Foundations stepping up to partner with SVdP
Last month we told you about the
Ryan Family Foundation
sending us an amazing donation to help neighbors with financial emergencies. We have been able to help over 100 more families thus far than we could have otherwise. And we can help still more. We recently received a wonderful donation from the
Backer Family Foundation
that went directly to our Back 2 School Basics program that we do every year in conjunction with Goodfellows Foundation, helping over 2,500 kids with gift cards to Target to get ready for school.
Because we were able to develop a reporting system for the Ryan Foundation, we were well positioned to request funds from the
State of Nebraska Coronavirus Relief Fund
. We have just been awarded $1,000,000 to help people affected by Covid-19. We would not have thought to apply had we not completed the development of our enhanced reporting system. It amazes me how perfectly suited we are to offer help at such a scale and how God prepared us with the beautiful loaves and fishes offered first by the Ryan Family Foundation!
Executive Director, Marty Smith
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This new feature will help you get to know our staff, board, volunteers, and partners.
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Chris Cady-Jones,
Assistant Director
Chris started at the Society in October. She came in to help manage a new donor software which has led to her role as Assistant Director. She is involved with donor relations, human resources, and financial reporting. Chris has worked in nonprofits her whole career with the last 10 running a fall-prevention program for older adults. She lives in central Omaha with her husband and two daughters and has two grown twin stepsons who live nearby. She loves traveling, cooking family dinners and spending time with family and friends outside (now more than ever). Chris says she feels blessed to be at SVdP and is regularly inspired by how Vincentians live their life working to make the world a better place. She knew little about SVdP before joining the staff, and now tells everyone she knows what an amazing organization it is!
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Back 2 School Basics 2020
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Each year, we partner with Omaha World Herald Goodfellows and Target to offer families in need vouchers to purchase new socks and underwear for their school age children. This year Our Back 2 School Basics program saw more than double the applicants we anticipated - nearly 2000 families in a few days! Please consider
donating today
so we can offer more kids Target vouchers for new socks and underwear!
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Each year St. Peter's Conference hosts a coat giveaway event. This year, we need a very large venue for the annual coat giveaway in order to keep enough safe distance and control the flow of traffic. We anticipate a greater need than ever for the coats we offer.
We will also need groups to host coat drives beforehand.
Please contact us if you can help.
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We can't thank our volunteers enough! You are the
heart and soul of our organization!
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The number of pantry visitors continues to increase while food donations are decreasing. So far we have been able to keep up with the average 180 visitors each day we are open. We have even been able to offer meat in each box - at least 1500 pounds per week! We want to be able to keep up with these numbers though as they will most likely increase.
We are looking for groups to host food drives so please contact us to schedule:
office@svdpomaha.com
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Current Food Pantry Needs:
rice, beans, staples
Drop off Monday or Wednesday between 8:00 - 11:00 am
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PANTRY DRIVE-THROUGH OPEN
2101 Leavenworth Street
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS 9:00 - 12:30
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Donations
Donations of items to our stores are up and have stayed up even with other thrift stores re-opening.
Thank you Omaha for all of your support!
It is because of you that we have remained open and able to help anyone who comes to us with a need.
Volunteers
Our volunteer groups have shrunk so we would love to find more helpers. We can offer you many options for safe tasks.
Now Hiring!
Manager and other positions at the Northwest store. Please contact to
gm@svdpomaha.com
apply.
We could REALLY use new AC units at the Leavenworth store! Please
reach out
if you can help!
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The stores are looking great - come check them out!
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SVdP Thrift Stores
Northwest Store: 5505 N. 90th St | Mon-Sat 9a-8p, Sun 12-5p | 402-502-7837
Downtown Store: 2101 Leavenworth S+t | Mon-Sat: 9a-6p | 402-341-4942
Papillion Store: 807 Tara Pl | Mon-Sat 9a-6p | 402-593-4055
South Omaha Store: 5037 S. 24th St | Mon-Sat 9a-6p | 402-733-3500
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HOME VISITS (AND SO MUCH MORE!)
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Union Pacific Grant
As part of Union Pacific Rail Road’s Community Ties Giving Program, Local Grants are awarded to various 501(c)(3) organizations in UP’s locale whose direct services are focused on safety and at-risk populations. Currently, organizations working to ameliorate COVID-19 are given priority.
St. Vincent de Paul volunteers Tom and Sue Lamczyk have written a grant and received $3500 from the Union Pacific Foundation to purchase cleaning supplies for the Evans Towers Apartments, a 125 unit, low-income apartment complex in North Omaha. The complex houses primarily minorities, which are the hardest hit population by COVID-19.
Tom and Sue Lamczyk and Diane Mead have been working tirelessly to purchase over 2,000 pieces of cleaning items: disinfectants, hand sanitizers, laundry soap, mops, brooms, buckets and more from area stores to distribute to the residents of Evans Towers. With the assistance of many volunteers, these items will be given to the residents in a safe manner at the end of this summer.
Can you help?
We need volunteers for sorting, bagging, and distributing these care baskets. If you are healthy and strong your assistance would be greatly appreciated!
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Thank you so much
Sue and Tom - for ALL you do!
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(Yes there IS a) Free Lunch
The Sack Lunch Program is also seeing an increase in numbers, especially out on the street where our vans deliver lunches into the east Omaha community.
We were able to purchase new refrigeration and are now offering fresh produce in the form of carrots, cherry tomatoes and oranges in the lunches when we can.
Thank you to those who made this possible!
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To all those who have stepped up to keep our clothing giveaway program going. Formerly called The Door Ministry, we are changing the name to The Closet Door. Open two mornings per week; we hand out free clothing, including new socks and underwear, to anyone who asks. We offer toiletry items as well when available. Stay tuned for new ways to support this mission!
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Listen & Learn Lunch Series
We are in production on a new series of storytelling videos that we will offer online until we can invite folks in to tell and listen in the Chapel. The first Listen & Learn Lunch series will offer voices from St. Benedict the Moor parish, which has just rejoined the Society.
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The Churchyard is definitely growing!
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We are always in need of volunteers to make sandwiches, hand lunches and clothing out safely at the door, drive vans to distribute food in the community, and more. Please contact us if you can help:
volunteers@svdpomaha.com
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As we work to transform the Holy Family Church building into the Holy Family Community Center, we are limited in what we can do, but not in what we can dream.
We have an informational presentation
available on our website
about Holy Family, its history, transition, and visions for the future. Please check it out here, share the link widely and consider how you may want to
get involved today.
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a network of friends, inspired by Gospel values, growing in holiness and building a more just world through personal relationships with and service to people in need.
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Please consider the Society and Holy Family in your
estate and other planned giving.
Your support is greatly appreciated!
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If you or someone you know is in need of assistance:
Helpline: 402-346-5445
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