Stephen Center

What Stephen Center does

Stephen Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 in Omaha, Nebraska, that operates an integrated campus of programs addressing homelessness, substance abuse, and co-occurring mental health conditions. Its three core programs are the Pettigrew Emergency Shelter (32 men's beds, 32 women's beds, and 5 family rooms, operated 24 hours as the only Omaha-area shelter that keeps families together), the HERO Addiction Recovery Program (a state-licensed, CARF-accredited substance abuse treatment service with 64 residential beds plus outpatient and juvenile tracks), and Permanent Supportive Housing (62 units of SRO through three-bedroom apartments for chronically homeless and disabled individuals).

The organization funds itself through a mix of individual and corporate donations, government grants and contracts, thrift store retail proceeds from its 5128 S. 24th Street store, modest program fees (e.g., $100 substance abuse evaluations), and OHA-administered housing vouchers. Its go-to-market is community-led: services are delivered on-site rather than marketed to external buyers, with fundraising, volunteer engagement, and partnerships with United Way, OneWorld, VNA, Completely Kids, and the Omaha Metro Area Continuum of Care driving resourcing. Operational scale in 2024 included 78,715 lodging nights, 236,145 meals offered, 50,245 volunteer hours, and 838 people served. Stephen Center is governed by an independent board and led by a six-person C-suite; it holds no subsidiaries, has no investors, and is not a technology company.

Name

Stephen Center

Legal name

Stephen Center

Website

https://stephencenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stephen Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Omaha, Nebraska, operating the Pettigrew Emergency Shelter, HERO Addiction Recovery program, and Permanent Supportive Housing — providing integrated shelter, substance abuse treatment, and supportive housing to homeless and low-income individuals and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homeless and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIANAC

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

SECONDARYHLAFACAC

Residential Mental Health Treatment Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Behavioral Health & Substance Use Treatment

Keywords

• Emergency homeless shelter
• Substance abuse treatment
• Permanent supportive housing
• Addiction recovery services
• Homeless services nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Omaha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations supporting the organization's mission and programs. The organization actively campaigns for donations through its website and community engagement.
2. Thrift Store Proceeds: Stephen Center operates a thrift store at 5128 S. 24th Street that sells donated clothing, furniture, and household items, with proceeds supporting the mission.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from government sources to support shelter operations, substance abuse treatment programs, and permanent supportive housing.
4. Program Fees: Some services such as substance abuse evaluations carry a fee ($100 for evaluations). Permanent supportive housing uses a sliding scale rent based on tenant income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stephen Center is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization that operates a multi-facility campus in Omaha, Nebraska. It delivers emergency shelter, substance abuse treatment, and permanent supportive housing to homeless and low-income individuals and families. Its three core programs are the Pettigrew Emergency Shelter, the HERO (Health, Empowerment, Recovery and Opportunity) Addiction Recovery Program, and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), supplemented by a thrift store that funds the mission and provides client job training.

Product overview

Stephen Center operates a multi-facility campus providing social services to vulnerable individuals and families in Omaha. The organization offers three core programs: the Pettigrew Emergency Shelter for immediate housing needs, the HERO Addiction Recovery Program for substance abuse and co-occurring mental health treatment, and Permanent Supportive Housing for long-term affordable housing with case management. These programs work together to support individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental health challenges as they move toward stability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pettigrew Emergency Shelter: The only shelter in the Omaha area that keeps families together when seeking a place to stay. Provides safe shelter and case management for individuals and all types of family dynamics without separation. Includes 32 beds for men, 32 beds for women, and 5 family rooms.
• HERO (Health, Empowerment, Recovery and Opportunity)
• PSH (Permanent Supportive Housing)

