Omaha Nonprofit Helps 600 Solve Transportation Barriers

Jason Hurt spent years climbing the corporate ladder as an insurance executive in New York, leading the claims department for one of the state's largest companies. Then he realized success had become his everything, leaving no room for what truly mattered.

So he climbed down.

Now, Hurt co-founded Chariots 4 Hope, an Omaha nonprofit that removes transportation barriers for people trying to build better lives. The organization's annual Feel the Freedom fundraiser happens April 23rd at Peter Fink's American Muscle Car Museum, bringing together over 600 attendees to support a simple but powerful mission: putting people in the driver's seat of their own success.

In a sprawling city like Omaha, getting to work without reliable transportation can mean the difference between keeping a job and losing it. Chariots 4 Hope bridges that gap, helping people access opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach.

Hurt's journey from corporate executive to nonprofit leader wasn't just about switching jobs. It was about rejecting the lie that career success defines your worth. Three things guided his transformation: his newfound Christian faith, his wife's unconditional support through the journey, and practical tools that helped him navigate the challenges of redefining success.

Why This Inspires

Hurt's story proves that moving down the career ladder doesn't mean moving backward in life. His book, "Climbing Down the Ladder," shares the framework that helped him trade achievement for meaning, and corporate status for community impact.

The fundraiser at the American Muscle Car Museum, home to Omaha's largest private car collection, perfectly captures the nonprofit's mission. Classic cars symbolize freedom and the open road, the same freedom Chariots 4 Hope provides to people who just need a reliable way to get where they're going.

Board member Rachel Knapp joined Hurt on KETV to spread the word about the event, which features the impressive car collection, good food, and stories of lives changed through transportation access. The evening runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with all proceeds going directly to helping more Omahans overcome transportation barriers.

People interested in attending or donating can visit chariots4hope.org, where the main page provides easy links to get involved. Sometimes the most successful people aren't the ones who climbed the highest, but the ones who found what they were truly meant to do.