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Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha
December 2023 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
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- Message from our Executive Director
- Vincentian Spotlight
- Financially Supporting SSVP Omaha By December 31st
- Thrift Stores Christmas/December Sales
- Stuff the Truck Food & Toy Collection – December 7th
- Closet Door Needs
- Giving Tuesday Results
- Winter Coat & Accessories Drive and Giveaway Wrap-Up
- Pettit’s Pastry’s Helpful Donation
- KIOS/Spirit Catholic Radio’s “Warm Up Winter”
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Message from our Executive Director, Jill Lynch-Sosa
"The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor."
-Proverbs, Chapter 22, Verse 9
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Dear SSVP Friends,
What an amazing thing it is – the fact that there are people in our community who financially support the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha, even though they may never meet the poor families and individuals whose lives are bettered because of their support.
In chapter 2 of the Gospel of Matthew, the author describes visitors from the East who had followed a star to the place where Jesus was born, and presented gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These “wise men” had the privilege of seeing the face of Jesus, and they knew exactly who was going to receive their gifts.
During this past year with SSVP Omaha, I also have had the distinct privilege of meeting many of the people we serve – those who were experiencing a terrible financial crisis, or who have fallen into homelessness – and whose lives have been improved because of the gifts of others…because of the support from people like you!
Unlike the three wise kings of the Gospel, though, the vast majority of our donors may never see the families and individuals that their donations help. Yet, these caring supporters share our mission of serving those in our Omaha community who are struggling, financially, and they want to do something about it. This “something” is making a financial contribution to the Society, knowing that, as good stewards of donated funds, our organization will ensure that they are prudently, wisely used to support our programs which assist the poor of our community.
So, on behalf of the thousands of Omaha families and individuals that the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha assists each year, thank you for your support at this time. And, even though you may not ever meet – nor perhaps even see – the people whose lives are made better because of your financial contributions, I truly mean it when I ask God to bless you this Christmas season, and beyond.
Gratefully,
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Jill Lynch-Sosa
Executive Director
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VINCENTIAN SPOTLIGHT
PAUL YSUSIS
When Paul Ysusi decided to become involved with St. Mary’s Catholic Church’s St. Vincent de Paul Conference – he was “all in." As President of St. Mary’s SSVP Conference since 2019, being fully committed to what he believes in is nothing new for Paul.
As background…. a lifelong Catholic, Paul’s faith has guided him through his 20+ years in the Air Force, and throughout his 26-year career as Custodial Supervisor for the Bellevue Public Schools. Originally from Independence, Kansas, Paul attended public elementary school, before transferring to Catholic school. As a youth, Paul was a server for mass and funerals and, at one time, thought of becoming a priest. In that light, Paul prayed and connected with the Diocese’s Vocational Director, although ultimately he did not enter the Catholic seminary. “I guess the Lord had other plans," states Paul.
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A year after graduating from high school, Paul enlisted in the Air Force, specializing in Engineering. Paul met his now wife, Wilda, who was also in the Air Force, marrying after dating for only 45 days. Both of their sons were born while the Ysusis were in military service. During his 22 years in the Air Force, Paul spent time in various countries in Europe, South Korea, Egypt, and stateside, including Biloxi, Mississippi, and ultimately, Bellevue, Nebraska, where he was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base in 1989. It was shortly after that when Paul and Wilda became parishioners at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
In 2007, Paul’s father passed away, which truly shook Paul’s foundation, and challenged his faith life. Paul shares: “After his death, I felt a void inside me and I knew then that I needed to find my faith. I went through the motions of praying and going to church, but I kept our Lord at a distance. My father’s death caused me to start looking at myself and asking a number of questions on who I was, what is my purpose here, and most of all - could my Catholic faith help me find what was missing in my life. I began to pray asking God to help me find my purpose.”
In his search for meaning and purpose in his life, Paul spent much of his free time and energy being involved in the life of the church, becoming a Sacristan at mass, committing to Eucharistic Adoration each week, and becoming a Eucharistic Minister. This last position led him to being tasked with visiting “homebound” parishioners of St. Mary, bringing them communion, spending time with them, and listening to their stories. Shares Paul: “Visiting the homebound I believe started my journey to being a Vincentian. I would see my neighbor light up when I visited and the long conversations and praying with them just made their day. I felt like I made a difference in their lives. I guess you could say it was my first encounter seeing Jesus in their faces.”
