Omaha, NE: How I Got Connected to My Community
One of the biggest challenges of relocating to a new city, especially as an adult, is getting ingrained in the community and making friends. Thankfully, Omaha, NE, is an easy place to get involved and make connections – just ask Julia Carillo.
Carillo is owner of the clothing, accessories and merchandise brand Soy Chingona, which creates humorous and empowering items for women in Spanish and English. She moved to Omaha from Chicago with her family when she was a junior in high school.
Julia Carrillo
*Creative Collection-Rebecca Robertson
“I was honestly devastated because I already had my whole future planned in my head, and it really upset me,” Carillo says. “But I met a friend who introduced me to the diverse events and organizations in South Omaha, and they welcomed me. And then I loved it.”
Today, in addition to running her own business, Carillo is the force behind the Midwest Chingona Fest, an annual festival held in the Omaha metro area that celebrates women and their contributions to the community and promotes their voices. The event has allowed her to collaborate with people throughout the Omaha community and foster networks of relationships, especially among women. Ahead, hear more about Carillo’s experience and how she recommends people get connected in Omaha, NE.
How did you get involved in the community and make friends when you moved here?
When I first moved to Omaha, there weren’t many organizations that I identified with, but I got involved in groups that my friends in South Omaha were a part of, like Latino Leaders. Right after high school, I went to college at the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO), and I was involved in different organizations on campus and the Lambda Theta Nu sorority, a Latina sorority.
In your 30s, it’s a little more difficult to make friends, but what helped me get out there was starting my business. I started my business online and have 40,000 followers on Instagram, but I realized I needed to grow my customer base locally, so I started doing popups.
When I joined events, I started meeting people, especially other moms who were hungry for a social life. One of the friends I made encouraged me to make my dream of having a Chingona festival a reality. I realized there were so many women who wanted to be involved in giving back to the community by helping us promote the event and helping other businesses grow. We created a volunteer group called Las Chingonas Committee and let women who wanted to volunteer help out. It became a sisterhood.
What groups, organizations or events would you recommend to newcomers looking to get connected to Omaha, NE?
Something I recommend that people do is go on social media and check out events that are going on in the community, and if there is anything that sparks your interest, just go for it. Don’t be afraid to talk to people and let them know you’re new in town.
People here are very friendly and very welcoming, and if you jump into volunteering at events, you can easily make new friends and make connections that way.
How easy is it to make friends and get connected in Omaha, NE?
In Chicago, I don’t know if it’s the density of people or the higher crime rate, but people are a little bit colder. Omaha has a small-town vibe but in a city that is beautiful. Diving into the unknown and getting out of your comfort zone is very important because if you don’t, you don’t grow. If you’re trying to make friends, you absolutely need to do that and go check out different events. I recently went to the Fort Omaha Intertribal Powwow, which celebrates Native American cultures, and it was amazing to be surrounded by a different culture and experience the diversity of our city. It was beautiful.
What volunteer opportunities are available for people looking to get connected to the Omaha, NE, area?
There’s so much to do in Omaha. We have everything a big city has but at a smaller scale, and everything is accessible. If you want to be involved in anything, you can be. It’s not oversaturated here. It’s the perfect size city for growth and networking. I was most involved in community service projects when I was at UNO, like Lambda Theta Nu, the Inter-Travel Student Council, the Multicultural Greek Council and the Association for Latino American Students. It’s just about finding the interest that you have and getting involved. There are so many different organizations that need more volunteers and members, so it’s pretty easy to just jump in and be accepted.
This article was sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.
