OUR MISSION TO
PROVIDE STABILITY
The PCM Family Shelter is dedicated to the needs of homeless families and women experiencing some form of personal crisis.
The Family Shelter offers guests a safe, warm atmosphere that promotes recovery, self-sufficiency and independent living. It also serves as a place of refuge for battered women and children.
The Family Shelter provides community and single-family rooms with dormitory-style beds, plus space for cots when weather or other circumstances necessitate. We can accommodate single-women and single-parent families (including families with teenage boys). Our two-story facility also provides indoor and outdoor play areas for children as well as several lounges.
Emergency Shelter
Emergency Shelter is offered for 24-48 hours. Emergency Shelter policies vary based on seasonal needs, please contact the Family Shelter staff with any questions: 402.475.1303
Every guest of the Family Shelter is provided with a bed (or cot), three meals a day, shower facilities, personal hygiene items and laundry facilities.
Extended-Stay Program
A longer-term shelter is available for eligible families and single women working towards stable, independent living. Each guest participating in this program will be assigned a PCM caseworker to help create individual goals and milestones.
Classes are offered throughout the week and cover a variety of topics including AA, Life Skills, Employment Readiness, Stress Management, Nutrition, and Self-Care. Community resource referrals and employment assistance are also provided to help each guest move towards independent living.
As part of this program, guests are expected to attend classes, volunteer in the kitchen, do daily chores, attend house meetings and meet weekly with their caseworker. We work with Drug Court, Health and Human Services, and do drug and alcohol testing when necessary.
One-on-one counseling, Bible studies, and Sunday church services are available to all guests.
Children & Youth
For school-aged kids staying at the Shelter, we provide evening, summer, and holiday programming that is supervised by caring adults and volunteers through our E.D.E.F.Y program.
E.D.E.F.Y. = Encouragement, Discipleship, Evangelism, and Fellowship for Youth
Activities include games, crafts, field trips, snacks, tutoring, Bible Stories, and other age-appropriate activities.
Former Family Shelter Guest
“The first couple of nights were rough for me. It wasn’t that I felt I was “too good” for the Mission, it was that I felt so far from where I thought I would be. Here I was with no job, no income of any kind, and no friends here and little outside help. Things got better. The staff are an amazing group of people who have been able to connect me with all kinds of resources to help me get back on my feet. More than resources, though, the staff truly care about me and what goes on in my life. They pray for me constantly. No matter what you believe, Christian or not, prayer is a nice gesture if nothing else. I know there will be hard times and struggles, but I remain grateful for what I have: a place to call “home” for a while.“
How to Receive Services
- Must provide a valid photo ID.
- Must provide birth certificates for all children.
- Must provide social security cards.
Shelter Hours
- Overnight/Emergency Shelter: Check-in begins by 8:00 pm, but it is best to call ahead to set up an appointment.
- Curfew: Sunday–Thursday: 10:00pm // Friday & Saturday: 11:00pm
Meal Times
- Breakfast: 6:45am-7:15am
- Lunch: 11:15am-Noon
- Dinner: 4:45pm-5:30pm
- Sack Lunches are available if you are not able to make a mealtime because of work or an appointment, as supplies allow.
Contact Us
PH: 402.475.1303
110 Q Street
Lincoln, NE
68508
The Family Shelter is staffed with full-time and on-call supervisors and caseworkers.
Philip Onyeforo
Director
Phil was born in Nigeria and moved to the US with most of his family as a teenager. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he earned dual degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics. After living and working in Chicago for a few years and seeking a change, he moved to Houston to work on a Masters in Subsea Engineering.
In taking a break and looking for an opportunity to serve and do something a little different, more substantive, and more meaningful, Phil somehow ended up back in Lincoln.
“I believe God lead me to the Mission. I did not choose it, it chose me. Right now I work alongside some of the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting at the Family Shelter. I lead a team of 6 full-time case managers and a host of other on-call part-time staff and volunteers. The director of the Family Shelter’s work is never done. I have learned to embrace this reality as well as the non-stop chaos. My job description should simply say, ‘All duties as assigned and mostly as arise.’ One minute I’m meeting with staff and planning strategy, the next I’m picking up a crying baby. One moment I am trying to resolve a conflict between two screaming guests, the next I am doing a phone interview. Most importantly, I am responsible for creating a safe place and soft landing for our guests as they seek shelter from the storms of life.”
When Phil does get away he enjoys riding his bike. No hands.
He tries to travel several times a year and is fascinated by language. He loves to study and research anything. At any point in time, you can be sure he is on a quest to understand the underlying mechanism behind something.
And never ask him what he’s thinking because you’re probably not interested to hear about solid body kinematics or fluid dynamics or some other idea he’s deconstructing.
