THE
OMAHA
CATHOLIC
WORKER
COMMUNITY

Dear Friends of the Omaha Catholic Worker,

Our call here at the OCW is to look for Jesus in the guise of a stranger, in the folks that our society considers the outcasts, the marginalized, the dangerous, the irresponsible, the illegal, or simply " charity cases".

In his book, Community and Growth, Jean Vanier writes, "The promise of Jesus is to help us discover that the poor are a source of life for us, and not objects of our charity. If we are close to them, we will be renewed in hope, in love, and in faith."

Personalism is the way that Peter Maurin taught us. Personalism teaches us all, that we don't need any institution to do our work of justice for us. We can do justice each ourselves, in a personal, face to face way. What the poor need more is our love and friendship. That is how they are brought into community, and our salvation is mixed together within our relationships with one another. That is the mystery of living in voluntary poverty among the poor that Dorothy Day taught and spoke of often. That is the gift that the poor and the OCW can offer to many others who support our house and the volunteers that come here as well.

We could not do these works of mercy, in voluntary poverty and at personal sacrifice, without your prayers, time, energy and financial gifts.

It seems that each month to month as the bills get paid, and the small bank account grows and depletes that we come begging to you, again and again. We are indeed thankful for your many gifts to keep us going. We are in need.
We need your financial help, and in getting other churches and individuals to consider a monthly pledge or regular financial support.

Please consider asking a friend and yourself over to the house for dinner at our Mass and Potluck gatherings, or First Friday of the Month roundtable discussions. Visit with us, and meet our guests.

HOUSE NEEDS

Generous donors to help us pay the rent, and utilities and van costs. Prayers to sustain our lives in faith. Speaking invitations to speak at Churches and parishes about a shared partnership with the homeless at OCW. We need someone to help us with computer skills to design a postal newsletter 4 times a year.

Can goods, meats, pastas, toilet paper, coffee, vegetables, cleaning supplies, laundry detergent ,sugar, gift cards for Baker's, No Frills, Hy-Vee, light bulbs, trash bags, bar soap, shampoo, dish towels,cold medications, Tylenol.

Evening Volunteers Needed 5-9 pm nights
We are in need of volunteers to take a shift from 5-9pm any night of the week. This involves cooking; preparing a meal for our guests, supervising clean up afterwards, and socializing with our guests at home. This could mean playing games, showing a video, watching TV. Just talking, working in the garden in the early evening. Just hanging' out, a ministry of presence; answering the phone.

This also gives the live- in community members an opportunity to get out of the house and take care of personal business and respite. Please give us a call and try it out. This is the best opportunity to mingle and get to know what we do here at the OCW. This can be done my individuals or a small 2-3 group of people. Calendar dates are open.

Options:
1 : Cook a meal for about 7 people and yourselves ahead of time and bring it with you. We serve dinner at 6 pm each night.
2: Arrive about 4:30 pm and cook what we might have available here at the house.
Call ahead and so we can take some food out of the freezer for you the night before.
3. Taking our guests out for Pizza.

We are indeed thankful to God, each day in prayer, for your shared partnership with us.

Jerry Ebner and Kay Forsling
Omaha Catholic Worker
1104 N. 24th St. Omaha, NE 68102
www.no-nukes.org/cwomaha
cwomaha@gmail.com
402- 502- 5887