The Oman Center: Providing Compassionate Support to Chicago’s Unhoused Neighbors
Mission Statement
The Oman Center is dedicated to serving Chicago’s unhoused community with compassion, and dignity. We provide meals, essential hygiene items,
safe space, and seasonal support to meet the immediate needs of those in need.
Beyond basic necessities, we strive to restore hope, build meaningful connections, and empower our neighbors to face each day with strength and confidence. Our mission is to ensure that no one is left to endure hardship alone, and to create a community rooted in care, respect, and opportunity for all.
About the Founder
The Oman Center was founded by Linette Robles in 2010, when she and her family began serving bagged lunches from the trunk of her car. What began as a simple act of kindness grew into a calling, and on February 3, 2015,
The Oman Center officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Linette was never homeless, but she grew up in a home marked by struggle, uncertainty, and sacrifice. Raised by a single parent, she experienced what it felt like to not know where the next meal would come from, to celebrate holidays with very little, and to watch a parent do everything possible to put food on the table. The weight of those experiences stayed with her. They shaped her compassion. They shaped her mission.
The name Oman carries profound meaning. Through their church, Linette’s family met Mr. Steve Oman, a man who stepped into their lives exactly when they needed hope the most. He “adopted” their family, not legally, but with love and generosity.
Because of him, they had: Birthday cakes that made them feel special, Christmas gifts when there was no money for presents, groceries and meals when the fridge was empty, and support, encouragement, and dignity during their hardest moments.
He was the angel that lifted their burden. And from his kindness grew Linette’s deep desire to give back. The Oman Center was born from that promise: to be for others what he was for her family.
Today, The Oman Center is devoted to making a difference in the lives of Chicago’s homeless-one sack lunch at a time.
We understand struggle intimately. We understand how a simple act of kindness can change someone’s entire day-or their entire outlook on life.
Our volunteers distribute sack lunches, gloves, scarves, hygiene items, and other essentials to the homeless and hungry. We believe in doing more with more - more donations, more volunteers, more compassion.
It only takes one person to create change. Be that difference in someone’s life today.