Last week, GROW Nebraska was proud to be a part of PayPal Omaha’s Impact Day, an incredible initiative that saw over 4,000 hygiene bags packed by PayPal employees for the Women’s Center for Advancement in Omaha. This event not only supported a vital community organization but also highlighted the power of long-standing partnerships and the incredible talent within the GROW Nebraska network.
A number of GROW Nebraska members were selected to provide products for these essential hygiene bags, offering a fantastic opportunity for local businesses to contribute to a meaningful cause. Our CEO, Janell Anderson Ehrke, was deeply involved in the two-day activities, including a fireside chat with Bimal Patel from PayPal. Janell shared the rich 20+ year history between GROW Nebraska and PayPal, emphasizing the crucial role PayPal’s support has played in the growth and success of our program.
“Our relationship with PayPal over the past two decades has been absolutely instrumental in GROW Nebraska’s journey,” says Janell. “Their unwavering support has not only provided invaluable resources and opportunities for our members but has also empowered us to expand our reach and make a greater impact on small businesses across the state. This Impact Day is just another testament to their commitment to community and their belief in the power of local enterprise.”
The impact on our members was significant. Wild Ass Soap Co. of McCook, NE, one of the selected suppliers, shared their excitement:
“Can’t thank your team enough for your work that led to us receiving this order for PayPal. We ended up getting them 2,720 bars of soap and 900 deodorants. That’s all the deo I could make with what we had on the shelf and luckily had enough to make 800 more sticks through the weekend. It was a long weekend. They would have ordered 3,000 deodorants if we would have had materials or more time. Still a phenomenal order. We’ve already been paid, and we are planning to deliver it in person tomorrow in Omaha since we were already headed to Lincoln the day after. The profit from this order is already being used to re-invest in Wild Ass Soap Co.! We are now getting a commercial mixer to help make the Ranch Balms and we are getting our custom commercial 10X20 canopy ordered today to assist us in booking more outdoor festivals with the new cards we have already been building for the past month. We just added another show today, now that we will have our new festival booth!”
Reflect The Light, another GROW Nebraska member, also expressed their gratitude:
“I’m so happy to say that Nithesh from Goodera/PayPal reached out to me yesterday and let me know that I was selected as a preferred vendor! I wanted to say thank you for your help connecting me to this awesome opportunity, I appreciate it! Also, I will be able to complete the drop off, thank you again for your support.”
GROW Nebraska is incredibly proud to facilitate such impactful collaborations. Events like PayPal Impact Day not only provide essential support to organizations like the Women’s Center for Advancement but also create invaluable opportunities for our members, fostering growth, investment, and continued success for small businesses across Nebraska. We look forward to many more years of partnership and positive impact with PayPal!