It has been such a busy six weeks or so since we last sent out a newsletter. We hope you and yours are doing well in the face of these unprecedented times.
We are here to offer our support to all of our neighbors.

 THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR
AMAZING VOLUNTEERS!!!
WE COULD NOT SUPPORT OUR NEIGHBORS WITHOUT YOU!!!
PANTRY
More milk and fresh produce for our neighbors! Our Food Pantry was awarded a grant for a brand new 3-door cooler. Thank you to the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska for the much needed refrigeration grant!
Our neighbors are now receiving these boxes of beautiful fresh produce through our pantry and delivery services thanks to Catholic Charities , the Juan Diego Center and the USDA Farmers to Families program . Learn more about this program here.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the WOWT Stuff the Bus Food Drive, twice as much as last year was gathered! Thank you to the city of Omaha and surrounding communities for helping 'Stuff the Bus'! Thanks also to our partners, WOWT, Two Men and a Truck, and Methodist Hospitals, and all of the volunteers!
Some of the over 30,000 pounds of food donated!
Learn more about our Pantry Garden and our Garden Angels!
PANTRY DRIVE-THROUGH OPEN
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS 9:00 - 12:30
STORES
In addition to rent and utility assistance offered by SVdP, our neighbors can also benefit by receiving clothing and items they need for their homes. Barb Slaven, SVdP Disaster Relief Committee Chair, working with the  Nebraska Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD ) , discovered a need, and the St Vincent de Paul team really rallied behind the opportunity.

When 24 Somali families in Sioux City recently lost nearly everything in an apartment fire, Barb, Stores General Manager Tony Valencia, and Executive Director Marty Smith put their heads together to develop useful answers to their needs. 

Marty and the parishes stepped up with 21 mattress sets, gift cards, and basic furniture needs. Steve Stark and his amazing Thrift World team partnered with us to gather all the household furniture for each family, and offered his warehouse for storage and his dock to transfer items. 

Dillon and Mike from Werner Trucking provided a full-size semi and hauled all the items to Sioux City for delivery within days. Thank you to the village it took to make sure these families were supported!
Thank you to the village it took to make sure these families were supported!
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
HOME VISITS (AND SO MUCH MORE!)
Our conference volunteers have not been conducting in-home visits during the pandemic, but they have not stopped helping out. Recently, in order to help St. Peter's conference help a woman in great need, many other conferences combined funding in a process we call "twinning". Together they they are able to do even more than by themselves!
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Thank you so much to those of you who donated through the St. Wenceslaus sponsored Strawberry e-Brunch this year!
We had a great time (after the technical difficulties - SORRY ABOUT THAT!) and hope you did too! Our event Chair, Diane Mead was interviewed on KVSS, along with Father Taylor, our charismatic speaker. You can listen to that interview as well as watch the full program on our website:
Ryan Foundation Gift
Wayne and Eileen Ryan were amazing donors in the Omaha community during their lifetime, but it wasn't until a surprise phone call from one of their children recently that the Society became one of their beneficiaries, through the foundation they left behind to continue their generosity. 
Diane Mead, Strawberry Brunch chair, finds it particularly "coincidental" that the donation came at the time of this year's Strawberry Brunch, which Mrs. Ryan had participated in as a hostess, prior to her passing, alongside her very good friend, Beth Mueller. And then, days later, Beth's name was selected as one of the winners of the Strawberry Brunch's raffle, a prize of $100 of groceries, which Beth promptly donated back to SVdP.  "I think Mrs. Ryan would have enjoyed that very much," said Diane. "It seems like a friendly little nod between friends." 
The foundation's gift is so very timely with the concerns of the impact of the coronavirus. "This grant will be used by conferences to help so many neighbors in need with rent, utilities, and other concerns," says Marty Smith, Executive Director. 
A blessing, indeed!
We also have to thank the St Wenceslaus Women's Guild for all of their ongoing support - it even made the news!
HOLY FAMILY
Back 2 School Basics 2020
We will once again partner with the  Omaha World Herald Goodfellows  and Target on the Back 2 School Basics program in August. Each year we get together to offer vouchers for school aged kids to get new socks & underwear for the school year. 
Unfortunately funding has been cut in half this year and we would love to find some more support for this important program. Please consider donating today so we can purchase more vouchers before the school year begins. 
Returning to the classroom this year will be tough for many. We can help by providing children’s basic needs.

A wonderful picnic table project took place in the Churchyard Garden recently, thanks to Eagle Scout Sam Gering. Check out his project in this video then come down and visit the garden to enjoy the tables!
THANKS SAM!!!
There is so much new and good work happening as well as help needed at Holy Family that we are starting a separate newsletter, to come out in two weeks and alternating with this SVdP Omaha newsletter!
Please subscribe here to learn more:
Check out our new logo for the
Holy Family Community Center!
This is based on a mural inside the north door. Look for a new website design to match the new logo, as well as printed items such as t-shirts, coffee cups, masks and more coming soon!
Many people we encounter daily at Holy Family are asking for masks. We need more handmade masks to distribute to our neighbors.
Please contact us if you can help: volunteers@svdpomaha.com
Our Mission
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. 
Your support is greatly appreciated!
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance:
 Helpline: 402-346-5445
Thank you so much to everyone who donated during Omaha Gives!
W e are so grateful for the support you showed us and Holy Family!