Service to the North Omaha community and our Belvedere neighborhood is a valued part of the life of our congregation and a vital component of our identity. We deepen our faith through the work we do by providing concrete programs that serve those in need.
Community services and outreach programs
Belvedere School
This Omaha Public Elementary School is located a few blocks from our church. It is a school with a very high percentage of low-income students who have significant needs beyond their education. In the fall of 2022, CoR’s Deacon Joan Wood approached the school to ask if our church might support their staff and students in some way. She was told “You are an answer to prayer — we have no other partnerships with any organizations.”
In school year 2022-23 the church provided dinner for teachers during annual conference week and supplied a continental breakfast for staff appreciation. According to the school principal, a great need going forward is to supply hygiene products for children ages 3 to 12 as many are in need of deodorant, soap, sanitary items, and even pull-ups for those in preschool. We hold a “hygiene supplies” donation drive over the holiday season.
Each semester the church purchases a Treasure Chest filled with surprise rewards for the students— craft items, pencils, small toys, games — for teachers to use for student recognition and incentives. CoR provides $100 a month for these efforts. According to Deacon Joan, “We are supporting the school in ways they say is the greatest need, not how the church thinks is best.”
30th Street Ministry
Church of the Resurrection is located in the heart of Omaha’s Near North Side neighborhood directly across 30th Street from Miller Park. Access to public transportation and the ability to purchase bus fare is a significant concern for residents needing to get to work or school and to receive medical care. Each month, the church distributes thirty 10-ride bus tickets free of charge to those who seek assistance.
The church also stocks a supply of non-perishable items — dried fruit, protein bars, Gatorade — to provide quick snacks and furnishes a “Little Food Pantry” in front of the church stocked with canned foods and boxed goods for making a meal. In hot weather, the church provides a cooler of bottled water by the bus stop in front of the church.
These efforts are funded outside the primary budget through special donations and memorial gifts.