By Katie Knapp Schubert
Omaha, NE – The Salvation Army of Omaha's Winter Night Watch program served more than 16,000 meals between December first and February 28th.
Winter Night Watch wrapped up its 22nd year on February 28th. About 275 meals were served every night of Winter Night Watch to Omaha's homeless and near-homeless. This year, the program expanded in to south Omaha two nights a week. A donation from Dundee Presbyterian Church allowed the Salvation Army to add a second unit.
JJ Kuzma, Divisional Disaster Services Director, says they hope to expand the south Omaha unit to a five-night operation next year. "We have plans for next year to enlarge it and go in to a couple different areas in south O. We just wanted to try it this year to get it off the ground and see what the feel was for it. And now we've got that, so we'll take that study and look at the rest of the south O area."
250 volunteers served 16,446 meals this season during Winter Night Watch. That's nearly five thousand more meals than last year, and includes the new locations in south Omaha.