Heartland Workers Center
About Heartland Workers Center
At Heartland Workers Center, a safety class can lead straight into leadership, and a naturalization workshop can sit alongside worksite rights education. Based in Omaha, the organization supports Latino, immigrant, and underrepresented workers and families through bilingual OSHA training, family leadership development, civic engagement, and help with citizenship and safety planning. If you care about practical support that helps people protect themselves, speak up, and participate more fully in their communities, this is the kind of work that lands close to home.
Heartland Workers Center brings workers’ rights organizing, bilingual safety training, family leadership development, and civic participation together with immigrant families and underrepresented communities at the center. The result is work that is both practical and community-rooted, with people learning how to stay safe, step into leadership, and take action together.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Workers Rights
Builds collective power among immigrant and underrepresented workers through rights education, workplace leadership, healthy and safe work advocacy, and organizing for improved labor policy and protections.
Health & Safety Training Institute
Provides OSHA-authorized training in English and Spanish, including customized 10-hour and 30-hour trainings for construction and general industry, along with First Aid, CPR, and AED certifications.
Leadership Development
Offers mentoring, training, and core team development so neighbors can build skills, address issues in their communities, and take collective action.
Family Leadership Institute
Uses a Spanish- and English-language Zoom curriculum to equip families with tools for leadership, school engagement, and personal development.
Civic Engagement
Supports voter registration, election education, outreach to elected officials, and nonpartisan civic participation efforts such as I Vote for My Family.
Becoming a Citizen Initiative
Helps eligible community members navigate naturalization through pre-screening, workshops, application assistance, interview preparation, civics and English classes, fee assistance, and follow-up support.
Family Safety & Action Plan
Provides presentations and resources that help immigrant workers and families prepare for immigration enforcement, protect their rights, and create family safety plans.
I Vote for My Family
A nonpartisan initiative that promotes civic participation and education.
About this work
In their own words — what they do, who it reaches, and what your dollars actually fund.
Mission
The Heartland Workers Center develops and organizes leaders, promotes workers’ rights, and fosters a culture of civic engagement in order to build power and create change with immigrant and underrepresented communities.
Who they serve
Latino, immigrant, and underrepresented workers, families, and community members in Nebraska
Their impact
- Since 2022, 475 participants across four cohorts have taken part in the Family Leadership Institute.
- Since 2012, HWC has trained more than 1,000 workers in the Heartland.
- Penélope León has provided more than 800 hours of training throughout the region.
- Family Safety & Action Plan reached over 1,150 households.
- 97% of Family Leadership Institute participants gained communication strategies.
- 97% of Family Leadership Institute participants implemented changes in their lives using FLI strategies.
- 92% of Family Leadership Institute participants said FLI provided a valuable opportunity for self-development.
How your donation helps
- Leadership development and civic engagement programs
- English language proficiency classes
- Help with navigating employment and educational processes in Nebraska
- Self-advocacy support within different systems
- Family Safety Plans and wraparound support
- OSHA 10-hour certification for community leaders
- CPR, English language, or literacy classes
Our story
Heartland Workers Center was founded to help unite workers in the meatpacking, construction, restaurant, and cleaning industries so they could build collective power and create positive change in the places where they work and live. Since receiving nonprofit status in 2010, it has focused on developing leaders, promoting workers’ rights and responsibilities, and increasing civic engagement.
Need help?
How someone in need can access Heartland Workers Center’s services.
Community members can contact Heartland Workers Center to request trainings, presentations, or program support. Family Safety & Action Plan presentations can be requested online or in person, and the Becoming a Citizen Initiative offers pre-screening, eligibility assessment, workshops, application assistance, interview preparation, civics and English classes, support groups, fee assistance, and follow-up support.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
"Leadership is about motion: it is the active and intentional effort to build relationships, communicate with compassion, and collaborate patiently."
"The reason why I feel very proud to belong to the Heartland Workers Center's leadership group it's because the organization is a place where the rights and values of human beings are respected."
"My experience in the Family Leadership Institute program has been transformative. I learned valuable tools that not only strengthened my relationship with my daughters but also allowed me to envision a more promising future."
Events
Cafecito with HWC
annualAn annual gathering that brings together community leaders, partners, and supporters to celebrate the organization’s growth and community stories.
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Heartland Workers Center has shared.
Current needs
- Financial support for leadership development and civic engagement programs
- Support for Family Safety & Action Plan presentations
- In-kind donations through the Amazon Wishlist
- Volunteer support for policy research, voter outreach, and organizing
Volunteer opportunities
- Policy research
- Voter outreach
- Organizing support
- General volunteer support for events and programs
Recognition & press
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How can someone request a Health & Safety training?
Training can be requested by form, phone, or email. Sessions are available in Spanish and English, can be tailored by industry, and can take place at a business worksite or at the Heartland Workers Center training facility.
What does the Family Safety & Action Plan presentation include?
It includes practical tools, resources, and emotional support strategies for immigrant workers and families. Presentations can be requested online or in person, and the organization says it responds within 24 hours to arrange details.
What support does the Becoming a Citizen Initiative offer?
It offers pre-screening and eligibility assessment, naturalization workshops, application assistance and review, interview preparation, civics and English language classes, support groups, peer networking, fee assistance, and follow-up support.
What does the Family Leadership Institute provide?
The Family Leadership Institute uses a six-week Zoom curriculum in Spanish and English to help families build leadership skills, support their children’s education, and develop tools for personal and family growth.
What topics does the Workers Rights program cover?
It covers workers’ rights and responsibilities, collective action to improve working conditions, healthy and safe work environments, and organizing with community partners for stronger labor protections.
Similar nonprofits
Other ethnic & immigrant centers nonprofits in NE.