Responding to the call

In November of 2022, in response to a call for assistance from Ruben Garcia, director of Annunciation House in El Paso, a non-profit Omaha Welcomes the Stranger (OWS) was formed.  In December OWS provided temporary shelter (including food, basic healthcare, and transportation help) for 39 asylum seekers for whom there was no room at the border shelters.  These people all had sponsors in different parts of the country, and within a week all were on their way to friends and relatives in other cities.  OWS was prepared to receive other buses of asylum seekers in 2023, but the border situation changed, and the local shelters were able to handle the reduced numbers of people arriving. 

Recently, OWS has been called upon to respond to a very different situation.  Asylum seekers who have no sponsoring friends or relatives are now arriving in Omaha by various means and routes and are seeking to make their homes here. In July two families from Venezuela, each with a father, mother and three school-age children, arrived unannounced and contacted the Juan Diego Center seeking help.  The Center promptly gave them food, clothing and legal advice.  The families were then referred to OWS for shelter. We quickly made arrangements with our shelter facility, and since July 12 these families have received food and temporary hospitality from OWS. Their children are enrolled in OPS and have received required vaccinations.

The expense incurred in supporting a family is substantial because it may take 180 days or more for the adults to obtain work permits.  Providing care and compassion to these families is part of the Gospel message as seen above.  Omaha Welcomes the Stranger intends to provide this compassion and care as long as it is able to do so and welcomes any financial assistance that may be available.

For additional information about Omaha Welcomes the Stranger, please contact us via our webform.

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