BURROWS CENTER SPOTLIGHT: TIFFANIE MCCOWIN
Even when it’s hard, Tiffanie McCowin, Program Director at The Salvation Army’s Burrows Center for Help and Hope, knows that the work she and her Material Assistance & Seasonal Services (MASS) team does every day makes a difference for those in need.
“I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said.
Before joining The Salvation Army family 20 years ago, she worked at a local business – but always felt the desire to do something where she could make a difference in the lives of others.
She returned to school to earn her bachelor’s degree in Human and Social Service Administration from Bellevue University, and after finishing her practicum in The Salvation Army’s Cares program, she noticed a job posting for a full-time case management opportunity in the Army’s transitional living program.
She did that for 8 years before moving into her current role – and, as she says, she loves it all.
“I love the work that we do, the people I work with and the people we serve,” she said. “I honestly feel like if I didn’t come to work, I would be letting the community down. I don’t look for the ‘thank you.’ I get tremendous satisfaction and joy from knowing we are helping meet many of the needs of people in the community.”
Throughout the year, Tiffanie and the MASS team run the food pantry at Burrows (61st & NW Radial Highway) while also providing utility and transportation assistance to people in the community. They also work with the City of Omaha as part of the “A Way to Work” program, which provides homeless people with employment as well as case management services.
With the holiday season coming up – the busiest part of the calendar year for her and her team – she said it’s a great time to really see and enjoy the impact of their work.
Together, they provide more than 1,200 meals on Thanksgiving Day to homebound seniors, partner with businesses to do toy drives, pick up Angel Tree donations and get all the toys ordered, purchased and donated to host Toyland in December for Christmas.
It’s all in a day’s work – and it’s work she can’t imagine not doing.
