In It Together: Omaha Nonprofit Builds Collaborative Hub to Provide Housing and Healthcare Services

A ferocious tornado ripped through Omaha in 1975, destroying 287 homes and damaging 1,400 others. At the time, it was one of the costliest storms in U.S. history, resulting in $300-$500 million of damage ($2-$3 billion in today’s dollars).

The devastating twister left a scar on a 2,000-block swath of the city. Yet thanks to the resilience of Omaha’s faith community, the disaster was also the impetus of an inspiring initiative to do good. Even as local congregations reeled from the storm, they rallied to form Together, a disaster relief effort.

Coordinating their resources, congregations including First United Methodist Church, St. Pius X Catholic Church, and Temple Israel Jewish Synagogue gave clothing, food, and shelter to families impacted by the tornado. Having provided relief to victims of the storm, they saw an opportunity to continue serving members of the community struggling to secure life’s basic necessities.

Nearly 51 years later, Together remains a powerful force for good in the community. It operates food pantries in Omaha and Council Bluffs. It assists people who are experiencing housing instability or homelessness. It also ensures families have access to food programs and disability benefits.

Helping families find stable housing

Together’s latest venture—constructing a Housing Stability Clinic—is addressing the need for housing assistance, which has increased sharply as pandemic-era public resources have phased out. In 2024, Together’s leadership saw an opportunity to provide in-person assistance to people in the midst of a housing crisis. In collaboration with various community partners, they came up with an idea to use the previous site of 11-Worth Café to pilot a Housing Stability Clinic. Reimagine, Threshold, Family Housing Advisory Services, Legal Aid of Nebraska, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the City of Omaha were among the many organizations who played a critical role in shaping creation of the clinic. With their support, Together and ReImagine set up cubicles in the middle of the former restaurant and began accepting walk-ins in April 2024.

“It blew up!” exclaimed Mike Hornacek, President and CEO of Together. “We saw more than 3,200 people in the first 90 days. There were lines extending out the front door of the café to 25th Street.”

The demand for service was so great that it became overwhelming. Together temporarily relocated the clinic to Kountze Commons. There, they had to hire an overnight security guard because people were lining up for assistance at midnight, camping in tents to keep their place in the queue. Eventually, Together had to trim the clinic’s eligibility criteria, and pivot from accepting walk-ins to requiring appointments, to be able to manage the influx of people seeking housing assistance.

A brick-and-mortar realization of the spirit of partnership

Last month, Together moved into a new facility that will permanently house its Housing Stability Clinic, while providing rent-free space for at least 14 other human service organizations. The Nebraska Department of Economic Development supported its construction with a $2 million award through the North and South Omaha Recovery Grant Program.

“We will have a significant presence, but the focus is really not us,” Hornacek explained. “The facility is designed to be a community hub that can house a whole bunch of nonprofit or community organizations. We’re not necessarily engaging with new partners; we’re just putting everyone together in the same spot, not charging rent, and providing a more trauma-informed response.”

By allowing resource providers to work in close proximity, Hornacek expects the clinic to encourage face-to-face interactions between organizations that will enhance both cooperation and effectiveness.

“We’re super-excited about the clinic,” said Hornacek. “We take our name literally; we were born out of collaboration and partnerships. That has always been part of our DNA.” He went on to describe the new clinic as a “brick-and-mortar realization” of the spirit of partnership that has always been at the core of Together’s identity.

When someone lacks access to food or stable housing, they may be facing other significant life challenges—such as loss of employment, healthcare issues, or even domestic violence. When this is the case, accessing the resources they need is likely to require separate visits to multiple providers. Scheduling these appointments and finding transportation to them can be barriers to getting the help they need.

With several providers co-located in Together’s Housing Stability Clinic, customers can now access an array services—such as housing assistance, health screenings, behavioral health counseling, employment services, and legal aid—without ever leaving the building.

“The clinic is designed so that if someone walks in the door with an eviction notice or utility shut-off, we can help with that,” Hornacek said. “But we also know that [someone experiencing those challenges] is likely to need a far broader range of human services.”

“Hunger and homelessness are massive issues that can’t be addressed in a silo,” he continued. “You need to have collaboration to do that.”

Rising to the challenge of increased food insecurity

While launching its Housing Stability Clinic, Together continues to be a major provider of food for families in need. In January 2014, Together opened its food pantry location at South 24th and Leavenworth streets in Omaha. At the time, the nonprofit’s pantry served 20,000 to 22,000 non-unique visitors per year. In 2019, the food pantry’s foot traffic increased to 42,000 visits, which was then a record high. In subsequent years, the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a surge of demand for nutrition assistance, prompting Together to open a second Omaha-area food pantry in Council Bluffs in 2021. Last year, Together’s two food pantries served 180,000 visitors.

“Every day, we go through an entire 24-foot box truck—like the Ryder truck you would rent to move—of food at our two locations,” said Hornacek. “Since we’re the only pantry [in metro Omaha] open five days a week, we pull from a large geographic area, within about a two-hour drive from our campuses.”

“In many small towns, even though there is a pantry, participants can only get a bag of groceries,” explained Ann Koster, Together’s Director of Finance. “Here, you can get an entire box full of groceries that will last longer than just a few days.”

Together primarily stocks its pantries with fresh produce, meats, and dairy products received from Food Bank of the Heartland. It also receives donations from businesses, churches, and school food drives. “It’s kind of a double-edged sword,” said Mike Hornacek, reflecting on the pantry’s rapid growth. “I’m very grateful that the community supports us to the point where we have the ability to keep the shelves full. At the same time, it’s pretty alarming to see how many people we serve on a regular basis now. It’s not a number that I ever thought remotely possible, and it’s not slowing down in any way, shape, or form.”

Powered by generosity

Together’s community impact is made possible through the generosity of its supporters. Thousands of Nebraskans volunteer at Together each year, and Hornacek credits Jeri Janz with having ramped up the nonprofit’s community engagement since taking on the role of Volunteer Coordinator in 2024. “Our volunteer hours were up 277% in 2025!” he remarked.

Hornacek also praised Omaha’s business community for its open-handed philanthropy. “Our shining star examples are corporations who do board involvement, sponsorships, grants, and volunteering,” he said.

There are many opportunities to support Together as it addresses hunger and homelessness in metro Omaha. Explore ways to get involved by visiting https://togetheromaha.org/get-involved/volunteer.html.