Parents of the Year - 2000

Rev. Don and Ann Coleman - Lincoln, Nebraska
with Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) center

The personal family history of Reverends Don and Ann Coleman would be sufficient to merit recognition as outstanding parents: Married for 42 years, the couple has given life and love to five grown children (Donna, Robin, Donald, Jr., John, and Timothy) and 17 grandchildren. Yet, by nature, the Coleman's always sought to serve and give beyond the bounds of their own family and have touched and uplifted the lives of hundreds of young people and their parents.

With professional experience that includes the military, media, and ministry, Don Coleman’s exemplary service has earned him a host of accolades including numerous badges of honor from the Army, two Gold Keys to the City of Lincoln, the United Way’s Volunteer of the Year award, and Optimist International’s Friends of Youth award. While Don has provided an example of leadership and served as a powerful role model, Ann (also an ordained minister) has offered nurturing, support and guidance to the parents and families of their community. In 1997, the Coleman's were jointly awarded the Lincoln Interfaith Council Leadership Award for "their dedication to serving the youth of the community, particularly those who are at-risk of gang affiliation and substance abuse."

In 1993, the public service of this dynamic, dedicated couple came to fruition with the launch of the Lincoln chapter of MAD DADS (Men Against Destruction – Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder). The Coleman's felt called to respond to the needs of a generation of young people who were in danger of losing or wasting their lives in violence, self-destructive activities, and purposelessness. A complement to Don’s DADS activities, Ann took on a leadership role in a companion organization MOMS (Mothers Offering Moral Support), which offers counsel, support, and practical advice for the mothers of teenagers.

The Coleman's address both the external, material needs and the internal spiritual needs of the youths they serve. As a hub of activities for their multi-dimensional outreach, Rev. Coleman launched a Learning Center in a former bike shop that had been donated for their use. Rev. Coleman wasted no time using his persuasive organizational skills to attract a bevy of volunteers from the business community to renovate the facility, providing such skills as electrical wiring, plumbing, carpentry, dry wall, painting, and basic man power.

Today, the Learning Center provides a full rage of educational, training, guidance, and recreational activity for young people including training in bicycle repair, small engine repair, basic computer skills, and both practical and value-based life skills. As a safe house in a dangerous environment and an oasis of positive activity, the Center has provided hundreds of youths each week with a productive alternative to the lures of life on the streets.

Perhaps the greatest testimony of the impact of the Coleman’s outreach lies in numbers rather than words: their DADS and MOMS efforts began in 1993 with 25 people and have, since then, elicited the support of 1,500 individuals.