OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – If you’re a refugee and fleeing your own country there’s really no choice, but to start over.
“When they’re trying to get established, they have a lot going on,” Matt Wood, volunteer with Restoring Dignity, said.
On sizzling hot days like this one, organizations like Restoring Dignity are there to help.
“We do things like install window air conditioners for families who need them,” Hannah Vlach, founder and executive director of Restoring Dignity, said. “We provide in home education to help people how to learn how to go from living in a refugee camp and housing advocacy.”
The nonprofit has helped refugee families install free new air conditioners for eight years.
All of these are either donated or purchased by the organization.
Volunteers have helped install 18 air conditioners this summer and their goal is to install 40 or more by the end of this summer.
“It’s been real rewarding you can feel the places that we install and feel them cool down right away,” Wood said.
While helping refugees beat the heat, the organization is also helping address a larger issue across the state.
“We do not have a cooling ordinance and as temperatures continue to get hotter and hotter each year that’s a problem because people can start dying at certain temperatures,” Vlach said. “So, something that we are looking at is going to be pushing our city and state to enact a cooling ordinance where landlords would be required to keep the temperature below 80 degrees.”
The organization is looking for volunteers for the remainder of the summer. If you’d like to help out, call (402) 370-9777
Copyright 2025 WOWT. All rights reserved.