“Nebraska Extension Cares” Resource Cards By Julien Hoffman and Soni Cochran
The “Nebraska Extension Cares” wallet-sized resource cards are an excellent way to discreetly offer resources to community members. The cards are designed to be a quick reference if anyone needs to call a number for supportive resources. Phone numbers on the cards include the Rural Response Hotline, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the Negotiations Hotline that provides resources on ag-related matters. The card also includes a message of hope from Nebraska Extension: You’re not alone! Nebraska Extension Cares. In addition to English language, the cards have been translated into Spanish. During the 2019 and 2021 Husker Harvest Days (HHD), the WTT team handed out thousands of the “Nebraska Extension Cares” resource cards to visitors going through the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Building at HHD. Said one HHD attendee in 2019, “I’m going to take these [“Nebraska Extension Cares” resource cards] and I’m going to put them in my husband and son’s pickup, in the tractors, and in the combine. Thank you!”
The WTT team has engaged with thousands of people at various events and educational programs, handing each a “Nebraska Extension Cares” resource card with the suggestion to “Put it in your wallet in case you need it someday or in case you have a friend who is struggling with something.” Many partner organizations continue to request more cards to hand out. Here are examples of how the cards have been used: WTT partnered with the Nebraska Farmers Union, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, and Department of Transportation State Troopers to get 1,900 the wallet-sized resource cards to staff in all regions of the state for use when confronting someone in distress.
40,000 “Nebraska Extension Cares” resource cards have been distributed to rural residents, agriculture industry professionals, behavioral health specialists, community businesses, organizations, and more. An official in a rural Nebraska community asked for additional cards because they were sharing them with all the faith-based organizations in town.
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