Friday April 11, 2008 :: A Day to Connect
News

EVENT NEWS

  • Next Event!

  • The next event will be held at Creighton University's Kiewit Center on March 26th, 2010.

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  • Denture Program Results

  • Thanks to the Creighton University School of Dentistry and The Charles Drew Clinic for helping 119 homeless receive new dentures and a fresh outlook on life, as of 1.20.2010.

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About Us

Project Homeless Connect Omaha ("PHCO"), is a 501C(3) organization.

The first event launched on April 11, 2008 on the campus of Creighton University, hosted by Father John P. Schlegel, S.J. President of Creighton University.

100% of all donations to PHCO are used for the homeless.

Project Homeless Connect Omaha Organizing Committee

  • Mike Saklar, Executive Director, Siena/Francis House
  • Pastor Harry Wallar, Executive Director, MOHM's Place
  • Cindy Goodin, Residential Services Director, Youth Emergency Services
  • Rod Bauer, Day Services Director, Siena/Francis House
  • Shelley K. Schrader, Catholic Charities, Senior Director for Community Services
  • Pat Christopher, Homeless Clinic Coordinator, Charles Drew Health Center
  • Joyce O'Neil, ServicePoint System Administrator
  • Elizabeth Haley, Sr. Manager - Organizational Development & Learning, ConAgra Foods, Inc.
  • Bailie Shada, Chief Administrative Officer, SilverStone Group, Inc.
  • Joyce Davis Bunger, Assistant Dean Creighton University School of Nursing
  • Ken Reed-Bouley, Creighton Center for Service and Justice, Creighton University
  • Bob Denney, Facility Director, Creighton University
  • Mary Ann Borgeson, Douglas County Commissioner
  • Ed Shada, Executive Director, Project Homeless Connect Omaha
  • Jessica Puente, Assistant to the Director, Xenon International Academy

Chairs of Project Homeless Connect Omaha

  • 2008 Father John P Schlegel, S.J. President of Creighton University
  • 2009 Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson

Demographics from Project Homeless Connect Omaha

  2008
(cold & snowy)
2009
(rainy but warm)
People Served:    
Adult Males 223 315
Adult Females 91 111
Child 4 8
     
Of those served:    
Caucasian 156 270
African-American 109 130
Asian 3 4
American Indian 11 18
Multi-racial 17 3
Did not specify 19 3
Military veterans 47 52
     
Ages of those served:    
31-50 Approximately 50% 56%
18 to 30 26% 12%
51 to 61 17% 25%
62 or older 2.0% 4.0%
     
Of those attending:    
Disabling condition 37% n/a
Homeless due to a loss of job, domestic abuse, told to leave, or underemployed 39% n/a
     
Extent of Homelessness:    
1st Time Homeless 20.5% 18.8%
2nd/3rd Time Homeless 29% 33.1%
More than 4 times homeless in last 3 yrs. 11.4% 15%
More than 1 yr 9.5% 16%
Returned from 2008 n/a 49
     
Education/Adult:    
9th grade or less n/a 9.5%
Some High School n/a 16.5%
HS Diploma n/a 23.9%
GED n/a 17.3%
Some College n/a 17.3%
College Degree n/a 2.1%
Graduate Degree n/a 2.6%
Technical Training n/a 4.3%
No Response n/a 6.6%
     
Haircuts:    
Given 200+ 435

 


Demographics from Project Homeless Connect Omaha

Shelters:    
Provided shelter information: 60+ 80+
     
Housing Information:    
Received housing info: 158 173
Housed immediately 13 11
Counseling 28 28
Total housed from PHCO 50 30+ to date
     
Medical/Healthcare/Dental:    
Received services 187 355
Directed to follow-up 158 278
Received follow-up 78% 42% to date
Dental Exam 123 n/a
Critical Dental needs 68 63
Received Dentures 42 Funding Available for 30
Glaucoma referral 81 32
Hepatitis A & B vaccines 78 12
Tetanus Diphtheria shots 36 6
HIV/AIDS Tests 63 & 0 positive 40 & 0 positive
Tuberculosis Screening 67 & 0 positive 16 & 0 positive
STDs 57 21
Pregnancy 12 6
     
Legal:    
Received IDs 128 24
Omaha/CB Court dismissed 23 32

 


2008 Summary

Employment 2008:

  • 306 clients visited various employers' tables.
  • One employer noted they spoke to several clients who would be "a positive addition to our workforce," but the biggest challenge is transportation.

Social Services 2008

  • More than 100 clients visited the Social Security and Disability agency tables; 50 completed applications for Social Security, Disability and/or state ID cards.
  • 70 people stopped by the Dept. of Health and Human Services booth, and 48 completed applications for food stamps [NOTE: The DHHS indicated that because of this event, they will consider visiting local shelters to offer services.]

Other:

  • Service providers learned about other service providers and began referring clients to one another
  • Service providers discovered the need to go to the shelters instead of waiting for the homeless to come to them
  • Volunteers called the event things like 'powerful', 'life changing', and 'better understanding of homelessness and its causes'
  • 20 new veterans met with VA staff
  • Each member of 4 families received laminated family pictures
  • A 9 year old girl discovered how to peel an orange
  • Many people called home on the phones provided by Bellevue University that day, many had not spoken with parents and siblings, there were a lot of tears shed