Elkhorn nonprofit moves into new building downtown

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - A nonprofit organization in western Douglas County is celebrating its growth Thursday.

After 17 years of helping families with food, clothing, rent, and utilities, the Christian Outreach Program in Elkhorn, or COPE, is working out of its own building.

COPE is the only outreach agency serving far west Douglas County. For the last two and a half years, they shared a building with the Open Door Mission donation center serving families in a very small space.

Now COPE has a new house, a 26-hundred-square foot facility in downtown Elkhorn.

“It’s just remarkable the space we have how much more we can do, how much more we can provide for the families that we serve,” said Jim Tomanek.

The nonprofit opened here earlier this month. There’s a reception area, a check-in station, and a training room. There’s also space in their new building for confidential counseling.

“We ask some personal questions if they’re addicted to anything if they’re on drugs or alcohol addiction whatever it might be whatever services they need we want to help them find assistance,” said Jim.

Jim Tomanek is the Executive Director of COPE. Jim is excited about what might seem to be the little things about the extra space.

“We’ve been able to put stuff on pallets now which we’ve never been able to do before we had to move it one box at a time. In the buildings, we’ve been in before we’ve always had one door in one door out and that was it and people were trying to bring stuff in to donate while people were trying to take stuff out,” said Jim.

Dale Johnson has been a volunteer with COPE for six years. Now he has a place to take a break after working in the warehouse.

“And we do have a beautiful break room you’ve seen that yeah all kinds of stuff for the volunteers and employees,” said Dale.

“We’ve never been able to have a break room for our staff or volunteers and it’s nice to take a break every once in a while and sit down,” said Jim.

The warehouse provides plenty of room for people to drop by and make donations, and despite what some people believe there is a need for assistance in western Douglas County.

“There are pockets of low-income families out in the west that we serve, we serve about 450 families,” said Jim.

Now COPE will have much more space to help all of those families out west who need, food, clothing, or other assistance.

Officials with COPE say it cost about $125,000 to renovate the building that was once a cabinet shop.

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