Local non-profit serves holiday dinner to veterans

For the past four years, the non-profit organization 'Heroes Into Homes' has served local veterans a special holiday dinner.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Heroes into Homes, a local non-profit, served about 70 meals to our veterans Sunday, who were once previously homeless.

“This is our fourth annual holiday dinner that we are doing for the veterans at Victory Park,” Shon Olson, an organizer with Heroes into Homes.

In a normal year the organization usually throws a party for the veterans, but with COVID-19 that had changed a bit. Instead, meals were individually wrapped and delivered door to door in the apartment complex (Victory Park). The meals included Turkey, Ham, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pie, and much more.

“We try to do things to get the veterans to connect to one another and to socialize, with COVID it’s been interesting and challenging,” Sheri Verkamp, property manager at Victory Park said. “I’m thankful for organizations like Heroes into Homes and different church organizations that have gone outside of the box and have been able to provide meals during this holiday season to the veterans that live here.”

Heroes into Homes wanted to thank several businesses and organizations for helping provide the holiday dinner:

• DAV Chapter 7 for the Hy-Vee Turkeys and all the trimmings.
• Sysco Lincoln for the Hams.
• Round the Bend Steakhouse (Ashland) for space.
• The Lincoln community for all of their continued support.

“We set up five long banquet tables and a couple of cut stations, four of us cut turkeys and carved hams, the rest prepared the sides and put everything together into to-go containers,” Olson said.

Heroes Into Homes does so much more then just feeding our vets, they work closely with Veterans Affairs and Victory Park apartments on VA’s campus, furnishing veterans apartments and running a food, cleaning and hygiene pantry one night each month at the facility.

For more information on how to donate to our local veterans, visit www.heroesintohomes.org or call 402.960.5584.