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Paul became aware of St. Mary’s SSVP Conference by listening to Deacon John Huck talk about the service the Society provides to those in need. Year after year – around the Feast Day of St. Vincent de Paul (September 27th) – Deacon Huck would share an accounting of the conference’s important work, and the difference that Vincentians made in the lives of neighbors in need. “As I truly wanted to find an organization where I could make a difference, it finally hit home to me that I was being called to being invested in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul," recalls Paul, becoming a Vincentian in September of 2018.
Not surprisingly, Paul was “all in” with his involvement with St. Mary’s SSVP conference from the start. “I love going on home visits to meet our neighbors," shares Paul. “When I am speaking with a neighbor, the stress starts disappearing and a smile comes across their face and that is when I see Jesus coming through.”
“What I get out of doing this work is a continuous building of my faith. It keeps me grounded. When I go on a visit, I initially see a neighbor that is stressed, and unsure of what their future holds for them, besides being embarrassed for asking for help. You go into the home with a smile on your face, you try and put them at ease, and you open a conversation on their situation, what in their life got them there, and what SSVP is going to do to try and help them. The feeling a Vincentian has when leaving a neighbor is knowing that you have not only helped them, monetarily, but you have also brought some peace back into their lives.”
Paul concludes: “I am so grateful to be a Vincentian and to be able to serve my neighbors in need. My involvement with the Society is very much a part of who I am as a Catholic, and as a person of faith. This work truly sustains me, and I’ve definitely never looked back since joining our St. Mary’s SSVP conference.”
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha cannot serve our neighbors in need without the support and assistance that we receive from those who share our mission of serving our poorest Omaha neighbors in need. Frankly, it’s only because of the generous financial support we receive from caring and compassionate donors that any of our services are possible.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul depends on Christmas/December giving more than anything else. These gifts help care for our community’s poor and homeless well into the future. Your gift this season is vitally important, as it will help provide food, housing, a warm blanket, clothing, and hope for a brighter future for the families and individuals who seek assistance and come to our door every day of the year.
If you have already made your Christmas gift, thank you. If not, will you please consider making it right now? As the Society is a careful steward of your donations, we ensure that they are used to support our programs that serve those most in need from our Omaha community.
You can make your secure online gift on our website, here.
Please know that all donations completed by December 31, 2023, may be deducted on your 2023 taxes, and our thank you letter will reflect that your gift was given in 2023.
| For more information regarding making a financial gift in support of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha, please contact our Development Director, Tim Sully at (402) 779-8499, extension 103, or at development@svdpomaha.com. | |
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Now until Christmas, all Christmas decorations and accessories are 50% off at our SSVP Thrift Stores! With Christmas trees, wreaths, inflatables, stockings, and more you are sure to find something you’ll enjoy.
Now’s the time! Shop at any of our four locations!
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12301 W Center Road
Mon-Sat, 10 AM-8 PM
Sun, 12 PM-5 PM
(402) 933-8242
5505 N. 90th St
Mon-Fri, 10 AM-6 PM
Sat, 10 AM-4 PM
(402) 502-7837
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2101 Leavenworth St
Mon-Sat, 9 AM-6 PM
(402) 341-1689
807 Tara Plaza
Mon-Sat, 9 AM-6 PM
(402) 593-4055
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This Thursday, December 7th, WOWT is hosting 'Stuff the Truck,' their Christmas donation fundraiser at two Omaha locations! This charitable event welcomes food and toy donations - food donations will be given to support our pantry this Christmas season, and the toys will be given to families in need across Omaha.
There will be volunteers from WOWT and Methodist Health Systems to oversee the event, supported by Two Men and a Truck for any heavy lifting. However, we would like to have volunteers from SSVP Omaha to represent the Society and help ensure a seamless event. If you would like to volunteer for this year's Stuff the Truck on Dec. 7th, click HERE to sign up for our Methodist Physician’s Clinic location (8901 Dodge St) or click HERE to sign up for our Methodist Women’s Hospital location (707 N 190th St).
Last year, through the collective donations of individuals across Omaha, we were able to provide over 16,000 pounds of food to our pantry! Please consider dropping off donations at one of the two locations above so that we can provide even MORE for our neighbors in need this Christmas season.
