‘Lifting others up’: Lincoln men’s group healing through community service

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – One Lincoln men’s group is focused on becoming better men so they can serve their community more effectively.

The group is called ‘The Gathering of Uncommon Men,” and meet at the Lincoln Indian center to talk about past traumas and organize community outreach events.

Founders Ron Sun Bear and Tony Laravie came up with the idea for the group because they wanted a safe place to heal themselves.

“We’re a pretty close-knit group of guys, and a lot of the time we’re just discussing topics that men just can’t discuss around other people,” said Sun Bear.

They’re also challenging misconceptions about Native American culture.

“I think historically, Native American men have been dealing with a lot of trauma. We wanted to rebuild the identity of men through lifting others up,” he said.

“We care about lowering violence in the community, we care about supporting other nonprofits, and we also want to show the youth that there are men out there who care,” added Sun Bear.

The group only started about a year ago and has already had many events.

Most recently, they spearheaded an annual clothing drive.

“The clothing drive is very important to all families. There are a lot of people who are just struggling with bills, and financially,” said Sun Bear.

“It’s important to support them so that they can know that they have clothing for their children, their teenagers, and things like that, so that they can be better parents,” he said.

After finding much success with their collection of winter items like boots, hoodies, jackets, and blankets, the group is extending the month-long drive to a month and a half.

Items can be dropped off at the Indian Center until Jan. 31.

For those interested in learning more about the group, information is available on the Indian Center website.

Wathina Porter, the executive director of the Indian Center, says the men’s group is always there to help them.

“They’re always there to help us when we need them. We only have about five employees, two remotely, so seven altogether, and the men’s group has really supported us in areas that we don’t have that support.”