Hands of Heartland continues expansion, cuts ribbon on second Kearney location

KEARNEY, Neb. — A Nebraska business that serves intellectually disabled people is expanding its offerings in Central Nebraska.

Hands of Heartland celebrated the ribbon cutting for its second Kearney location at 5609 1st Ave. Ste. B on Wednesday. The business’s full offerings include residential services, 24-hour care, shared living homes, in-home support and job coaching. The focus at the new location is day services for adults 21 and over. Area Director Nicole Van Pool says that includes teaching job skills and life skills.

“Our goal is to meet people where they’re at and have a person-centered approach, helping them to find jobs if that’s what they’re looking for, helping them to find places where they want to live where they’re happy, where they’re meeting their full potential,” Van Pool said.

The new space is part of Hands of Heartland’s rapid expansion in the area. It opened an office in Grand Island in 2020 and McCook earlier this year. The first Kearney location, next to Suwanee Thai Restaurant, opened about a year ago and served eight people. The new space is four-times larger and serves 26-28 people. The first location will now be used for school-age kids.