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Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha
April 2025 Newsletter
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Supporting our neighbors in need through spirituality, friendship and service
Providing emergency food, clothing, material and financial / homeless prevention assistance, since 1868
| | | FOOD PANTRY | PARISH CONFERENCE OUTREACH | HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION FOOD/CLOTHING FOR THE HOMELESS | DISASTER RECOVERY | THRIFT STORES | | |
IN THIS ISSUE:
- A message from our Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa
- Thank You to Archbishop Lucas
- SSVP Volunteer Spotlight – Bill & Kathy Gast
- Closet Door Needs
- Save the Date for the Nebraska Catholic Day of Giving
- Strawberry Brunch – Make your Donation to our Food Pantry!
- Thrift Store Volunteer - Debbie Citta
- Ice Machine - Up and Running!
- Become a Garden Angel!
- Shop Easter at SSVP Omaha Thrift Stores!
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A Message from our Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa
“Lent is a time for believing, for welcoming God into our lives and allowing Him to 'make His dwelling' among us."
-Pope Francis
| | Dear Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha Friends, | | |
As you may know, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha’s District offices are located in the former Holy Family Catholic Church at 1715 Izard Street. In 2020, at the Archdiocese of Omaha’s request, the Society officially assumed responsibility for providing the outreach ministries that Holy Family had offered for many decades prior to closing as a parish. Most visible among these ministries include feeding and clothing the many hundreds of homeless men and women (and sometimes children) who seek assistance at Holy Family.
When I arrive to work each day, I am often greeted by more than a few of these homeless neighbors who just want to say hello and ask me how I’m doing …. or to tell me how their day is going. I love interacting with these really great people, many of whom have fallen into homelessness relatively recently, others who have been unhoused for a year or two, while still others have been experiencing homelessness for even longer. Greeting them by name and chatting with them is the highlight of every day. Serving them and providing for their most basic needs is extremely fulfilling, not only for myself and my staff, but also – and, perhaps most especially – for our volunteers who make sure these homeless neighbors have something to eat and clothes to wear, along with whatever personal care items they might need to help them navigate their day. Each of the many dozens of SSVP volunteers serves these struggling people with the warmth and compassion they deserve, having been made in the image and likeness of their Creator, God.
Why is this important?
When Jesus served the poor and struggling outcasts in first-century Galilee, He did not merely provide for people’s needs; He walked with them, touched them, and called them by name. When we follow His example, 2,000+ years later, our presence becomes an extension of His very love, and in that sacred space, both the giver and the receiver are changed.
When we serve others, we are reminded of our shared humanity. We all have needs, struggles, and moments of weakness. This recognition fosters humility and gratitude, allowing us to approach our service with a spirit of solidarity rather than superiority. We are not saviors; we are fellow travelers on the journey of life, called to support one another in love.
Pope Francis often speaks about the “culture of encounter,” urging us to go beyond superficial aid and truly know and love the poor. He reminds us that “the Gospel of the marginalized is where our credibility is found and revealed.” This means stepping into the spaces of suffering with humility, not merely as benefactors but as fellow human beings created in God’s image.
Christ shared meals, the sort of intimate gathering one reserves for friends, with the poor and outcasts of His time, not because they were somehow “deserving” but because they were the ones most in need. In a similar way, we must always remember that we are dealing with individuals and families who may be desperate and at a point in their lives when a convergence of problems weighs them down. These are precisely the people whom the Society is called on to serve by bringing them support and hope. We carry this friendship, understanding, and compassion for these neighbors in our hearts, in our actions, and in our words.
On this 30th day of Lent, I invite you to take a moment to remember and say a prayer for those in our own community who are at the margins and who are struggling. Whether they are homeless or simply need a helping hand up – perhaps a visit to our Food Pantry or a voucher to buy clothes for their kids at one of our thrift stores – these are the families and individuals that the Society serves. Each one of them truly is the face of Christ, as each has been made in His image and deserving of His (and our) love.
I also encourage you to reflect on the impact of your giving. Every meal provided, every family supported, every life uplifted is a direct result of your compassion and kindness. Your commitment to our mission brings light to those facing hardship and despair. As you continue your Lenten journey, may you find peace in knowing that your gifts make a difference. May this season strengthen your faith, deepen your relationship with God, and inspire even greater acts of love.
