#GivingEveryTuesday: Basic Needs
Each Tuesday, SHARE Omaha features a unique cause theme for #GivingEveryTuesday and encourages us all to give and support in any way we can! This week's #GivingEveryTuesday theme is Basic Needs. Hear about these vital nonprofits below and help fund their work!
Kountze Commons Community Outreach Center
Jill Conway of Kountze Commons Community Outreach Center shares, "Access to food, hygiene products, healthcare, and mental health services are essential for survival and well-being. Contributing to nonprofits addressing basic needs ensures the well-being of society as a whole as well."
A typical vulnerable person in our community does not have just one health issue, but rather faces multiple underlying issues – chronic health issues overlaid with food insecurity and behavioral health challenges. KCCOC is an integrated health care delivery model formed through a partnership of four entities co-located in one building: The Del and Lou Ann Weber Free Healing Gift Clinic and free fully licensed pharmacy, Methodist Community Health Clinic, Lutheran Family Services behavioral health, and the Kountze Food Pantry.
KCCOC lists oral hygiene products (toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss) and bus passes as their top item needs, currently.
Project Intentional
Becca Starks of Project Intentional shares, "Imagine finally having a job interview, but you don't have the basic needs to take a shower, smell and feel fresh. Imagine sending your kids to daycare or school only to receive a call about their hygiene. Imagine being a teen with no menstrual products."
At Project Intentional the mission is to restore dignity in women and children one project at a time. They do this by providing Hope Lockers throughout the community filled with basic needs with the motto "take what you need, leave what you don't."
"Donation of soap, shampoo, menstrual products are needed or people who would like to go around and fill them up for us! We are 100% volunteer ran and are all full time working moms with a heart to make Omaha the most caring city."
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Tina Acevedo of Sleep in Heavenly Peace shares, "We fully believe that a bed is a basic need for the proper physical, emotional, and mental support that a child needs. All children deserve a safe, comfortable place to lay their heads. Too many boys and girls go without a bed - or even a pillow - to sleep on. These children end up sleeping on couches, blankets, and even floors. This can affect their happiness and health."
Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a group of volunteers dedicated to building, assembling and delivering top-notch bunk beds to children and families in need. To date, the organization has provided beds for over 2,400 children in the Omaha metro area.
"We need volunteers - from building beds to delivery, we are a team of volunteers who do it all! We are completely funded by donations - both monetary and through bedding drives. Each bed comes with a mattress, pillow, sheets and comforter, so a bedding drive is a great way to collect donations. Our wish list item that is most needed is twin bedding, especially bed-in-a-bag! It’s the simplest way for the donor to have a one and done donation. We are grateful for all of the support our community provides!"
Donate to Sleep in Heavenly Peace
NeighborGood
Melissa Nelson of NeighborGood shares, "Basic needs, such as hygiene items, are essential for general well-being and physical health. Without proper hygiene, children struggle in school and adults can struggle in employment. Many public programs such as SNAP and WIC, don't cover the basic needs such as soap, toilet paper, deodorant, etc. Donations of basic needs can help fill the gaps for families that we serve."
NeighborGood continues to serve the Sarpy County and Ralston communities by providing a weeks worth of food, hygiene items, pet food and more to help families every month. This allows families to use funds for other bills and helps them to be more successful and satisfied.
"Continued awareness of what poverty looks like in the metro and Sarpy County is necessary. What we think it looks like, isn't necessarily true. Most of our neighbors are just in need of a little bit of help once in awhile," says Melissa.
OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc
Angie Peters of OneWorld Community Health Center shares, "When families are able to meet basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care, parents and other caregivers experience less stress, which allows them to provide the critical support that children need to grow into healthy, productive adults."
OneWorld welcomes all individuals and families no matter their situations. OneWorld supports them with much needed medical, dental, behavioral health, support and pharmacy services at a cost they can afford. They work every day to ensure more than 50,00 individuals and families have what they need to thrive and are happy productive members of the community.
"Donations are needed to help support the costs of health care for children that do not have insurance or Medicaid. Any amount is critical to give all kids the best chance to succeed. We also need volunteers to help in our literacy center, special events and with general administrative tasks," says Angie.
Donate to OneWorld Community Health Center
Nebraska Diaper Bank
Anna Lehotyak of Nebraska Diaper Bank shares, "Access to basic needs is a fundamental human right. By donating to nonprofits that support basic needs, you are helping to ensure that all people are able to live with dignity and respect."
Nebraska Diaper Bank is the only organization in the Omaha metro that focuses on ending diaper need. They work collaboratively with other nonprofits to ensure that families have enough clean, dry diapers for their babies, in addition to their other basic needs.
"Diaper Drives are an easy way to support Nebraska Diaper Bank. By rallying together with your circles of influence, you can make a big impact in the lives of families with diaper need." says Anna.
Donate to Nebraska Diaper Bank
Choose your ways to donate today and support nonprofits addressing Basic Needs in the greater Omaha/Council Bluffs metro!