Thank you for visiting the Project Homeless Connect – Omaha ("PHCO") web page.

On any given night in the Omaha Council Bluffs area, it is estimated there are approximately 1500 homeless in shelters and on the streets.

Project Homeless Connect, started in San Francisco and extending now to 220 communities, is a one-day event that serves as a one-stop shop, connecting homeless individuals to needed services, including: housing, healthcare, legal resources, Social Security, food-stamp benefits, and employment.

Government agencies, non-profit agencies, local businesses, volunteer groups, medical providers, legal experts and many other service providers will come together in Creighton University's Kiewit Center to offer on-site immediate assistance to individuals, families, seniors, veterans and youth who find themselves homeless. Project Homeless Connect Omaha has assisted homeless individuals improve their lives and exit life on the streets.

Project Homeless Connect Omaha is also about engaged residents volunteering their talent and time for the area's homeless.

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On April 11, 2008 Creighton University hosted the area's first Project Homeless Connect. Father John P Schlegel, S.J. President of Creighton University, was the Honorary Chairman. Father Schlegel graciously opened Creighton University's doors to the homeless and opportunities to engage volunteers, build community, grow research and evaluation efforts and ultimately respond to the homeless in Omaha. 318 homeless were served by over 60 agencies and over 500 volunteers that day. Creighton University plays an integral part in the communities' response to homelessness by supplying doctors, nurses, dentists and many other critical services and volunteers on a daily basis to area shelters and those serving the homeless.

Last year's theme was DENTURES and through Creighton University's School of Dentistry and the Charles Drew Clinic, PHCO assisted over 50 people from last year's event get the critical dental work they needed.

On March 27, 2009 Father Schlegel, again, graciously welcomed Project Homeless Connect Omaha to Creighton University.

Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey and Douglas County Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson were the Co-Chairs of PHCO 2009. PHCO would like to recognize both the Mayor and Commissioner for their years of support for the area's homeless and acknowledge the close relationship required by the City and County to help those in need.

This year's theme is EDUCATION. We need to help folks earn their GED and move on to higher education in order to help elevate them out of their current situation.

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Highlights

"He came to an event at Creighton called Project Homeless Connect, not knowing what to expect. Now the 35-year-old Omaha man has a place to live, 21 months of sobriety and a scholarship to Metro Community College, from the 2008 event, where he is studying to become a paramedic. He came back to the event this year as a volunteer."

"I was one of the first people at the event, I was one of the last to leave, and I accomplished more in one day than I had the last 2 years". – Homeless

"I was told by a service provider that they had begun coordinating and referring with another agency, neither was aware of the service provided by the other agency". Ed Shada, Executive Director

A special thanks to the Iowa West Foundation for helping
to make this all possible