Thank you for being a beacon of hope to those we serve. May God bless you this Lent and always.
In His Name,
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Jill Lynch-Sosa
Executive Director
P.S. As the Lenten Season is coming to an end, I would ask you to please consider making a generous financial contribution to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha today. Donations to the Society are significantly down this fiscal year. I cannot overstate how meaningful your support is to the struggling families and individuals from right here in Omaha, who we serve.
You can donate securely online at SSVPOmaha.org or send a check to the Society at 1715 Izard Street, Omaha, NE 68102. Frankly, we cannot provide our critical assistance to families in need without the support we receive from caring and compassionate friends of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, like you. Thank you!
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha would like to thank Archbishop George Lucas, who is stepping down from his position following his 75th birthday, as required by Church law. In his nearly 16 years of pastorally guiding the Archdiocese of Omaha, Archbishop Lucas has been a true friend of the Society, and we are grateful for the many ways he has been involved with our service to Omaha's poor.
Archbishop Lucas very much enjoyed visiting the Society's Holy Family Center and was known for the generous time he would spend in conversation with the many homeless men and women who wished to chat with him. On this note, Archbishop Lucas was just here this past December, accompanying deacons from the Archdiocese, as the group volunteered to serve Christmas dinner to those experiencing homelessness (photo, above, courtesy of the Catholic Voice).
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Archbishop Lucas is also pictured, offering an outdoor blessing on the many homeless and SSVP Omaha volunteers and staff who had gathered together to celebrate St. Vincent de Paul's feast day a couple of years ago. Not surprisingly, following this blessing, Archbishop Lucas did not leave our Holy Family Center’s grounds for quite some time, and only after he had had a chance to spend time with each of the homeless men and women who were waiting to speak with him.
We wish Archbishop Lucas the very best as he moves on to the next chapter of his Apostolic life.
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Kathy and Bill Gast feel blessed to be able to serve the homeless men and women who request assistance at St. Vincent de Paul Omaha’s Holy Family Center. Here at the Society’s District office at 1715 Izard Street, Kathy is a dedicated volunteer with our Closet Door Clothing Program and Bill is a mainstay volunteer with our Sack Lunch Program which serves hundreds of our homeless neighbors each weekday. Bill was an attorney here in Omaha, while Kathy had a career in nursing. Both retired a few years ago and have been volunteering with our homeless ministries since 2021.
“What makes this place and service so special and rewarding,” shares Kathy, “is the opportunity to listen and get to know the people we serve. They might come here to get clothes, shoes, coats, or maybe soap and a toothbrush, but they often share what is going on in their lives. So many come to us suffering from physical or mental illnesses. Many are depressed. We’ve seen people who are frostbitten and they’re really struggling. We try to meet their needs as best we can and make sure that the neighbors who visit us feel that they are being treated with dignity and respect.
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Bill has a similar perspective regarding the hungry and homeless who request a sack lunch. “I’m a people-person, and so is Kathy,” shares Bill, “and I make it a point to chat with each of the neighbors while filling their lunch bag. Kathy and I talk about these nice people, the neighbors, and the relationships we’ve developed. I love getting to know them, and I consider them my friends. I call them by name when possible, and if I don’t know a name, I’ll ask. It is a great feeling to help put smiles on the faces of people who may not have a lot of reasons to smile. And a few of these neighbors even know a little bit about me. This past September 6th, I was handing out lunches when one of the ladies wished me ‘happy anniversary.’ A year prior, she had heard me confess that I had been in trouble at home for forgetting it the day before.”
Both Kathy and Bill are quick to point out that they don’t consider themselves as special. But rather only two proud members of the Holy Family community of volunteers.
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Kathy volunteers on Thursday mornings at the Closet Door, although she’s always open to filling an additional shift if another volunteer is sick or out of town. “We all (Closet Door volunteers) get along so well,” states Kathy. I certainly don’t mind coming down to St. Vincent de Paul to help out, if needed, so it’s not unusual for me to be there a couple days a week. And, I especially enjoy volunteering when someone needs some nicer clothes for a job interview or who’s about to start a new job. We go to great lengths to make sure that, when those folks leave the Closet Door, they not only LOOK great in their new-to-them clothes, but they also FEEL great and are ready to start a new chapter in their lives.”
