WOWT Holiday Food Drive: Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

If we see someone who needs help, do we stop? There is so much suffering and poverty, and a great need for good Samaritans. - Pope Francis

Santa posed for a photo with Bruce, Jen and Matt.

Hard-working men from Two Men and a Truck.

Cindy Jandrain of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul;
Matt Willkom and Bruce McGregor of Spirit 102.7-FM; and
Joe Chiodo, Jackie Ochoa and Ross Jernstrom of WOWT.

Mary Jorgensen and Ross Jernstrom of WOWT 6 News. 

Spirit Catholic Radio's very own Spirit Mornings team embraced the frigid temperatures this weekend to join forces with WOWT 6 News for the annual WOWT NBC Omaha Holiday Food Drive to benefit the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Spirit Mornings co-hosts Jen Brown, Bruce McGregor, Matt Willkom and Director of Underwriting Mary Jorgensen helped gather donations on Saturday, Dec. 7 at the Hyvee parking lot at 51st and Center in Omaha. 

Donations were also being accepted at the Hyvee in Papillion at Shadow Lake Towne Center. Two Men and a Truck were on-site providing transportation for the food items.

Individuals from the community generously gathered non-perishable food items, household items and personal care items to be donated to those in need through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. 

Currently, the most-needed items include canned fruit, canned tomato products, peanut butter, canned vegetables, double roll toilet paper, rice and monetary donations for fresh meat and milk.

"Even though it was cold, the outpouring of love from the community warmed my heart," said Jen Brown.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was very satisfied with the outcome of the food drive. An astounding 16,000 pounds of food and $1,500 in cash donations were gathered on Saturday.

A Catholic lay organization, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to person service to the needy and suffering.

For more information about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and how you can get involved, please visit their website.

Prayer for the Hungry 

A Mealtime Prayer
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts:
The gift of food, for us and for others;
Of generosity, that when we have plenty
None should go hungry the whole world over;
The gift of hearts that grow in humility and compassion
For each of your children who suffers misfortune;
The gift of your love that extends our reach,
And would not deny your gifts to another.
Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Blogged by Kelly Miller, Marketing and Promotions Manager.

Helping the Poor

My family and I are in the process of moving, and I’ve used it as an opportunity to get rid of things we don’t use on a regular basis.

It shocked me to see the number of boxes we filled with clothes that no longer fit, non-perishable foods we haven’t used, perfectly good toys that aren’t played with and dishes, toiletries and other household items we were holding on to.

We were living in excess when so many others don’t even have the basics. There are people who would LOVE to eat those boxed meals I’d been saving or use the diapers I’d kept for a year or clean with the vacuum we’d had in storage.

So it made me feel good when we gave some of our coats to the Spirit Catholic Radio coat drive, dropped off several boxes to a thrift store and donated food to a pantry.

There are always people in need no matter what time of the year – “you will always have the poor with you,” Jesus said – but during the winter months, the weather is colder and pantries and shelters generally see an increase in the number of people they serve.

That means unless donations are being made during these upcoming months, those organizations won’t be able to best serve their clients and guests.

Tim Sully, development director of the Siena/Francis House in Omaha, Nebraska’s largest homeless shelter, said he expects the shelter to house about 500 people a night starting in December. That means they’ll need more blankets, pillows, toiletries, winter clothes, coffee and disinfectants.

“We are always overcrowded, no matter the weather,” Sully said. “We try not to turn anyone away if they show up at our door.”

Phil Luna, coordinator of the Holy Spirit/St. Patrick Food Pantry in North Platte, said the city’s high schools provide a large amount of canned fruits and vegetables with food drives in December, but they’ll need more non-perishable food items and canned and frozen meats to keep the shelves stocked.

“We’ve seen a steady increase of people all year long,” Luna recently told me.

On average, the pantry serves 100 to 125 families a month.

People who make food donations enable organizations, such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society, continue their mission of serving those in need, said Cindy Jandrain, coordinator of the Society’s Omaha food pantry.

“They are a direct blessing to our clients through their donations,” she said.

Father Chris Kubat, executive director of Catholic Social Services for the Diocese of Lincoln, agreed.

Those who receive help from Catholic Social Services, which last year provided shelter, immigration, housing, counseling and refugee resettlement services, food pantries, thrift stores and emergency cash assistance to nearly 30,000 individuals, are very appreciative of the donations, he said.

“I just wish sometimes that our donors could see the looks on the faces of the families we help and how grateful they are,” Father Kubat said. “They come into our office with tears of sorrow and they leave with tears of joy.”

He said Catholic Social Services could use emergency cash for families who seek help when their utilities are shut off, as well as all types of food for the pantries and winter coats, boots, hats, scarves and gloves for the thrift stores.

Most people don’t choose to be homelessness or poor. I’m quite aware that with a change of circumstance my family could be on the receiving end, and that makes me want to give more and more often.

So in the spirit of the holidays, give. Find a pantry, shelter or thrift store in your area and make a donation.

Here are suggestions of where to donate:

Siena/Francis House, Omaha – 402-341-1821, sienafrancis.org

St. Vincent de Paul Society of Omaha – 402-346-5445, svdpomaha.com/home

Holy Spirit/St. Patrick Food Pantry, North Platte – 4th and Chestnut, 308-532-0942                     

Catholic Charities of Omaha – 402-554-0520, ccomaha.org

Simon House/St. Vincent de Paul – 1853 10^th Ave., Columbus, 402-564-8444

The Stephen Center – 2723 Q St., Omaha, 402-731-0238

Catholic Social Services – 402-474-1600, cssisus.org 

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, Senior Writer/Reporter