The Micha Corps goes to the Open Door Mission

The Micah Corps had the opportunity to work at the Open Door Mission, a homeless shelter in Omaha. The interns were able to talk with Scott Shreve of the Open Door Mission and learn more about the Mission, homelessness in Nebraska, and who the Mission serves. The Open Door Mission strives to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in Omaha. Every night, approximately 3,500 men, women, and children are homeless in Nebraska, with 2,000 of them in Omaha. The Open Door Mission provides 400 safe beds to men, women, and children, and serves 1,700 hot meals a day. The average age of a homeless person is 9 years old, and families with children make up 33% of all homeless. Omaha has a shortage of 4,000 units of affordable housing, exacerbating the problem of homelessness in Omaha and Nebraska. The Mission also provides preventive measures to 250 families living in poverty. One of the services the Open Door Mission provides to help prevent homelessness is a kid’s camp during the summer that provides children with a safe place to go and three hot meals every day. The interns were able to help with the camp and spend some time with the kids, teaching them about the Bible and just having fun. The interns went with the kids to Lake Manawa for swimming, to the Durham Museum, and they did arts and crafts. The Micah Corps had a great time spending time with the kids at the Open Door Mission.