NEBRASKA CITY  - Organizers gathered at Nebraska City Tourism and Commerce’s Hot Topics forum Wednesday to encourage donations and volunteer hours to improve the well being of people in need during the holiday season.

Bell ringers are needed for the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign, the Nebraska City Food Pantry preparing its holiday food baskets and the Nebraska City Ministerial Association uses about $12,000 a year in its voucher system for gas, medicines and overnight stays in a time of crisis.

 

The First Lutheran Church has organized the Angel Tree program the past 10 years. Sandra Neubauer and Sara Vesely report that after one week of sign-ups the amount of kids has doubled compared to the first week last year.

Sarah Vesely: “Last year we have 114 families, which equates to about 400 children, and if you’re a visual person, if you know where Hayward Elementary School is, that would be the equivalent of us buying a minimum of two gifts per child that is now attending Hayward. That’s a lot of kids.”

Each kid gets a minimum of two gifts, one a clothing item and the other a toy. Families also receive a food gift card and board game for family game night.

Through partnerships with SENCA, Angel Tree provides gift cards and also provides a Christmas book in English or Spanish. Volunteers are also needed to shop, wrap presents and help distribute. Over 500 volunteer hours were used last year.

Vesely: “It makes a huge impact. 400 kids are having Christmas, are having gifts. 114 families had a Christmas dinner, had a family game night.”

Other volunteer opportunities include the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign at Fareway and Dollar Fresh. Tracy Wieckhorst said 90 percent of donations are used in the community for emergency services, utility costs and shelter assistance.
Wieckhorst: “Ring the bell for a couple of hours. That would be wonderful.”

Keitha Thomson of Nebraska City Food Pantry said over $48,000 was spent in 2020 for food and personal care products. A backpack program that allows kids to take food home over the weekend has 53 Northside and 70 Hayward families participating. An expected 1,300 people will benefit from distribution of holiday food baskets Nov. 20 and Dec. 18.

Over 2,000 people have received assistance of $147,000  since 2006 with a majority of funding coming from 3,650 flyers  she prepares for the Nebraska City utilities’ mailing in November.

 

Pastor Michael Schmidt talked about the Ministerial Association’s voucher program, which provides groceries, gas, meds and one-night stays for people in need.

Since 2015, the voucher program has spent $108,000, about $12,000 each year.

Association president Pastor Don Moore said giving helps build the spiritual climate of Nebraska City from the perspective of the Christian faith.

Moore: “It makes sure that people get taken care of. It’s really a great thing to have one place for people to be calling and they can get assistance. From a pastoral point of view it’s nice to know that there is some sort of gatekeeping that goes on with that.”