Assistance

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Fremont Area United Way

The Fremont Area United Way is a local organized effort to raise funds for community and human service organizations in Fremont and surrounding communities. Local organizations receive funding from the Fremont Area United Way. The campaign benefits the following agencies:

American Red Cross
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Boy Scouts of America
Care Corps
Civil Air Patrol
Crisis Center for Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault
Dodge County Head Start
Fremont Area Mediation
Fremont Family YMCA
Girl Scouts
Habitat for Humanity
Jefferson House
Low Income Ministry
Lutheran Family Services
North East Nebraska Family Health Services
Rainbows
Salvation Army
United Family Services

The Fremont Area United Way office is located at inside the Historic Visitors Center on Broad Street. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

For more information contact Kari Ridder, campaign executive, 721-4157; fax: 721-4157; or e-mail: faunitedway@teknetwork.com.

United Way of the Midlands has a toll-free 211 call center available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for callers from Douglas, Sarpy, Cass and Dodge counties, that offers people quick and easy access to human service information in their own communities. Call 211.

Temporary Help

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 124 E. Fifth St., provides a range of services for residents in need. Dave Prokesh is office administrator. For those who qualify, services can include: aid to dependent children; assistance to the aged, blind and disabled; food stamps; help with prescription drugs and doctor, hospital, dental and other medical bills including personal care aides; help with heating and air conditioning costs; transportation; emergency assistance for families with children; medical services for medically handicapped children; help in becoming employable through the Employment First Program for ADC clients; protective services in cases of child and adult abuse and neglect; and help with household chores, child care, getting child support, adult day care and learning homemaking skills. For more information about any of the above programs, or for an application form, call 727-3200.
Low Income Ministry of Dodge County, 549 N. H St., helps provide food, clothing, linens, fans, school supplies, emergency school assistance, household goods and — for those who receive food stamps — hygiene products such as toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, toilet tissue and laundry, dish and hand soap.

Food pantry distribution is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. Marcella Divis-Michaud is executive director. She works with more than 150 volunteers, including five volunteer coordinators, and a 20-member board of directors. The center also provides financial assistance for people who face eviction or utility shutoff and is a designated disaster site. For more information, call 727-6884, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. weekdays.
The Salvation Army Church, 707 N. I St., helps those in need. Captains Michale and Tina Cripe are pastors.

For programs that provide fellowship and wholeness, assistance from the pantry, or for rent, utilities, prescriptions, etc. assistance, call 721-0930. After hours call the Fremont Police Department, 727-2677, for emergencies only. For opportunities to serve as a volunteer, call the Salvation Army during regular office hours.
Care Corps Homeless Services, 723 N. Broad St., operates 24 hours a day. The program is designed to address the underlying causes of homelessness so children and familes in the greater Fremont area can live healthy lives.

Services include a prevention program, a shelter facility for individuals and families and an aftercare program that allows clients to utilize services for six months after they leave to ensure long-term success. Key services offered at Care Corps include: case management, therapy for mental health and substance abuse, and life skills classes.

Care Corps depends heavily on volunteers and private donations. Tammy Evans is executive director. For more information, call 721-3125; Web site: www.carecorpshomelessservices.org.
American Red Cross, Dodge County Chapter, 439 N. Main St., provides emergency assistance for victims of fire, floods and other disasters. Other services include: help for families who need to contact members in the U.S. military; courses in adult CPR/AED, infant and child CPR, first aid, babysitting and water safety. There is a free blood pressure clinic the first Wednesday of every month from 8 to 10 a.m. A blood services department coordinates Dodge County blood drives. Call 721-2386 between 8 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday, at 721-2386. The 24-hour emergency number is also 721-2386. E-mail: dodgearc@tvsonline.net.

