TIME NOW. 850 OF TODAY’S CHILLY WEATHER HAS YOU DOWN. THERE’S AN EVENT TODAY THAT WILL BE A WARM PICK ME UP. YEAH. TODAY IS A VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATE AND 26TH ANNUAL ART AND SOUP EVENT. TODAY WE ARE JOINED BY DR. CAROL PATRICK TO HEAR MORE ABOUT TODAY’S MISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. SO START BY TELLING US WHAT IS TODAY’S EVENT ALL ABOUT? TODAY’S EVENT IS ART AND SOUP. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT IT IS THE MONEY WE RAISE FUNDS, V.A. NURSES BEING IN EVERY HOMELESS SHELTER, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SHELTER AND GROUP MATERNITY HOME IN BOTH OMAHA AND COUNCIL BLUFFS. IT IS AN AMAZING CAUSE. AND THEN TALK ABOUT MORE HOW THOSE PROCEEDS, THOSE FUNDS WILL BE USED. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE GOING TO THESE SHELTERS, BUT HOW DO YOU USE THE MONEY? RIGHT. SO OUR NURSES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE WITHIN THE SHELTERS AND THEY’RE AND THEY’RE PARTNERING WITH THE SHELTERS STAFF. BUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IS FOLKS ARE COMING IN OFF THE STREET AND SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD TO MAKE CHOICES LIKE, DO I CAN I TAKE MY MEDICATION OR CAN I PAY MY RENT? AND BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, GO MANY OF US. AND SO OUR NURSES ARE FACING MAJOR MEDICAL ISSUES WITH FOLKS, 60% OF PEOPLE IN OUR LOCAL SHELTERS HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. AND SO OUR NURSES ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF THAT. FOLKS, COME IN HAVING LIVED ON THE STREET. MAYBE THEY’VE EATEN OUT OF A GARBAGE AND THEY’VE GOT INTESTINAL ISSUES. YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COME IN WHO LITERALLY HAVE NO SHOES OR HAVE ILL FITTING SHOES. AND SO THEY HAVE ISSUES WITH THEIR FEET. THEY HAVE DIABETES AND THEY HAVEN’T BEEN TAKING INSULIN. JUST I MEAN, SO MANY DIFFERENT ISSUES. AND WE’RE ON THE FRONT LINE TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT THEN ALSO TO PARTNER WITH OTHER FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP TRANSITION THESE FOLKS TO A BETTER PLACE. AND TALK ABOUT HOW THE NEED FOR VINNIES RESOURCES HAVE GROWN AS INFLATION HAS INCREASED. RIGHT. I MEAN, IT’S CERTAINLY HAS WE AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THE TO THE SHELTERS AND THAT MEANS MORE NEED FOR FOR OUR NURSES. AND SO ANYTHING THAT FOLKS DO TO HELP US FUND THIS PROGRAM MEANS WE CAN DO MORE AND MORE AND SERVE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE. KELLY AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN V AND A AND THEN THE OPEN DOOR MISSION. WELL, OPEN DOOR MISSION IS ONE OF THE SHELTERS THAT THAT WE SERVE ALONG WITH STEVENS CENTER AND C.A. FRANCIS HOUSE AND AND THE SHELTERS IN IN COUNCIL BLUFFS. AND SO ALL OF THEM, ONE OF THE CHEFS FROM OPEN DOOR MISSION IS ACTUALLY FEATURED AT OUR EVENT TODAY CHICKEN MAN LANDING HIM AND HE’S HE’S A MAZING. AND HE HAS AN INCREDIBLE STORY OF LIVING ON THE STREET HIMSELF. BUT HE HAD BEEN A CHEF IN HIS BACKGROUND AND SO HE’S BEEN PUT ON A DAILY BASIS AT THE OPEN DOOR MISSION. BUT THEN HE’S PARTICIPATING AT THIS EVENT AS A WAY OF SHARING, YOU KNOW, THE MISSION OF EVERYTHING TODAY. AND SPEAKING OF THAT EVENT TODAY, WHERE IS IT TAKING PLACE? HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED? SO OMAHA DESIGN CENTER, WE’RE GOING TO BE THERE FROM 2 P.M. TO 5 P.M. FOLKS CAN BUY TICKETS AT THE DOOR. YOU CAN GO ONLINE AND BUY AHEAD OF TIME IF YOU WANT. THAT’S VIENNA TODAY. DOT ORG BACKSLASH ART AND SOUP. YOU CAN DO THAT OR SHOW UP AT THE DOOR AND WE WILL GLADLY. SO YOUR TICKETS. THE FUN THING THEN IS WHEN YOU COME IN THE DOOR WE HAVE 20 RESTAURANTS. WOW. AMAZING RESTAURANTS. WE’VE GOT BADGES, BIG MOMMAS, LARVAL TEAR, STERNAL, ALL THESE AMAZING LOCAL RESTAURANTS THEY HAVE DONATE IT ALL THE FOOD THAT THEY’RE SERVING. THE CHEFS ARE THERE. YOU CAN HAVE INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CHEFS AND AND THEY’RE GOING TO BE WANTING YOU, YOU KNOW, TO COME TO THOSE RESTAURANTS. AND SO THEY’RE ON THE OUTER LAYER OF OMAHA DESIGNS THAT ARE ON THE INSIDE IS AN ART FESTIVAL. AND WE HAVE 35 ARTIST AMAZING ARTISTS WHO ARE THERE AND EVERYTHING THEY SELL, THEY ARE GIVING 50% OF THEIR SALE