The Humble Lily is an Omaha gem that is becoming not-so-secret. The Humble Lily is an immaculate boutique at 10730 Pacific Street, Suite 114 in Shaker Place that sells lightly used women’s clothing. The proceeds from The Humble Lily support Bethlehem house, a 12-bedroom maternity home for pregnant women in crisis.

Last year Humble Lily funds accounted for 30% of operating income for Bethlehem House. Volunteers are a key part of keeping overhead low. One of these valued volunteers is Kaye.



Kaye is a retired nurse who couldn’t retire from helping others. She first came to Humble Lily as a shopper and was drawn to the mission.

“I’m an organized person and I wanted to help with the back room,” said Kaye.

It’s all about perspective. If you see a carrot with three or four legs at the supermarket, you might “turnip” your nose at it. At a farmer’s market? That organic carrot has personality and it’s worth at least double!   

On a Tuesday evening at the Food Bank for the Heartland, volunteers inspected and sorted pot roast veggies, including carrots with a few extra legs, for distribution to the 93 counties and over 500 agencies the Food Bank serves in Nebraska and Western Iowa.

In just two hours, volunteers cleared 1725 pounds of Pot Roast Veggies to feed our hungry neighbors.

“This is my fourth time and I want to keep coming,” said volunteer Jenny. “It’s fun, you meet new people, it’s easy work and I feel good knowing my work is providing food for people in need.”

Open Door Mission, who seeks to end the cycle of homelessness and poverty, serves over a million nutritious meals per year. To make that happen, countless vegetables need chopped and sack lunches must be prepared. Walk-in volunteers at the community kitchen are welcome Monday-Friday from 9-11am and 2-4pm and are vital to getting meals out the door.



On a Monday afternoon a team of “Borsheims Gives” volunteers, along with two walk-in volunteers, were preparing carrots, onions and potatoes for a hearty stew.

“Helping other people is fulfilling,” said Nancy, part of the Borsheims crew. “I’m loving this, coming here today and doing this.”

Jack, a Durham Museum volunteer, holds a photo of his grandfather conducting the same train he sits in at the museum.


The Durham Museum is full of treasures. Among the most valuable are the volunteers and the stories they tell. With some volunteers giving more than 400 hours per year, they captivate visitors with tales of Omaha history.

“People don’t want to have somebody read a script. They fall asleep. People want to be entertained,” says Jack, a Durham Museum volunteer.

Jack came to the Museum after his storytelling talents were discovered on an Ollie the Trolley tour where, as a passenger, he enhanced the tour by sharing additional tidbits of Omaha history with the crowd.

 “I just know Omaha.”

Now 12 years later, Jack has narrated metro history to guests from all over the world. He spends most of his time in the Pullman car, which happens to be part of a train his grandfather conducted.