By: Samira Zarazua
OMAHA, Neb. — Residents of Omaha, like many other cities, have seen a decrease in face-to-face interaction outside of large events. Over the past few years, certain aspects like your current lifestyle, technology use, and spending habits are huge factors in how often you meet with a human being to say more than, “hello.” Different organizations in the Omaha Metropolitan area have noticed this trend, and some groups, like the Blue Bench Crew, have made it their goal to get strangers connected.
The Blue Bench Crew, having been established over a year ago, has grown a significant amount since the start of their public events. Their story started with an old blue park bench that was shared amongst a group of friends where many ideas about the future would spark. Inspired by the Bible verse Luke 18:17, Blue Bench Crew strives to create events where adults can feel like a kid again.
From popular events like their lemonade stand where you can pay with a dare, to an interactive fashion show based on the popular Roblox game, Dress to Impress, the Blue Bench Crew has gained a lot of popularity, especially on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Blue Bench Crew’s Co-Founders and CEO Fredy Kadjognanbi and Carnell Aflagah, when speaking of Blue Bench Crew’s mission statement, mention how good it feels to be a part of something that can bring people together.
“You might not know this person existed but then you become friends, you become lifelong friends.” (Aflagah, 2026).
While their events have been popular, their reoccurring events like the Walk & Talks have played a large role in connecting strangers with a mundane activity turned conversational. Through research, it is said that there are psychological and physical health benefits of creating social contact that could boost life expectancy (UC Berkeley). While it could be easy to do in theory, in practice there are a lot of barriers like grueling work schedules and isolation from constant technology use. With the consistency of Walk & Talks, Omaha residents find more motivation to attend due to its convenience and accessibility. During one of the walks, McKenna Montgomery, a Blue Bench Crew member, mentioned how she connected with strangers and learned about each other’s personal lives.
“This is a really great way to meet people in a social way.”
Montgomery expressed how, for introverts, this feels like exposure therapy in a way.
As Blue Bench Crew prepares for their next big event, Cakes & Blankets, Kadjognanbi and Aflagah hope to see more people in the Omaha community come together to form connections that feel long overdue.
