I was considering volunteering there in my free time. (2828 North 23rd Street East, 68110)
The only thing I am concerned about is the crime in North Omaha...Is this area safe? I could take Sorenson Parkway / Storz Expressway which is how I get to Carter Lake and drive around that way. I have a relatively nice truck and don't want it to be valdalized or stolen while I'm parked there!
Is the area around the open door mission safe?
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Re: Is the area around the open door mission safe?
Speaking very freely here ...K wrote:I was considering volunteering there in my free time. (2828 North 23rd Street East, 68110)
The only thing I am concerned about is the crime in North Omaha...Is this area safe? I could take Sorenson Parkway / Storz Expressway which is how I get to Carter Lake and drive around that way. I have a relatively nice truck and don't want it to be valdalized or stolen while I'm parked there!
In my not so humble opinion it all depends on when you will be volunteering.
When I have an early flight out, I'll sometimes book a room at one of the hotels in that very area and spend the night there, checking in 8-10:00pm-ish or so. Quite honestly, that area does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling at all!
It's not "ghetto" by any means, no crowds of kids wandering or driving around, but very deserted that time of night, with the occasional single male or group of 2-3 of them wandering by. I lock the car in a well-lit part of the lot, being very sure nothing valuable is visible, and go to my room directly from the lobby.In the morning, 4:00-6:00 or so there is more activity, and when it gets light out it appears perfectly safe, with the traffic increasing sharply around 5:00am or so. I'm sure in the daytime and early evening, when it's light out, it's fairly safe as long as you remain streetwise and such.
It's not as bad as people will lead you to believe - none of North Omaha really is. Mainly it's all stories from people who've never actually been there. But still, do take main roads to get there (30th street is just fine any time of day - I've ridden it in Drag at 2 AM many times.) As for car vandalization - I've no idea how often it happens, but I'm assuming it's not completely common - but alas, I drive a moped and take the bus everywhere.
I have volunteered there in the past and was never worried about the area. I served lunches in the main building and parked in the lot across from that building. I never asked if there had been problems, but if you are concerned, you can always ask another volunteer or the coordinators. I'm sure they can help you out.