Family Needs

The Family Planning/Reproductive Health Program, 230 E. 22nd St., provides reproductive health services and contraceptive supplies. The phone number is 727-5336. Web site: www.nenfhs.org. Services offered at the clinic include: pap smears, breast exams, sexually transmitted disease testing, HIV testing, gynecological exams, pregnancy testing and many types of contraceptives. The clinic is also a provider for Every Woman Matters, a cervical and breast cancer screening program sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. All clinic services are confidential and charges are based on family size and income. The agency also provides health-related information and presentations to individuals, schools, churches and other groups.
Women, Infants and Children Food Program, 230 E. 22nd St., is part of North East Nebraska Family Health Services. Kathy Kniefl coordinates WIC activities for Dodge, Washington, Saunders, Butler and Polk counties. The phone number is 727-9008 in Fremont; Web site: www.nenfhs.org. Call 1-888-727-9008 outside of Fremont. WIC is a federally funded program that provides supplemental foods, nutrition education and health screening for qualifying women who are pregnant, recently had a child or are breastfeeding, and infants and children up to age 5.
The Dodge County Immunization Clinic is administered by Three Rivers Public Health District. Services include: all infant and child immunizations, adult immunizations, flue shots, pneumonia shots, TB skin testing, lead screening. Appointments are available 9 a.m. to noon and 1-6 p.m. every Monday and 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, excluding holidays. Those wanting to be immunized should be 727-6054 to make an appointment.
Dodge County Project Headstart, 1024 W. 23rd St., serves 125 low-income and disabled children in Dodge County. Judy Brant is director; 721-9022; e-mail: jbrant@alltel.net. Headstart works with Fremont schools for services to the disabled. Services are free to qualifying families.
Child Support Enforcement Program, on the third floor of the Dodge County Courthouse, helps track down parents who are not paying child support. Patrick Baxter is the prosecuting attorney who handles delinquent child support cases. Call customer service, 1-877-631-9973. Local parents entitled to child support but who do not receive it should contact the office. The child support staff will work to: find absent parents; establish paternity; establish court orders for child support payments; and enforce the orders.
The Crisis Center for Domestic Abuse/Sexual Assault, 321 E. Military Ave., offers help both to victims of abuse and violence, and to the abusers. Suzanne Smith is executive director. The center can be reached by calling the 24-hour crisis line, 727-7777 or 1-800-876-6238. During business hours, call 721-4340; e-mail: crisiscenter@tvsonline.net, or stop by.

Services include: temporary emergency shelter; medical, legal and financial assistance and referrals; confidential crisis intervention counseling for victims; men's and women's groups; and a group for children. The program offers help in finding other agencies and institutions that may provide additional assistance. Educational programs for schools, professionals and community groups are available. Services are available in Spanish.

Coping Sessions for Recently Divorced, Separated or Widowed People help people work through the trauma of losing their spouse. In six weekly sessions, participants hear presentations and gather in small groups to share experiences, feelings and coping techniques as they learn from one another. All sessions are led by trained people who are widowed, separated or divorced. The sessions are offered two times per year in the spring and fall and are co-sponsored by the Fremont Area Coping Team and the Beginning Experience of Omaha. For more information, call Jerry Tworek, 721-1335, or Sr. Marilyn Ketteler, 721-6611; e-mail: mjketteler@yahoo.com.
Widowed, Divorced and Separated of Fremont is a support group for divorced, separated and widowed men and women of all faiths. Monthly meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month at St. Patrick's Community Center, Fourth and Union streets. On even-numbered months the group gathers at 6 p.m. for a potluck meal. A variety of other activities are scheduled throughout the month. For more information, call Elvera Davis, 721-5991, Sr. Marilyn Ketteler, 721-6611; e-mail: mjketteler@yahoo.com, or Virginia Dunn, 664-2410; e-mail: vmdunn@gpcom.net.

Job Hunting

Nebraska Workforce Development-Employment and Training Services, 835 N. Broad St. (inside Metropolitan Community College’s Fremont Center), is a federally-funded and state-administered employment program. It provides free job referral, vocational guidance, testing and referral to other programs such as job training. Call 727-3250. Services include: listings of private, federal and state job openings; nationwide referrals to employers; resume review and interview preparation assistance; proficiency testing; labor market information; an aptitude test and interest inventories which are used for vocational counseling.

Training specialists can assist eligible applicants and businesses with services such as assessment, on-the-job training, classroom training, work experience, job searches and preparation techniques, resume preparation and job retention skills. There are also specialized activities to assist youth. Training specialists can be reached at 727-3270. E-mail: fremontwfd@dol.state.ne.us; Web site: www.nebraskaworkforce.com.
StaffCo Employment Services, 415 N. Main St., is Fremont’s first and most innovative employment service, serving Fremont and the surrounding area since November 1995. StaffCo offers full-time, part-time and temporary job placements for both employers and employees at no charge to the employee. StaffCo offers a wide variety of available employees and job openings including production, general labor, clerical and professional.

StaffCo also offers on-the-job training, weekly pay and benefits. Contact Carol Fenske, manager, or Billie Bennett, account manager, 727-8336, or e-mail: carolf@staffco.net.

