New Visions Homeless Services

It's June, and that means garden season at New Visions! Our guests and staff are taking great care of our amazing garden space, and Frank Haas has done an awesome job of capturing the process in photos.

It's time to meet Kristina! An Administrative Assistant at our Council Bluffs campus, Kristina keeps things running smoothly by helping with data entry, payroll, our Prevention program, and many other tasks! Kristina has been on staff for about 5 years, but first started serving at New Visions over 8 years ago through our Community Christmas Program. In fact, one of Kristina’s favorite NVHS memories came through her work with the Christmas event. Several years ago, she helped... staff a toy drive at a local retail location. It was a disheartening time, she remembers, a lot of people were walking by and seemed uninterested in donating. But a young boy changed the atmosphere by coming and donating his own winter hat. He wanted to give whatever he could, remembers Kristina, his sweet and selfless generosity really impacted me. Servant-hearted, generous, and kind are 3 attributes that Kristina brings to her role at New Visions. When asked what she loves most about her job, she says that the staff at New Visions is more of a family than a job. I love the relaxed environment, and how everyone works together towards the same goal. Kristina loves to travel and her favorite destinations include Branson and Hawaii. Her favorite season is fall, and favorite color is lavender. Kristina is most proud of her family, including her husband, 2 daughters, and 1 grandbaby. God has truly transformed our family, she says, and I’m so grateful for how He’s worked in our lives. Kristina brings a lot of joy and passion to her role, and we are thankful that she’s a part of our team at New Visions!

Two groups of fifth graders were able to complete their action piece of Exhibition by giving all of the donated items to New Visions Homeless Services. #cvex21

Food pantry boxes are available today (6/2)! Give us a call to schedule a time to come and pick one up! 712.355.4874

Produce boxes are available TODAY from 1-4PM. Please call to schedule a time to pick one up! 712.355.4874

Today it’s Dasiti’s turn to be in the Spotlight! Dasiti has been a case manager at New Visions for 2 years, and she does an incredible job of helping the men in our shelter come up with a plan to end homelessness for themselves. It’s not a one-size-fits-all formula, she says. We help the guys put together an individualized plan that helps get them to their next best place in their journey, whatever that looks like for them. Some of Dasiti’s gifts that she uses in her role... include empathy, balance, and a strong sense of advocacy for others. I love seeing the guys succeed, she says, whether that be overcoming addiction, finding housing, or in other areas of their lives. While Dasiti loves being a part of our staff team, her history with us goes back about 8 years to when she first began serving as a volunteer through our Christmas Event. I’ve always wanted my kids to be active in serving the community, she says. Dasiti has two daughters and a son, and has also parented several foster children with her husband of nearly 22 years. Dasiti recalls a special memory of her oldest daughter, who had coordinated a shoe drive for New Visions. We were bringing the shoes into the office, and a little girl from the community happened to be there at that time, she says. My daughter was able to help find some new shoes for this little girl, and it was really a moment of realizing why we do what we do. In her free time, Dasiti loves traveling, nature, and being outdoors, with her favorite destinations being South Dakota, Alaska, and Colorado. Her favorite artist is Kurt Cobain, her favorite color is pink, and her favorite holiday is Black Friday as she loves a good deal and finding gifts for others. Dasiti is truly a gift to US at New Visions, and we appreciate all that she brings to our team!

As we enter Memorial Day weekend, consider making a donation of significance to you. https://shareomaha.org/search/nonprofits At Ease USA... Free Weights & Freedom Javelan Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial New Century Art Guild New Visions Homeless Services Offutt Enlisted Spouses Club Operation 22 Til Freedom Paralyzed Veterans of America, Great Plains Chapter Prospect Hill Cemetery Stephen Center Big Red Sub Club Victory Riding Academy, Inc. See more

Food pantry boxes are available Tuesday and Wednesday of this week (5/18 and 5/19). Give us a call to schedule a time to come and pick one up! 712.355.4874

These College View Elementary 5th Graders are finishing the school-year strong by learning about homelessness and donating hygiene items to our Council Bluffs shelter. They did this as the action piece to their Exhibition. #cvex21 Thank you, College View, and have a fantastic last day of school!!

It’s time to meet Stephanie! Stephanie is our Housing and Compliance Director, and works with our funders to be sure our systems, staff, and properties are all in compliance. Stephanie has kept our team organized and running smoothly since she joined our staff in 2012, but before that time, her career path looked a lot different. As a single mom taking college classes, she was on a business-oriented career path when she met the Wallar family during our 2011 Christmas event. S...he remembers a lightbulb moment that changed her mind about her future. When I was volunteering, I had the opportunity to connect with a lot of the guests on the New Visions campus, she says, and one of them had a birthday coming up. I remembered that he liked Coca-Cola and tootsie rolls, so I decided to get him some of those for his birthday. Stephanie remembers that her small gesture made a big impact on the life of the gentleman, and she realized then that she really wanted to work in a field where she could help and engage with people. Stephanie’s assets of loyalty, compassion, and spirituality were put to use immediately, as she began to help countless people with the process of signing up for social security and disability and also helped open our Omaha Veteran’s Campus. I made great relationships, and the staff and clients immediately began to feel like family, she says. Stephanie still loves to see how caring for people can impact them and change their trajectory in life. In her free time, Stephanie loves fishing, bowling, and being outdoors with her family, which includes her husband and 4 children, ranging in age from 21 years to 3 months. I’m so incredibly proud of my kids, she says, they truly are respectful, kind, and hard-working people, and I’m so proud of who they are. We are so grateful to have Stephanie on our team, and we look forward to seeing the many ways she will continue to impact people’s lives through her work.

Come and volunteer with us at New Visions Omaha! Our kitchen and meal-site team in Omaha is looking for volunteer help on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9AM-1PM. Use our sign-up platform to let us know when you can join us! https://signup.com/go/newvisionsomaha