Giving Back

If you have read our other blog posts, you know that we believe we were put here for a reason—not just to enrich ourselves. You should really go back and read (or reread) the "Founded in Faith" post on our website before reading this post. 

Not only do most of the people who work here have their own ways of giving back—including their time, treasure, and talents—but we, as a company, also believe our purpose is to help where needed and give back. This is not an obligation or a marketing scheme, but what God has put us here to do. If you have read the Bible story “The Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14–30), suffice it to say, I do NOT want to be the one-bag guy who buries my talents! The more we do with the talents God gives us, the more He will entrust us with. 

As counterintuitive as that last statement may sound from a worldly perspective, my experience has taught me that it is true. The more we give away, the more God has entrusted us with. The motivation, however, is also very important. Giving just to get more or to draw attention to ourselves is NOT the purpose. Sharing God’s blessing to truly help and bless others—and to bring glory to God—is the real purpose we should have in our hearts. 

With that as a backdrop, I wanted to share a couple of charities that I am personally involved in, which we support through the business, and that I support personally. 

I am on the Board of Directors and the Finance Committee for the Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Academy (HETRA). I learned about HETRA back in 1991, shortly after moving to Omaha. My wife, Sherry, loves horses and always wanted one. HETRA ran an advertisement in the local newspaper looking for people to “lease” a horse to help defray the sizable expense of owning a therapy horse (or any horse, as I can attest personally). In fact, this experience caused us to get bitten by the horse bug, and we now live on an acreage and have multiple horses. But that is another two-beer discussion for another day!

We were floored by the incredible work they were—and are still—doing with disabled children. In fact, they have expanded into helping veterans with PTSD. I have seen wheelchair-bound children who were barely responsive absolutely light up with joy when placed on the back of one of these beautiful animals for a physical or occupational therapy session. We were so impressed that we have supported HETRA ever since. We also volunteered our time as side walkers and helped around the barn. My wife got so involved that she was the volunteer coordinator—a huge job—for several years. 

Moving Parts is a Platinum Program Sponsor of this wonderful organization. If you would like to learn more about HETRA, check them out here.

I am also involved with a jail ministry. Good News Global Prison Ministry is the parent organization, but we work very closely with Chaplain Merlyn Klause at the Douglas County Corrections Center here in Omaha. With a small group of buddies from our men’s group at church, we go into DCCC every Monday night at about 7 p.m. I say "about" because jails run on their own time and, as you might suspect, they don’t exactly give us the keys to the place. We are escorted by guards (a “ride,” they call it) to housing unit (Mod) C, or the God Mod, as the inmates call it. 

We are allowed to go directly into the unit and facilitate a Bible study. We use a video series called “33, The Series.” The “33” in the title refers to the 33 years Jesus spent in His earthly ministry. The series presents a biblical definition of manhood—a definition completely different from what this world, especially the street, says it means to be a man. “33” isn’t just for jail ministries; I have been through it many times with the men’s group at church and other Bible studies I am involved in. I SO wish I had seen this when I was a young man. There are six volumes in “33,” and each one contains six sessions that are about 30 to 40 minutes long. We watch the video and then discuss it with the men of Mod C. 

Keep in mind that for an inmate to be in Mod C, they must volunteer to be there to better themselves, exhibit a high level of behavior, and participate in the programming. The men who have asked to be in the God Mod are genuinely trying to make positive changes in their lives. Many come from broken homes, and a large majority fight addiction to alcohol and drugs. One of the volumes in “33” deals with the “Father Wound.” An astounding majority of these men had absent or uninvolved fathers. It never ceases to amaze me how many of them tell us they don’t even know who their father is. But these men are trying to rise above their problems and not allow their past mistakes and wounds to define them. They are trying to overcome their past and be productive members of society.

Unfortunately, many fail—at least the first time or two. I have been going into the God Mod since 2014, and some of my brothers in the men’s group started this ministry way back in 2011. We see many faces that we have seen before. We don’t ask why they are there, much less why they are back, but they understand that they have more work to do. As I said, some guys go through jail multiple times to find a better path. Some never do. But some do! I have been approached in my local grocery store by an employee who said to me, “Do you remember me? I remember you from the God Mod in DCCC and want you to know that you guys have helped me find God and find my way in life.” THAT is why we do this. If you would like to learn more about Good News Global Prison Ministry, check them out here.

If either of these charities’ stories touches your heart, please feel free to click that “donate” button on their websites. They are each doing great, great work to make this world a better place. If you do decide to donate to Good News Global Prison Ministry, please designate it to “Omaha/Council Bluffs” so it can be used directly to benefit our ministry. 

And remember, God loves a cheerful giver.

Dave Reeble, Founder and President