Grow Omaha
Non-Profit News

SHARE Omaha and the Omaha Community Foundation have compiled helpful resources for those looking to help amid disruptions to SNAP benefits. Information about volunteer options is available HERE. The Omaha Community Foundation is partnering with the City of Omaha to establish the Food Relief Fund, which will provide support to local organizations and nonprofits working to provide access to food.

The Omaha STEM Ecosystem is hosting its third annual #ShowUsYourSTEM social media challenge, running November 1 through 8. The challenge invites students, educators and professionals to share the ways science, technology, engineering and math are part of everyday life. To participate, take a photo or video of a STEM activity, project, toy or experience, then post it on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram using the hashtags #ShowUsYourSTEM and #OmahaSTEM.

Lutheran Family Services is collecting new or gently used winter clothing for its winter clothing drive. Donations are accepted at LFS Offices between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. until November 14.

Fontenelle Forest is celebrating the 25-year anniversary this fall of its primary facility, the Katherine and Fred Buffett Forest Learning Center. Now, the organization is looking for 25 new monthly donors before the end of the year.

Ooh De Lally, the nonprofit restaurant in Dundee that helps formerly incarcerated people reenter society, is opening a second space near 40th & Military Avenue. This second location will include a bakery, coffee shop and eight apartment units for employees. It is expected to open by the end of 2027.

Giving Tuesday falls on December 2 this year, but the Omaha Community Foundation and SHARE Omaha are working together to encourage donors to give earlier. If people give between Nov ember 1 and December 2 through either organization, their donation will count toward the city and global Giving Tuesday totals.

Last week, Lauritzen Gardens announced it is opening its first satellite garden in the Old Market, on the corner of 13th & Leavenworth Street. Called Polina Gardens, the free-to-visit park is being designed by Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf in collaboration with the landscape design firm Field Operations. Lauritzen Gardens staff will manage and maintain the space when it opens in late April of 2026.

The Latino Center of the Midlands is undergoing a $10 million renovation and expansion. The project was kickstarted by a $2.8 million award from the State of Nebraska’s North and South Omaha Recovery Grant Program, and is scheduled to be completed in early 2027. Once finished, the center will go from 17,000 to 29,000 sq. ft. The Latino center expansion was part of a bundle of South Omaha projects submitted in an application led by nonprofit Canopy South.

Omaha Street Soccer is looking to revitalize the Schenzel Community Center field at 2220 North 20th Street and improve access to play at Sherman School and Community Center near 16th & Storz Expressway. In order to do this, the North Omaha nonprofit organization is looking to raise $7,500.

A new documentary called “Blue Baby” offers a candid look into Boys Town and the work being done there. The film takes audiences into one of the homes at Boys Town, and follows eight boys through their highest highs and lowest lows. “Blue Baby” is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

Siena Francis House’s small cottage community housing project was nationally recognized last week, earning the Charles L. Edison award in Excellence in Tax Credit Housing. The 50 single-occupant homes provide a unique housing opportunity for individuals experiencing homelessness.

CenterPointe is hosting a Winter Essentials Donation Drive to help individuals stay safe and warm. They’re collecting new or gently used coats, gloves, hats, hoodies, scarves, blankets, socks and sleeping bags. They are especially in need of larger sizes. Kid’s toys are also welcome to bring a little extra joy this season. Donations are accepted through November 14 at the CenterPointe Campus for Hope, 1490 North 16th Street in Omaha, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Metropolitan Community College is the recipient of a $50,000 grant award from the Johnny Baxter Carriage House Foundation. The grant will go toward helping Automotive Technology and Diesel Technology programs at the College. It will continue to provide resources and support early access for high school students interested in the trades.

The Millard Public Schools Foundation is raising money to create an eSports room inside the GreenState Millard Activity Center, which is being built on a 40-acre site west of 204th and Q Street. The room will house 16 eSports stations complete with desks and headsets.

Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) has launched Family Connects, an evidence-based model that provides comprehensive and personalized care for newborns and their families through home visits by registered nurses who help families identify and connect to community resources. Family Connects is free and available to families who live in Douglas County and deliver babies at CHI Health CUMC – Bergan Mercy and CHI Health Immanuel, including new parents, foster parents, adoptive parents and families who already have children.

Last week at its Love 4 Lots 10-Year Celebration, the Omaha Municipal Land Bank reported that since its founding a decade ago, it has taken more than 1,562 residential properties and helped generate $83.5 million in economic impact. The local, governmental, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization acquires vacant, abandoned or dilapidated properties throughout Omaha, then partners with the community to transform them into positive neighborhood assets.

The nonprofit Threshold CoC held “Project Connect” at Baxter Arena this week. The free event hosted dozens of organizations which provided services and support for community members in need. Attendees could access health screenings and vaccinations as well as assistance with things like veteran benefits, legal aid, benefits and more.