Grow Omaha
Non-Profit News

April 15 is the third annual Avenue Scholars Day, which aims to shine a light on the organization’s summer boot camps. Held in collaboration with Metropolitan Community College and Clarkson College, the camps will provide hands-on training in healthcare, the skilled trades and transportation. These day camps help students explore career paths, earn certifications and prepare for future job opportunities.

Youth Emergency Services has announced the establishment of a permanent housing space at 2566 Farnam Street. The space, which will be called the YES House, will create a centralized location for housing and supportive services, expanding capacity and improving access to care as the demand for youth homelessness services continues to rise in Omaha. At full capacity, the YES House will include 24 apartments with 32 beds, offering young people safe places to land for the short- and medium-term. In addition to housing, the YES House will offer increased access to food, a clothing boutique, onsite mental health and nursing services, and stronger connections to community partners, ensuring youth can find the care, resources and support they need in one place when they need it.

The property already houses YES administrative offices, minimizing transition costs and allowing the organization to begin utilizing the building immediately. YES anticipates housing all staff and core services at the YES House by Fall 2027.

In partnership with Together, the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement is starting a food delivery program to support local immigrant and refugee families facing growing barriers to accessing groceries, including recent SNAP cuts and limited transportation. CIRA is asking for volunteers to pick up pre-packed groceries and deliver them directly to a family’s home.

MICAH House celebrated its 40th anniversary this week. The emergency shelter is located at 1415 Avenue J in Council Bluffs.

Registration is now open for the Reignite to Unite Development Symposium, which is returning for its third year on June 3 and 4. Presented by the Omaha Municipal Land Bank, SPARK CDI and Front Porch Investments, this event brings together professionals from across the development ecosystem who are eager to transform the region through equitable solutions for affordable housing, land activation and community development. This year’s keynote speaker is Charles Marohn, founder and president of Strong Towns who was named one of the “10 Most Influential Urbanists” of all time by Planetizen.

SHARE Omaha is hosting its annual Do Good Days this month, inviting people all around the city to give back to local nonprofits and community organizations from April 22 to 25. Do Good Days is a way to discover and contribute to nonprofits that are shaping the community you want to live in. SHARE Omaha connects individuals and groups of all sizes with volunteering opportunities that fit their passions, schedules, skills and more.

On Deck Housing, a nonprofit which builds affordable homes in the Omaha metro, has opened a model home at 6775 Hamilton Street. The brand-new, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home is valued at $220,000, although the model is not for sale. On Deck Housing is trying to build 12 similar homes in 2026.

Metropolitan Community College will host more than 100 high school students for its 2026 Automotive Career Exploration Day at the Automotive Training Center on the South Omaha Campus on Friday, April 3. From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students will rotate through a variety of hands-on activities in lab areas with MCC instructors and industry partners. Activities include vehicle painting, dent repair, tire repair and more. Representatives from MCC industry-partner companies will present information about local career opportunities throughout the event.

Nick Koonce has been appointed to the board of directors of Lily Haven, a nonprofit dedicated to offering hope and healing to girls ages 14–18, who have survived human trafficking. Koonce is an accomplished security industry leader with more than a decade of diverse experience. He currently serves as the general manager at Atronic in Omaha. He has also worked with organizations such as Heart Heroes, Sammy Strong, 50 Mile March and Open Door Mission.

On April 1, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium officially switched to spring and summer hours, expanding to stay open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

At the Scooter’s Coffee Annual Companywide Conference this month, franchise owners and store managers assembled approximately 500 hygiene kits to support Youth Emergency Services, an Omaha-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting homeless and near-homeless youth.

Four properties in the Omaha Municipal Land Bank’s inventory are now available for affordable housing development. The four lots are part of the land bank’s Shovel-Ready Effort, through which the land bank supports the development of affordable housing units within qualified census tracts located in north and South Omaha. The effort eliminates barriers to construction by conducting site preparation work, such as removing foundations, trees or other vegetation; removing trash or other dumped material; and grading land or replatting lots, among other steps. The lots are located in North Omaha at 3612 Grand Avenue, 4940 North 35th Street, 4931 North 35th Street and 3183 Grand Avenue.

Autism Action Partnership is hosting a celebration of World Autism Day on April 4, 2026, from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at Omaha’s Gene Leahy Mall. The celebration is free and open to the public. The celebration will include yard games and booths. Omaha Children’s Museum, Kids on the Block Puppets, Common Senses, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Omaha Police Department’s Mounted Patrol are among the groups offering booths with fun activities.

Completely KIDS held a groundbreaking ceremony for two new spaces at 2448 St. Mary’s Avenue: The Henry Davis Center and the reimagined Cindy Leiferman Nature Explore Classroom. The new projects are part of the nonprofit organization’s $28 million comprehensive campaign. Construction on the 28,500 square foot facility is expected to progress throughout 2026, with the center opening to serve Omaha families upon completion in July 2027.

The Omaha Community Foundation has established a Nebraska Wildfires Response Fund to collect and deploy resources for first responders. OCF will report more about where relief funds are directed as the situation unfolds.