Thanksgiving Food Boxes for low-income households in Otoe County who need extra help with groceries. Basic food items for a Thanksgiving dinner are provided.

For Thanksgiving 2025:

One pantry per household; meals are available while supplies last.

As of Oct 20, mail or email the form available on the SENCA Facebook page to:

- Mail: Otoe SENCA Office, 111 North 11th Street, Nebraska City, NE 68410

- Email: [email protected]

Or call to reserve a pantry: (402) 297-7398.

For those who cannot access the form on the Facebook page, applicants may call or mail/email the following info to the address/email address (above):

- Name, request for a Thanksgiving pantry, number of adults and children in the household, phone number.

All pantry requests must be received by Nov 18 by 4 pm.

Pantries can be picked up Mon, Nov 24 from 8:30 am-3 pm.

Provides curbside distribution of holiday provisions for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

For Thanksgiving 2025, the free community meal is held Thursday, November 27, from 11 am-2 pm.

For Christmas 2025: INFORMATION NOT AVAILABLE YET

-- Nemaha County - 12/20/24 11 am-4 pm. Gift card pick up at the Auburn Christian Church.

-- Johnson County - 12/16/2024. All day pickup (8 am-4 pm) of gift cards in Tecumseh office.

-- Pawnee County - 12/18/2024 9AM - 11:30 am and 1 pm-3:30 pm. Pick up of food and gift cards in the Community Room at the Village Apartments.

Provides a meal box which includes a turkey and all the fixings. Each box feeds a family of 4.

For Christmas 2025:

Angel Tree - Families can register online to receive toys for children up to age 18. Registration open as of Oct 7, 2025, and closes Dec 8, 2025. Website: www.saangeltree.org

Registration for Christmas Distribution begins the first Monday of October and ends on the 2nd Monday in December each year. Go to SAAngelTree.org

2025

Offers gifts and food to those in need for the Christmas 2025 holiday. Reach out to the local County Outreach Office for more information regarding holiday help in the area.

Provides canned goods, personal items, and occasional fresh produce/dairy/meat. It is recommended that clients bring their own bag.

Provides Thanksgiving meal box to registered clients during the month before Thanksgiving (a frozen turkey, a bag of potatoes, and food to prepare some of the fixings and sides).

Providing a Toys for Tots 2025 signup/distribution site and food baskets. Visit website for more information on dates and times to register.

Thanksgiving Assistance 2025 - Meal vouchers will be given for Thanksgiving 2025. Must visit in person for services, first come first serve basis. Decatur County may accept up to 60 individuals. Wayne County may accept up to 25 individuals.

** No update for Christmas 2025 as of yet **

CHRISTMAS ASSISTANCE - Dates to be determined - Call agency for more details Decatur County - No program for Christmas 2024. Clarke County - No program for Christmas 2024 Lucas County - No program for Christmas 2024. Monroe County - No program for Christmas 2024. Wayne County - No program for Christmas 2024.

For Thanksgiving and Christmas 2025:

- The pantry will be stocked with holiday items for the 2025 holiday season, Mon-Fri 9 am-11 am.

- On Thanksgiving Morning, there will be an in-house Thanksgiving Meal at the Parish Center from 9 am to 11 am. A traditional Thanksgiving Meal will be served.

- There will be an in-house Christmas ham dinner on the Friday before Christmas in the Parish Center from 9 am to 11 am.

**Toys for Tots applications are closed for this year 2025**

Four Mile and Pioneer Columbus Recreation Centers will help families sign up for 2024 Toys for Tots during the holiday season. Registration begins Nov. 1, 2024, and goes through Nov 30, 2024. Gift pick-ups are Mon Dec. 16, 2024, from 12 pm- 6 pm; Tue Dec. 17, 2024, from 3 pm-8 pm and Dec. 18, 2024, from 12 pm-6 pm at the center where families register.

Holiday baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas

For eligible families, a holiday food basket will be prepared upon request. Visit in person to register for a food basket.

Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets (Signup Dates are November 1st through November 27th, 2025)

For the 2025 holidays:

Food baskets provided in December (delivered Sat, Dec 20, 2025). Call Sat, November 8, 2025, 9 am-2 pm to register. Call on this date only.

Holiday meals 2025 for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter are served at Bethel Mission's Hope Cafe (1310 6th Avenue).

Thanksgiving meals served at Hope Cafe on Thursday, November 27, 2025, from 12 pm-1 pm (no reservation required to eat at Hope Cafe). Thanksgiving orders for in-home meal delivery are from Nov 3rd - Nov 19th, 2025 at 4:30 pm or until capacity is reached. Call (515) 265-4277 or sign up at www.hopeiowa.org. Thanksgiving delivery to: Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Booneville, Carlisle, Cumming, Clive, Dallas Center, Des Moines, Granger, Grimes, Hartford, Indianola, Johnston, Martinsdale, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Prole, Urbandale, Van Meter, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights.

Christmas meal 2025 home delivery can be reserved by calling (515) 265-4277 or online at hopiowa.org. Orders will be taken form Dec 1st ,2025 - Dec 17th, 2025 at 4 pm or until full. Christmas meals are delivered to Altoona, Clive, Des Moines, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights.

Christmas can be enjoyed at Hope Cafe on Christmas day Thursday, Dec 25, 2025 from 12 pm-1 pm.

Grants special requests to individuals in the Lincoln community.

For Christmas 2024, submit nominations on behalf of friends and family who are in need and/or deserve a special favor. 10 families or individuals will be chosen, and wishes will be granted in December.

Application forms available online only. The deadline is November 15th, 2024.

Holiday baskets are offered seasonally, provided through local community support. Programs vary by location; call for information.

The mission of the program is to collect and distribute new unwrapped toys as Christmas gifts to children less fortunate in the local community, ages 6 months-12 years.

Toy application information for 2025:
10/1/25: Application open date.
11/26/25: Application close date.
10/13/25: Application response start date.
11/29/25: Application response end date.

Verification Dates and Times:

October Dates: Open from 9 am-6 pm

October- 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 27th, and 29th

November Dates: Open from 9 am-6 pm

November- 1st, 15th, 17th, 19th, 22nd, and 29th

Toy Distribution:
Starts 10/28/2025, ends 12/19/2025. Approved applicants will be notified of specific distribution dates and locations.

Gifts distributed to low income seniors. To register to receive a Senior Secret Santa gift, please call (563) 386-7477, limited space available.

Christmas gifts and food in partnership with county partners.

For Christmas 2025:

As of 11/20/25, no longer accepting applications but community members may still call and see if the office might have extra gift cards to Dollar Fresh and Family Fare grocery stores in Richardson County for food for the families (distributed on December 14th).

[For Christmas 2024:

Holiday Gift and Food Basket applications may be picked up at the SENCA office in Falls City or Humboldt, starting October 28th, 2024. No applications will be accepted after November 15th at 4 pm.

For any questions, call the SENCA office: Humboldt number is (402) 862-2411; Falls City number is (402) 245-5284.]

Provides Christmas 2025 assistance for referred individuals 62 or older and the disabled who may be in need or alone at Christmas.

Applications may be picked up November 1-21, 2025. Must be turned in on or before November 21, 2025.

Provides Christmas gifts and a food basket to Iowa County residents. Taking applications through Fri Nov 8, 2024.