Recovery

Alcoholics Anonymous meets regularly in Fremont. Chapter Five AA is at 136 N. Main St. AA meetings are held there daily. Other AA meetings are at various locations throughout Fremont. There are no dues or fees for AA membership. Call 721-0272, 721-7981, 753-1035, or 727-1294. Spanish AA meetings are also offered. Call 721-8303.
Al-Anon, 136 N. Main St., meets regularly in Fremont. Call 721-0272, 727-8818, 721-3386, 727-9919, or 721-7207.
Lutheran Family Services, 513 N. D St., 721-1774, offers individual, couples and family counseling services, psychiatric medication evaluation and medication monitoring, outpatient substance abuse treatment, chemical dependency evaluations, adoption services, pregnancy counseling services. E-mail Kathleen at kalmarhoon@lfsneb.org.
Narcotics Anonymous, info line, 459-9511, and Nar-Anon, 727-4006, also meet regularly in Fremont.
Pathfinder Support Services Inc., Eighth and Main streets, is an outpatient counseling service for individuals with chemical abuse problems (both drug and alcohol). Individual, family and group sessions are available for adults and adolescents, as well as chemical education classes. There is a full-time interpreter on staff for Spanish-speaking individuals. Also available is an Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program for substance abuse. This program consists of individual, family and three group sessions weekly. Relapse prevention is also offered. Outpatient services are provided in the Fremont area, as well as Schuyler and West Point. For more information, call 721-1414, or 1-888-944-5080. Lori Cheshier is administrator; e-mail: lcheshier@alltel.net.

Mental Health Rehabilitation

Lutheran Family Services, 513 N. D St., 721-1774, offers individual, couples and family counseling services, psychiatric medication evaluation and medication monitoring, outpatient substance abuse treatment, chemical dependency evaluations, adoption services, pregnancy counseling services. E-mail Kathleen at kalmarhoon@lfsneb.org.
Pathfinder Support Services Inc., Eighth and Main streets, provides outpatient mental health services. Individual, family, martial and anger management counseling is available for adults and youth. In-home therapy is also available. There is a full-time interpreter on staff for Spanish-speaking individuals. For more information, call 721-1414, or 1-888-944-5080.
The Bield Center, 749 N. William Ave., is a community-based psycho-social rehabilitation program for adults with psychiatric disabilities. The center helps them regain independence and a sense of community responsibility. It is operated by Community Alliance, Omaha. The local number is 721-8225; ask for Mary Wilcox. To be eligible, you must be at least 19 years old, have received or be receiving mental health care and be willing to work and participate in the program. Fees are based on ability to pay. Low-income residents may receive financial assistance. Services include: group education, job readiness training, recreational activities, community support and case management services.

Developmentally Disabled

Eastern Nebraska Community Office of Retardation & Developmental Disabilities, known as ENCOR, serves developmentally disabled people in five counties.

In Dodge county, more than 50 people are served at the Industrial Training Center, 935 S. Schneider St. Trainees there learn work skills such as packaging and assembly. Eight others work at "Workstations in Industry," where training is done at a specific business location. Job development and job placement opportunities are also available through the Supported Employment Program. Jim Manhart is the vocational coordinator and area director.

Residential services, assisted living, in-home family supports and respite are provided to 52 individuals. Residential staff teach individuals daily living and social skills. The goal is for individuals to live as independently as possible.

The residential coordinator is Kathy Soderberg, her office is at 935 S. Schneider St. For more information, call 721-8525, or Mark Stromer, state service coordinator, 727-3258.
Mosaic partners with people who have disabilities, provides supports and advocates that all may realize the wholeness of life. Mosaic provides a variety of individualized services including residential supports, host family settings, companion and in-home family supports, vocational training, on-the-job training and job placement in the community. Mosaic is located at 210 E. Eighth St.. For more information, call 753-0671; Web site: www.mosaicinfo.org.
Fremont Parks and Recreation Adaptive Recreation program, is designed to encourage adults with special needs to participate in a variety of activities. Participants should be at least 18 years of age and have appropriate social skills. Programming includes a series of 8-week bowling leagues held from August to May, monthly activities held from August to April, and summer activities. Some examples include: hayrack rides, bingo, theater, crafts, parties and travel.

For more information, contact the Fremont Parks and Recreation office at 925 N. Broad St., 727-2810, or e-mail Kim Wilch, special populations director at: senior@neb.rr.com.