Fraternity chapter's overnight fundraiser 'getting bigger'

When the sun sets and night time lingers, most people in Omaha are able to rest easy and securely in the safety of their homes. However, many homeless people don't have such a luxury. For the last seven years the Phi Beta Sigma Nebraska chapter has been putting in overnight hours on the street to raise awareness, money and funds for Omaha's needy.

The area Sigmas crowded the corner of 72nd and Dodge streets on a mild Sept. 28 evening. From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning, a mix of students and graduates flagged down vehicles and waved signs to try and collect donations from drivers-by.  Senior Brandon Williams was busy handling donations as well as waving at drivers. He noted several random acts of generosity generated from getting noticed on the street.

"We've had a lot of people go to the store [to buy donations] after seeing us here," Williams said. "People have been seeing us and want to do what they can to help."

The Sigmas gained a few perks from strangers, as a token of appreciation for their efforts.

"A lady just dropped off a bunch of nachos for us," Williams said with a smile, and subsequently offered some up, along with brownies another person had donated.

According to the Open Door Mission website, opendoormission.org, there are approximately 2,000 homeless people that inhabit the city at this time. The Sigmas have been happy to help them keep their resources stocked for the last seven years, making their overnight fundraisers an annual affair.

This year the group collected about $420, roughly 100 non-perishable food products and various other groceries. Phi Beta Sigma Nebraska chapter vice president Ryan McClarty was pleased with the results.

"We made more than we did last year, which was our goal," McClarty said. "The Open Door Mission is always very happy with us and that make me really happy."

Along with gaining praise from donating strangers, McClarty recalled a group of Omaha's homeless who commended them for the work they were doing.

"A group of four people walked by and explained that they were homeless," McClarty said. "They really liked what we were doing. It's stuff like that that makes this enjoyable for us. We all have a lot of fun doing this."

The group holds the fundraiser once a year, but McClarty said things could easily change.

"We've always had the idea to hold one of these in the spring, as well as the one that we do in the fall," McClarty explained. "We just haven't done it yet. Things keep getting bigger and bigger each year, so who knows."

Metropolitan areas see many faces with nowhere to go. Omaha is no exception.

For more information about homelessness in Omaha or to make a donation, visit opendoormission.org.