Finding Ways to Work
Several years ago, the City of Omaha partnered with The Salvation Army of Omaha for a mutually beneficial program that provides the homeless with paid jobs and the city with extra staffing, particularly in the parks department.
The partnership, which started in 2019, is known as A Way to Work. The program employs homeless or near-homeless individuals in the city’s parks Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., for a 90-day period. Transportation and lunch are provided each workday. 
Christina Negrete was hired as program coordinator in November 2023, and since then has helped push the initiative forward. As of July 2024, 15 people had gone through the program, including six currently working. Three have found permanent jobs: one at James Skinner Bakery, one at LSI services, one at Airlite Plastics Co., and one with the City of Omaha. The program, which can serve up to eight people at a time, is currently full, with about 20 people on a waitlist.
Negrete’s prior experience was as a career coach through National Able Network, and before that, she was at Omaha Housing Authority. That experience has been helpful in getting those she serves even greater experience.
She’s been raising awareness for A Way to Work, including attending JobPalooza, the jobs fair through Heartland Workforce Solutions.
As Negrete moves the program forward, efforts are being made to ensure that A Way to Work will soon have a new training site of its own. Permission was recently granted for an onsite greenhouse – exact location to be determined – which will give participants a chance to work with plants before moving on to the City of Omaha’s properties. The greenhouse is anticipated be completed in the fall.
In addition to part-time employment, those enrolled also benefit from case management and other resources provided by The Salvation Army, including resume development and job-search assistance. Those experiencing homelessness and near-homelessness often don’t have resources available to procure interview-appropriate clothing, or even soap and shampoo for a pre-interview shower, so participants in A Way to Work receive a stipend for $100 to spend on clothing. They are also provided with personal care bags with necessities such as deodorant, shaving cream and razors. The care bags are underwritten thanks to a donor group that makes an annual contribution.
Ultimately, A Way to Work is there to help reduce homelessness in Omaha, and Negrete and the team have been working hard to make that happen.
“We’ve been helping them get housing,” Negrete said of the program’s participants. “There’s Omaha Housing Authority, Together Inc., Douglas County, Habitat for Humanity. I’ve been trying to connect them with various agencies.”
Thanks to the work of Negrete and the team, this collaborative program between The Salvation Army and the City of Omaha is finding continued success.