Stories

Peace, healing, joy. Each guest comes to Scatter Joy Acres looking for something different. When they find it, they’re hooked.

“You come one time and that’s all it takes. You’ll be back,” says Kim, a regular Scatter Joy Acres volunteer.

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.

We’ve told you about Kathy who bakes homemade cookies for The Hope Lodge every Wednesday and Jack who shares stories of his grandfather’s train at The Durham Museum.

“You know who else you should visit? The ‘Tuesday Crew’,” whispered a little birdy.

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.

Since January 2018, American Cancer Society’s Hope Lodge Nebraska has saved patients and caregivers over $1 million in lodging costs. The Hope Lodge is more than a roof and four walls; the heartbeat lives in the dedicated volunteers who turn the Lodge into a temporary home.

Geri, Phil and Kathy are a few of these volunteers. When you ask them about their work you’ll hear them speak humbly about their contributions to Hope Lodge.

Geri updates brochures.