Products and services

• Pettigrew Emergency Shelter 24-hour emergency shelter providing safe, sober lodging on a first-come, first-served basis for men, women, and families, with 32 men's beds, 32 women's beds, and 5 family rooms. Includes case management and keeps families together without separation.
• HERO Addiction Recovery Program State-licensed and CARF-accredited substance abuse treatment program offering short-term residential, intensive outpatient, and outpatient services for individuals with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illness, including a juvenile program for ages 13-19.
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Affordable housing program with 62 units (SRO, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments) and wraparound case management for individuals and families facing high barriers including mental health challenges and physical disabilities. Operates on a sliding scale rent based on tenant income.
• Stephen Center Thrift Store Thrift store at 5128 S. 24th Street that sells donated clothing, furniture, and household items, with proceeds funding Stephen Center's mission. Also provides jobs and job training to clients plus vouchers for clients to shop for clothing and other items.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78,715 nights of lodging provided in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Omaha Metro Area Continuum of CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStephen Center is a proud partner of the Omaha Metro Area Continuum of Care, coordinating homeless services across the metro area.
• United Way of the MidlandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing support for Stephen Center's mission and programs.
• OneWorld Community Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides on-campus healthcare services for PSH tenants and shelter clients.
• VNA (Visiting Nurse Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides on-campus healthcare services for PSH tenants.
• Completely KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides after-school programming for children residing in PSH apartments.
• Omaha Housing Authority (OHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners for Permanent Supportive Housing program; tenants are responsible for maintaining and renewing their OHA vouchers for housing assistance.
• St. Vincent de Paul Society of OmahacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner; in 1983, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Omaha's Holy Ghost Church acquired the original building for $10,000 in partnership with the McNeil family to establish Stephen Center.
• CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities)coreOthersAccrediting body for HERO Program and shelter operations; provides international accreditation standards for rehabilitation facilities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Together Omaha: Together Omaha provides food, homelessness prevention, housing-stability, and crisis-support services in the Omaha area. It is comparable as a local nonprofit addressing poverty and housing insecurity, though its model is more prevention and resource-assistance oriented than residential shelter and treatment.
• Catholic Charities of Omaha: Catholic Charities of Omaha provides community social services including behavioral health, basic-needs support, and programs for vulnerable families. It is comparable as a local nonprofit serving overlapping low-income and crisis-affected populations, though it is less shelter-specialized than Stephen Center.
• Community Alliance: Community Alliance provides mental health services, supportive housing, rehabilitation, and recovery-oriented programming in Omaha. It is comparable through its focus on housing stability and behavioral-health support for high-barrier clients, especially those with mental health needs.
• New Visions Homeless Services: New Visions Homeless Services serves the Council Bluffs/Omaha metro region with shelter and support for people experiencing homelessness. It is comparable as a nearby nonprofit focused on emergency housing and wraparound assistance, though primarily on the Iowa side of the metro area.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Family Service: Heartland Family Service is a regional human-services nonprofit offering housing, behavioral health, substance use, and family support programs in Nebraska and Iowa. It overlaps with Stephen Center’s housing-stability, addiction, and case-management work, but operates across a broader service portfolio.
• The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army operates shelters, addiction recovery, food assistance, and social-service programs across many U.S. markets, including regional services in Nebraska. It is comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping homelessness, recovery, and basic-needs programs, though much larger and more diversified.
• Volunteers of America: Volunteers of America operates housing, homelessness, behavioral health, and human-service programs across the United States. It is comparable as a national broad incumbent with overlapping supportive housing, shelter, and recovery services, though it does not share Stephen Center’s local-only focus.
• Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska: Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska provides behavioral health, substance use, family, and community services statewide. It is comparable through its addiction and mental-health service lines and work with vulnerable populations, but it is broader and less focused on emergency shelter operations.

Direct peers

• Siena Francis House: Siena Francis House is an Omaha nonprofit providing emergency shelter, meals, and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness. It is highly comparable because it serves the same local homelessness population with a direct-service, shelter-centered model.
• Open Door Mission: Open Door Mission operates homeless shelters, meals, outreach, recovery programming, and community support services in the Omaha area. It is comparable to Stephen Center through its local shelter, food, and recovery-oriented services for people experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StephenCenterOmaha
• Xx.com/stephencenterne
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stephen-center-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stephen Center