With temperatures in the single digits, Sarah – living out of her car, until it was stolen - humbled herself and requested shelter at Siena Francis House.
Sarah is a guest who very recently sought shelter at Siena Francis House. She’d been living in her car for nearly two weeks, after she’d been evicted from her apartment. A job loss, related to a chronic mental illness, was more than Sarah could overcome. Although she’d lost almost all of her possessions, Sarah was able to hold onto her old beater of a car…at least temporarily.
About three weeks ago, Sarah was living in her car, parked on a street not far from a local non-profit that provides outpatient mental health services. Sarah – desperately trying to deal with her overwhelming depression, and to get back on her feet – locked her car as she went in for an appointment. When Sarah returned, her car was gone.
Not knowing what happened, Sarah checked to see if her vehicle had been towed. It hadn’t, so Sarah filed a report with the Omaha police. She answered the police officers’ questions while fighting back tears. Sarah now had nowhere to live, nothing to eat, and very little hope in her life. The thought of committing suicide crossed her mind. Fortunately, the police were understanding and very helpful. The woman officer who responded suggested to Sarah that she go to Siena Francis House. Sarah agreed, and so the officer drove Sarah to our shelter.
Since the day that she arrived, I’m grateful Sarah’s had enough to eat, clothes to wear and access to our staff who provide all of our services, including a safe and secure place for Sarah to temporarily call home…and especially so in this terrible cold and snowy weather. As I write you, the temperature is 7 degrees and the wind is howling outside my window here at Siena Francis House. It snowed this morning, and freezing ice is expected later today. Winter is here.
Because of the cold temperatures, snow and wind, more and more hungry and desperate women and men find themselves on our doorstep, in need of food, clothing and shelter. Last night, 423 individuals who are experiencing homelessness stayed in our new emergency shelter and were thankful for our staff who greeted and welcomed them…and provided them a hot meal, clothes to wear and a place to sleep – away from the cold and snow. The guests’ gratitude, and mine, really goes to you for your sustained support of this mission.
Will you please give a gift to Siena Francis House right now? Your donation will help care for Sarah and so many other people who are homeless this winter. Stories like Sarah’s are not uncommon. She truly had nowhere else to turn that morning, and no other option. Siena Francis House tries to never turn anyone away, and we are dedicated to providing our services to the many hundreds of people who come to us seeking assistance.
Besides receiving food, shelter and clothing, Sarah is meeting regularly with one of our case managers regarding her plan to find housing. We’ve also helped Sarah schedule mental healthcare appointments, and provided her transportation. Because of all of these positive things going on her life, Sarah now has something that she’s wanted for a very long time – hope for a better and brighter future!
Every day, Sarah tells our staff how much she appreciates everything she’s received since arriving at our shelter. We remind her that our services are only possible because of the support from caring people who share our mission of helping those in need, like you.
Will you please CLICK HERE and donate today? We truly need your help to provide food, shelter, clothing and safety to the more than 400 hungry and homeless persons from right here in our community show up at our door every day.
Please know how grateful we are to you for helping Siena Francis House provide our essential, life-saving services to the homeless when they have nowhere else to turn. Please also know that these services are only possible because of your generous financial support. The majority of contributions to our shelter come from compassionate members of our community, like you.
God bless you for your sustained support, and I wish you well during these cold winter months.
With gratitude,
Linda Twomey
Executive Director
P.S. We are in our busiest time of the year, although it’s a very slow time for receiving monetary support. Many hundreds of cold, hungry and homeless individuals seek food, shelter and safety here every day. Please give your gift to Siena Francis House right away, as our organization exists and operates almost entirely on charitable donations.
Gifts to Siena Francis House are used to provide food, shelter, clothing, and care of the people who turn to us during their hour of need, and are greatly appreciated. All of our services are provided at no cost to our guests. All gifts to Siena Francis House are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Our audited financial statements are freely available by writing to Sien /Francis House, P.O. Box 217 DTS – Omaha, Nebraska – 68101. Our donor information is kept in strict confidence; our donor lists are never rented, shared, or exchanged with other organizations. The stories in our letters are real. Identifying details have been changed and file photos may be used to protect the privacy and therapeutic interest of our guests. For more information about Siena Francis House or to include us in your estate planning, please contact Siena Francis House Development Team at (402) 341-1821.
