only to camp, but to me personally,” Trish shared. “I enjoy our visits and sharing the news of what her generosity is making possible with our summer camp program and our campers.”
Millie has a strong passion for youth who have the greatest need for a meaningful life-changing camp experience. Through this passion, she worked with Trish to establish a gift of appreciated stock to send 50 children from Lincoln to Carol Joy Holling Camp each year.
“Building this program around Millie’s focus to best serve the youth of her community is our priority,” Trish confirmed.
Thanks to the generous support of many donors like Millie, NLOM has been able to expand its outreach to campers who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances.
“Seeing these campers develop a relationship with God in the Christian atmosphere of camp is a pretty special thing,” Trish added.
“I’m just so happy to support their ministry,” Millie said. “I like to give while I am still living to see the impact it is making on children’s lives. I love the way NLOM builds a relationship with their donors, responsibly manages their finances, and relays the results of their gifts back to donors like me.”
This summer, Millie was able to visit Carol Joy Holling Camp to see the impact of her gift first-hand.
“What an amazing staff and beautiful camp,” she commented afterward. “I witnessed the planting of seeds of Christian love in the lives of so many young campers—some who have never prayed together. The happy faces and the chatter amongst the campers were such memorable experiences for this senior citizen. Thank you for giving me a beautiful day!”
We are very grateful for the wonderful partnerships in the community who continue to help us bring Faith: Alive!