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As we head into the winter months and the weather gets colder, we are desperately in need of items for our homeless ministries. Notably, we need heavy blankets, sleeping bags, and winter clothing like coats, scarves, hats, gloves, and shoes or boots that help keep out the cold.
On top of the clothing that we provide, our Closet Door program also provides hygiene products like shampoo/conditioner, soap, toothpaste/toothbrushes, combs, and nail clippers amongst other items. However, our stock of these supplies can diminish quickly, especially as we face rushes on cold mornings when our neighbors are eager to get winter apparel.
To help make a difference for a neighbor in serious need, please consider donating any of these items to our Closet Door program. You can donate these items directly to our Holy Family Center at 1715 Izard Street, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, or you can drop off your items at any of our four thrift stores across town; just mark the items as “Holy Family” so we can make sure they get to our Closet Door program!
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“Giving Tuesday” – the national day of giving which always lands on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving – was an amazing success this year!
Organized locally by SHARE Omaha, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha was able to raise $54,782 in donations for this event, contributed by 134 total donors. This incredible amount includes $25,000 in matching challenge funds that were offered by a friend of, and donor to SSVP Omaha.
Please know how grateful the Society is to everyone who made a gift in support of our organization on Giving Tuesday. With the help of you, our generous donors, this Giving Tuesday was the largest, single-day fundraising event in SSVP Omaha’s history!
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The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Omaha’s 19th Annual Winter Coat and Accessories Giveaway was a great success. When all was said and done, volunteers, churches, businesses, and schools collected more than 5,200 coats and over 7,000 accessories, like hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, and socks. We cannot be more grateful to the 250 volunteers whose collective efforts have helped keep our neighbors in need warm this winter.
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Our main giveaway was held on Saturday, November 4th at the Omaha Home for Boys. At this north Omaha event, we gave away over 4,000 coats, along with thousands of hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves. At a smaller, “pop up” coat giveaway event in south Omaha on November 21st, we gave away another 750 coats, plus countless winter accessories and boots. Our Closet Door at Holy Family also received 500 coats for the homeless as part of the collection drive, which we have been distributing over the course of this past month.
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In addition, the Veterans Administration received 50 coats for our vets, and the Intercultural Senior Center received 200 coats for their clients.
So, to the MANY, MANY parishioners, conferences, Knights of Columbus chapters, businesses, schools, and others who contributed coats and accessories toward the 2023 Coat Drive and Giveaway – THANK YOU!
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It’s always a good day when you get a call from Pettit’s Pastry! Earlier this week, our Development Director, Tim Sully, received such a call – asking if the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and our homeless ministries were interested in a “couple of boxes of day-old pastries.” Naturally, we said yes, and Jill picked them up from our friends at Pettit’s Pastry later that day.
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“A couple of boxes” turned out to be two extremely large containers of a variety of donuts and pastries. We began sharing these tasty treats with our homeless neighbors through our partner organization “Hope of the Poor," which provides coffee and fellowship three times a week from Holy Family. We placed the remaining pastries into one of our lunchroom freezers, and will continue to distribute them to our neighbors in need until they are all gone.
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We would like to take a moment to thank Pettit’s Pastry and their owner, Mark Pettit - a friendly neighbor of the Society - for helping make things a little brighter for our homeless friends who seek food, clothing, and other essential services from SSVP Omaha and our Holy Family Ministries.
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The Society would like to thank Spirit Catholic Radio and their partners for conducting their 2023 “Warm Up Winter” program, designed to collect warm winter items for their “brothers and sisters in need." To this end, Spirit Catholic Radio is asking listeners to bring donations of new winter coats, hats, mittens, gloves, socks, and boots – for men, women, and children – to any of their four donation sites (below) throughout the month of December.
Once collected, Spirit Catholic Radio will ensure that all items
collected at the three Omaha locations will be given to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to be distributed through our programs, which assist our brothers and sisters in need across the greater Omaha community.
DROP OFF LOCATIONS INCLUDE:
1. Spirit Catholic Radio: studios at 13326 A St., Omaha
2. Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska: 2241 O Street, Lincoln
3. Runza: Elkhorn, north of Maple on 204th
4. Society of St. Vincent de Paul: District Office – 1715 Izard Street
More information can be found on Spirit Catholic Radio’s website by clicking on the image, above, or by clicking, here.
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