Nebraska Children's Home (NCH)

I have seen rough times, but none as hard as when I signed over a life. My little girl, now nine months old, lives with her adoptive parents. Thanks to the Nebraska Children’s Home, I was able to find a family I could trust to take care of my daughter, Ava. The Nebraska Children’s Home Society, a non-profit organization, is the largest statewide agency in Nebraska helping over 20,000 children in its 114 years. The Nebraska Children’s Home’s (NCH) mission is to provide safe and loving care to children of all ages. The NCH provides care in three main programs. They have a statewide Adoption Program, including services to those who are dealing with unplanned pregnancy, Foster Care and Day Care, which focuses on strengthening children’s social skills for their future success. The Nebraska Children’s Home website shows viewers exactly what they are about and what they stand for. I can vouch for it personally.

Almost all of the well-known rhetorical strategies were used when this website was made. The main strategies used were logos via division and pathos. The focal point being the series of images, surrounded by the divisions of information, was designed to bring about emotions in those who viewed it in a simple organized manner and help out the cause. The viewers who make a connection, will give money, and in turn help the lives of children.

The division of information on the site gives the user less hassle when trying to find the data he/she wants or needs. The facts are then classified into certain sections, but when all of the knowledge is put together, it fits into the larger scheme of what the Nebraska Children’s Home Society really is, a home dedicated to children all over Nebraska. The square segments, yet simple, are efficient and are split up into the NCH news, press room, how we can help and how you can help. The division is effective due to its simplicity. The simpler and more organized a site is the more convenient it becomes for the viewer.

The layout in itself uses a lot of smaller plain text and bright colors. When someone visits this site, the NCH knows that this person is looking in the best interest of their child or children and have a big decision to make. When a person has such a decision, that person has a lot rushing through their mind and want simple, understandable answers to their questions. I know I did. The two main colors, black and white, compare and contrast. These two colors make it easy to read and make the site more convenient for viewers. The segmentation of the NCH site enhances the focal point, which in turn, utilizes pathos. Using pathos attracts people and connects them to the cause, consequently making money to help the children of Nebraska. Pathos is generally used when a corporation is trying to raise money because people are more likely to give money freely when they believe their money is going to help a good cause and feel connected to the cause in some way, shape or form.

The character/setting of the layout is altogether simple. The series of images featured in their website, the key division, shows those people who need and use the services of NCH. The images all feature children and are the basis for what the NCH is all about. The first image is of a young African American woman staring off into the distance. She is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and doesn’t know where to turn. She represents all of those teenagers who have and will experience an unplanned pregnancy, a growing concept today; giving the site an everyday historical context. The second picture is a young girl playing with toys looking up at what is assumed to be a caregiver. The last images show a picture of foster parents, a young boy holding on to his adoptive parents, people who have waited a long time for a child to call their own and a picture of a young girl who has found her biological family. The illustrations show what the NCH does and draws the audience’s eyes to watch it. Cause and Effect is also portrayed in the series of images. It shows how the organization makes a difference in children’s lives from what they were before.

The up close and personal shots done by the photographer generates pathos within viewers. The close up shots let the audience feel like they are there and the viewer assumes the point of view of the person that is in the image.

The first picture of the little boy who is holding on to his parents’ hands is a close up shot to emphasize the unity of the hands. There is a fluid connection that flows from the mother to her son and then to the father. Close up images allow the viewer to see expressions and analyze them more carefully. There is an intimate connection made between the audience and the cause by producing a driving force or specific feeling of hope for children through these close up images that allow the audience to really see how these people feel. The language shown on every slide of the series of images is simple and to the point. Every picture has text that directly corresponds with the images such as, pregnancy, adoption, and searching, all show the services available at the NCH and provide emphasis for them. The relationship between the words and the images creates an analogy or association. Separately the images and the words have no real meaning or significance but together they make a powerful statement. Everyone can relate to struggles in life and know the pain that the individuals in the series of images are going through; this process is called empathy. They know what it is like and having that knowledge makes them want to reach out. Together the language and images bring about the emotion of sorrow for children who are in need but of hope for the cause of the NCH who will help the children.

When glancing at the website, the viewer feels a sense of needing to help. There is so much pathos used that the viewer feels obligated. This creates a logical fallacy or slippery slope. The viewer gets the feeling that if s/he does not help the Nebraska Children’s Home then children will suffer, and never lead as good a life. However, if the viewer does donate money or help in some way, then children will have a home and in the long run, save a life.

The NCH website demonstrates that they, as a team, are committed to helping children. Their site is designed to raise money for those who need its services. The overall simple layout combined with the strategic placing of pathos and logos in the images brings about a connection between the viewer and the cause allowing this change to occur. All of the strategies used create perfect harmony and a powerful sense of purpose and hope for children all over Nebraska. When searching for the perfect place to start my search for options as a pregnant teen, I knew right away that the Nebraska Children’s Home was the place for me. I see Ava every month and am lucky that I had NCH there for me every step of the way.