Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Open Door Mission Restocking Winter Items After Operating in Overflow Status

During the recent bitter cold spell, the Open Door Mission was operating above capacity and went through a number of winter warm-up items.  Candace Gregory, President and CEO of the Open Door Mission, says at their emergency shelter for women and children, The Lydia House, the 300 beds were not enough; women and children slept on mats on the floor in their community rooms every night. 

Gregory says in addition to providing short-term shelter and serving an average of 2300 meals a day, they offer several “life-improvement tracks" programs – which she says about 50% of the people they serve get involved with.  These include job training, GED classes and a unique recovery program. 

“We are the only place in Omaha-Council Bluffs, where a family could seek recovery without putting their children in foster care or leaving their children with family, so it’s a holistic reunification program. It could be any life-altering addiction, but we do see the number one drug choice in our community continuing to be alcohol. It’s legal, it’s cheap, and you can self-medicate yourself with that.”

Gregory says blankets, hats and gloves will be needed throughout the winter and that the least-often donated item happens to be the one they use the most of – toilet paper.  Volunteering is another way to help.  That includes at the Max I. Walker Ultra Chic Boutique on Saturday the 28th.  It’s the largest fund-raiser of the year for The Lydia House.

For more information, the website is Opendoormission.org; on the website there’s a button that says “ways you can help.”