Cornhusker Bank’s annual Day Without Shoes campaign once again brought the Omaha community together for a meaningful cause. Held from March 31 through April 13, 2025, this year’s shoe collection drive gathered hundreds of pairs of new and gently used shoes to benefit Stephen Center (stephencenter.org).
A collaborative effort with local businesses, the event empowers volunteers and partners across Omaha to collect footwear for individuals experiencing homelessness, addiction and housing insecurity. The donated shoes are distributed for free through Stephen Center, our nonprofit organization based in South Omaha.
“The look on the faces of our clients when we provide them with shoes is priceless, providing them with joy they may not have felt in a very long time,” said Beth Robbins, Chief Experience Officer at Stephen Center.
Launched in 2011 by Cornhusker Bank in Lincoln, the Day Without Shoes event expanded to Omaha in 2020. Since then, the Omaha community has come together each spring to make a difference. In just five years, more than 7,000 pairs of shoes have been collected at Cornhusker Bank’s Omaha location and through business partner drop-off sites.
All shoes and monetary donations collected in Omaha remain local, directly supporting Stephen Center’s mission. In 2024 alone, Stephen Center served over 800 individuals and provided more than 200,000 meals to those in need.
Stephen Center extends its heartfelt thanks to all who participated in this year’s campaign and looks forward to continuing this tradition of compassion and community support in the years to come.