Though Bill started volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul Omaha a few months after Kathy, he now seems to be around the Sack Lunch area nearly every weekday. “Oh, I just love it,” smiles Bill. “I’m only scheduled to be here three days each week, although I’ll drop in on days where there are `holes in the schedule.’ A while back, I also offered to help coordinate the Sack Lunch schedule, which I now do every week, so I’ve really gotten to know all of the Sack Lunch volunteers. Over time, our Sack Lunch team members have become good friends, which makes volunteering with them an absolutely joyful experience.”
Both Kathy and Bill talk about how blessed they each feel to be able to share themselves in their ministries here at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “I’m a member of the Social Justice Committee at Sacred Heart Parish, and have worked with refugees and on the Neighborhood Alliance Team. When I heard about this ministry of serving the homeless, it seemed like a perfect `fit’ for me. This is a very real and tangible way of putting my faith into action. I’m so grateful for this unique, holy way to serve others.”
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Bill adds, “I love the volunteers I work with. It’s a great group of people who share this common goal of feeding people who are struggling while honoring their dignity as human beings and who are made in God’s image. It’s a real blessing to be just one of these beautiful people. In fact, on an average day handing out lunches, I’ll hear ‘God Bless You’ 20-25 times. So, by the time I’ve handed out all of the lunches, I definitely feel blessed!”
Kathy sums up her and Bill’s experience volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul – including the blessings they receive – with this beautiful story: “Not long ago, a rather reserved, soft-spoken man stopped by the Closet Door and asked us for a few items of clothing, which we provided to him. He then asked for a Rosary. Thanks to the Rosary-making club at St. Columbkille, we had some on hand, and we gave one to him. At that moment, he quietly raised both of his arms high into the air and asked for God’s blessing to settle upon our little group of volunteers. We bowed our heads and reverently accepted the heartfelt blessing offered by this homeless man. THAT was a sacred moment and one that I will NEVER forget."
Kathy concludes her reflection, sharing: “Someone I know once described this ministry as `Beautiful Holy Love.’ That truly resonates with me. That’s why Bill and I love serving at St. Vincent de Paul & Holy Family and making friends with all these people; the neighbors who live nearby in tents, in cars, in sleeping bags, on plastic mats, or in a shelter, and the wonderful volunteers and St. Vincent de Paul staff with whom we work. This place truly is Holy Ground.”
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As you know, the Closet Door is an essential program here at our Holy Family Center where we offer free clothing, blankets, and personal care items to our homeless neighbors. In our supplies, there are some items that we never seem to have enough of, and which we would like to ask if you would consider donating them to the Closet Door. They are:
- Hoodies/Sweatshirts for men and women
- Men’s small and medium jeans
- Spring-type jackets for men
- Men’s shoes/tennis shoes
Donations to our Closet Door can be made between 9 am and 4 pm, Mondays through Fridays, here at our Holy Family Center, located at 1715 Izard Street. Your donations will go DIRECTLY to serving the poorest of our Omaha neighbors. Thank you!
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Please join SSVP Omaha as we participate in the second annual Nebraska Catholic Day of Giving on Wednesday, May 7th!
This day of giving - created through the combined efforts of the Archdiocese of Omaha and the Dioceses of Lincoln and Grand Island - will be a wonderful opportunity to support Catholic organizations - like the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha - in serving our community's poor and struggling neighbors in need.
For more information about the Nebraska Catholic Day of Giving, check out the official website HERE. Stay tuned for more information regarding this wonderful day of giving!
| | On Saturday, June 14th, from 10 AM-1 PM, we will be hosting the 16th annual Strawberry Brunch at St. Wenceslaus! As a reminder, this brunch and its various events, like the raffle & silent auction, all serve as fundraisers for our SSVP Omaha Food Pantry - providing food for our poorest neighbors in the Omaha community. | | |
If you are unable to attend this event but would still like to support the brunch and its mission, please consider donating directly to our pantry! As you might expect, milk is one of the most popular items at the pantry and is one of our largest expenses. For your information, a donation of $385 will provide all the families we serve with milk for one week. You can make your pantry donation online HERE.
