Marty Smith, Executive Director

We are excited to announce that Tim Sully, former Development Director at Siena Francis House, has just become our new Development Director! His experience campaigning on behalf of those most in need is a perfect fit for us. Please welcome Tim and make time to connect with him. His email address is development@svdpomaha.com.

We have been chosen to be featured in the upcoming

Open Omaha event. Join us on Saturday August 6th and Sunday August 7th from 10-5 each day to tour our lovely building at Holy Family Community Center!

Can you help us with a garden or pantry clean up? We are looking for a number of volunteers to help with basic clean up, organization, and weeding at our 2101 Leavenworth location before July 12th. Please apply below. Thank you!

You can read the Archbishop’s full statement here.

"Founded in Paris in 1833, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a worldwide community of more than 800,000 lay Catholics, known as Vincentians, who join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to neighbors in need."

Barbara has been homeless since early June, sleeping in a churchyard near our Leavenworth Street Pantry. Having a prosthetic leg – a result of being backed over by a semi-truck – Barbara is wheelchair-dependent. Barbara recently showed up at our pantry, asking if St. Vincent de Paul had a functioning wheelchair; her very old, rickety chair had lost much of its tread and the brakes were nearly non-functional. As the Society didn’t have any wheelchairs in stock, Pantry Manager, Gillian Cromwell, sprang into action. Although she was unable to track down a wheelchair through local non-profit connections and resources, Gillian eventually found a nearly-new one for sale on Craigslist. The cost? $75.

Gillian contacted the husband and wife sellers – Omahans Jim and Peg Schneider (pictured) – and explained Barbara’s situation. The Schneiders immediately waved their asking price, instead donating their pristine wheelchair to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Gillian picked up the chair from the Schnieders and presented it to Barbara on Wednesday morning (the two of them are pictured together above). As she slid into this “new-to-her” chair for the first time, Barbara’s gratitude was overflowing. Trying (unsuccessfully) to hold back her tears, Barbara shared: “I’ll tell you what. Living outside, there’s not a lot of positive things going on. This chair is such a blessing to me. I am VERY grateful to St. Vincent de Paul and to Gillian and to the Schneiders. This chair means so much to me. Today, I definitely have an attitude of gratitude.”

The Omaha Ancient Order of Hibernians also

recently donated 1,000 pounds of ground beef to our Food Pantry. We can't thank you enough for this generous contribution to help feed our neighbors.

Join us as we celebrate the installation of a lovely mural by local artist Michael Giron. There will be light refreshments, a tour of the recently renovated choice pantry and the expanded pantry garden as well as the unveiling of the new garden murals. Check out our social media page for more details.

We hope you received our recent mailing inviting you to contribute to our Food Pantry directly in place of our Strawberry Brunch.

Many factors have prevented us from holding a live or online event this year, so we hope you take a minute to contribute anyway in honor of this lovely event. The pantry has faced greater demand and greater challenges and every little helps. Thank you!

The Churchyard Garden has been able to provide some fresh produce, including spinach and peas, for our sack lunches every week since May.

Look for more options all summer and other fun changes in the garden this year!

The number of neighbors in deepest need that come to our doors for a free sack lunch or emergency clothing, toiletries or blankets are consistently double what they used to be. Costs are also rising and supply is harder to come by.

If you are able to help us feed and clothe them, they are so grateful for every bit of help and so are we!

You're invited to the next tbd Dance Collective’s monthly Dance Club, Saturday, July 30th in the Chapel. “This high energy class is for anyone interested in moving their bodies together. This is not a technique class, or a class to be taken too seriously - it is meant to be fun, and a way for people to move together in a judgement free atmosphere. The style of movement and technique typically lives somewhere between modern and contemporary dance.”

The next in our Third Thursdays Concert Series is scheduled for July 21, 7-8 p.m. and will feature Blind Date, playing eclectic covers from the 50’s, 60’s and 70's you'll rarely hear other bands play, including Rock, Soft Rock, Retro, Psychedelia and even a bit of Country. Bring your dancing shoes! As always, the concert, sponsored by Dundee Bank, the Omaha Musicians Association and the Music Performance Trust Fund, is free and open to the public.

Omaha Under the Radar will present its 9th annual festival from July 20-23 at venues throughout Omaha, including a Saturday morning event at Holy Family Community Center. The event will feature dancer and choreographer Nathan Brumbaugh performing new contemporary movement work, dancers Gayle Rocz and Annie Schenzel performing new work with music by Nick Holden, and the world premiere of FLOWERS by Nevada Jones and Kevin Lawler performed by pianist Reese Pike and vocalists from the UNO Music Department.

We are pleased to welcome Dry Spokes to our Chapel. Mi-Ya and Leah’s new local company provide alcohol-free drinks and a pop-up bottle shop. What a great fit they are for us at Holy Family!