St Vincent De Paul Society District Council

Thrift stores - the society of st. Vincent de paul omaha's four thrift stores offer deeply discounted, quality items clothing, toys, books, furniture, and more to help low-income individuals, families, and those in financial crisis, to stretch their household budgets. We also provide free store vouchers to those in need and partner with local nonprofits, hospitals, and agencies to distribute essential goods at no cost.

Street outreach program - the society of st. Vincent de paul omaha provides year-round street outreach services for homeless and near-homeless neighbors in need. Volunteers prepare and distribute approximately 1,115 sack lunches, which are delivered to neighbors who live in low-income and/or "senior" housing, located in eastern omaha.additional efforts include: operating warming and cooling centers during extreme weather at our district offices. The program also distributes items such as ice, food, water, blankets, and fuel to individuals living outdoors, and delivers these staples to encampments. Special outreach events include annual holiday meals, such as a christmas banquet and a community dinner in honor of the feast day of st. Vincent de paul. Staff and volunteers engage directly with unhoused neighbors to help connect them to medical services, housing resources, and other critical supports.

Other programs include the following:food pantry - the society st. Vincent de paul omaha's district council operates a choice food pantry that provides nutritious food and basic household items, such as diapers, to families and individuals in need. Pantry assistance is distributed based on household size, home address and expressed need. The district council's food pantry offers perishable and non-perishable foods, including canned goods, packaged foods, fresh produce from our own garden and local suppliers, bread, dairy, frozen items and protein sources. In addition to our main pantry, several st. Vincent de paul omaha conferences operate smaller pantries, distributing food to struggling neighbors who live in their conferences' geographical "footprint".sack lunch program - each weekday, society of st. Vincent de paul omaha volunteers prepare and distribute an average of 125 free sack lunches, to homeless neighbors at the society's hfc at 1715 izard street. Each lunch is designed to be nutritious and filling, typically including a sandwich, fruit and vegetable, snack, and bottled water. For many of our neighbors, this lunch may be the only true meal they will eat on any given day.closet door clothing distribution program - each weekday, volunteers with the society of st. Vincent de paul omaha's holy family center's "closet door" distribute a wide variety of clothing and personal care items, free of charge to neighbors experiencing homelessness. Items include essentials such as socks, underwear, jeans, shirts, shoes, boots, sweatshirts and hoodies. Other clothing items are distributed "seasonally", such as shorts, sandals, coats, hats, and gloves. The program also provides personal care items including sleeping bags, blankets, duffle bags/backpacks, razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, lotion, lip balm, feminine hygiene products and deodorant.disaster recovery - when natural disasters strike, the society of st. Vincent de paul omaha supports local neighbors with immediate and long-term aid and relief, including financial assistance, food, clothing, furniture, household items and resource coordination. As a member of the tri-county long term recovery group a coalition of non-profits, government agencies, and volunteers ssvp omaha helps families and businesses in douglas, sarpy and washington counties recover and build long-term resilience. Our certified disaster case managers guide survivors through the entire process, often for over a year, helping them reach a "new normal."nebraska criminal justice review - the society of st. Vincent de paul omaha publishes the nebraska criminal justice review a quarterly newsletter, written by volunteers to help improve communication between those who administer and staff the criminal justice system and those who make plans and laws for it. Circulation of the ncjr is over 1,400 quarterly, with newsletters mailed to inmates, their families, and other interested parties.