Whether you attend the brunch, donate to our pantry, or volunteer your time for the event, we would like to thank you for supporting this year's Strawberry Brunch. Speaking of volunteering, stay tuned, as volunteer opportunities for children and adults related to the Strawberry Brunch will be available soon!
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Debbie Citta began volunteering for our Papillion SSVP Omaha thrift store in 2020, and during her five years of service, she has helped, in her part, make the store what it is today.
Despite limited use of her left side as the result of a car accident at just 3 years old, Debbie has always been a committed volunteer at a number of organizations across the midwest. Since living in Omaha, Debbie has volunteered at the Henry Doorly Zoo, St. Columbkille's daycare, and their afterschool CCD program, before beginning her work at our SSVP store!
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At SSVP, Debbie comes in multiple times a week to help sort the books we receive. While many thrift stores have little to no organization of their books, Debbie has taken special care to organize books by genre and even sorting by author, making finding your new favorite read as easy as possible. Because Debbie, along with a few other volunteers, pay such close attention to the books the store receives, she has been able to build connections with repeat customers and shows them new books when they come in that she knows they will enjoy! Overall, this is what Debbie enjoys most about her time at our SSVP thrift store - getting to make connections with all of the people she meets.
We are so grateful to have such a motivated and dedicated volunteer like Debbie at our organization, and we cannot thank Debbie enough for the hard work she has provided the Society over the last 5 years.
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What is one thing our homeless neighbors request (that you may not have ever thought about)?
Ice!
Here at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s Holy Family Center, we recently installed an ice maker, thanks to a very nice friend of and donor to the Society. Just in time for the upcoming warmer Nebraska months ahead, we now are able to provide bags of ice to our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
The Society’s Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa, was one of the first to test out the ice machine, and we are very happy to report that it functions perfectly!
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It's officially Spring! And with the change in season, it is almost time for our Pantry Garden to open again! As you may know, our garden is attached to our SSVP Omaha food pantry at 2101 Leavenworth Street. Through the dedicated work of our garden volunteers, our "Garden Angels," this program provides an average of over 1,300 pounds of produce for our neighbors in need at our pantry each year. But our pantry garden needs your help! We will need plenty of volunteers as we prepare the beds for planting this month. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, we would love it if YOU would consider becoming a "Garden Angel!"
The Pantry Garden is operational beginning mid-April, with the garden closing down in mid-October. In between, our Garden Angel volunteers plant, water, remove weeds, and harvest the vegetables that are then given away in our adjacent food pantry. Volunteer shifts are Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 8:30am to never later than 11am. So, if you would like to become one of this year's "Garden Angels," please contact Pat Slaven at mpslaven035@gmail.com. Pat can answer any questions you may have.
| | | | Happy Easter from the SSVP Omaha Thrift Stores! | |
Now is the perfect time to check out our SSVP Omaha thrift stores! At all of our stores, you can find a great selection of Easter decorations to spruce up your home this holiday!
And remember, by shopping at SSVP Omaha thrift stores, you help support all of our programs serving those in need. Our stores rely on the generosity of our donors and shoppers, and we are so thankful for everyone who supports our stores in any way they can.
| | SSVP OMAHA THRIFT STORE LOCATIONS: | | |
12301 West Center Road
Mon-Sat, 10 AM-8 PM
Sun, 12 PM-5 PM
(402) 933-8242
Donation Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 AM-4 PM, Sun 12 PM-4 PM
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2101 Leavenworth Street
Mon-Sat, 9:30 AM-5:30 PM
(402) 341-1689
Donation Hours: Mon-Fri, 9:30 AM-3 PM
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5505 N. 90th Street
Mon-Fri, 10 AM-6 PM
Sat, 10 AM-4 PM
(402) 502-7837
Donation Hours: Mon-Fri, 10 AM-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-3 PM
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807 Tara Plaza
Mon-Sat, 9 AM-6 PM
(402) 593-4055
Donation Hours: Mon-Sat, 10 AM-4:30 PM
| | Want more information on the Society's Thrift Stores? Just click HERE! | | Follow us on social media to keep up-to-date with the latest SSVP Omaha stories, news, and events! | | | | |
