the
Supporting and Strengthening
Youth, Young Adults and Families
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree
Summer 2015
Vol. 36, No. 2
Upcoming Home
Events/Dates
May 20
OHB Dunk Tank for
Omaha Gives! Aksarben
Village, 9:30 a.m. to 8
p.m. — Page 12
June 3
2015 OHB Golf Classic,
Indian Creek Golf
Course, Noon Shotgun
Start. — Page 12
June 16
OHB Featured Nonprofit
at Omaha Storm Chasers
Game, 7:05 p.m., Werner
Park, Papillion.
August 1-2
95th Anniversary
Reunion
Weekend. — Page 4
September 10
Imagine Our Youth
Fundraising Celebration,
5:30 to 9 p.m., Ralston
Arena. — Page 12
Teyon’s Journey:
I
(A youth in our Residential program,
Teyon wrote this personal account.)
am at Omaha Home for Boys because
of a couple minor mistakes and because
of my behavior such as violating
probation.
The reason I am here is because I was
truant from school. I wasn’t going because
of my decisions to do illegal things. It has
affected me because I have ended up in a
group home.
For me, it was hard growing up. My
mom had a lot of kids, and it was difficult
to feed everybody. It was hard work trying
to get everything consistently in order such
as food, support, clothing and somewhere
to live.
Over the years, I have made better
decisions because I want to make a name
for myself. When I came to OHB, I thought
I wasn’t going to like it. But my days
passed into months, and now I respect the
program because the people here actually
care about my future. I have matured more
because of this program.
Growing up, my mom made miracles
by turning something out of nothing every
Thanksgiving. My mom had nothing but
boys in the house so it was rough. She tried
extra hard to keep all my brothers fed and
educated.
I am the youngest of 3. I was immature
in the past because I was making bad
decisions. I grew up in a bad neighborhood
surrounded by gangs and drugs. But I never
Overcoming Life’s
Obstacles for a
Brighter Future
Just a freshman,
Teyon has
blossomed at the
Home, working
part-time in the
Development
office and
playing team
basketball.
really hung around it. I just watched. That
led to bad behaviors because I wanted to do
things I thought were cool and to fit in.
Today, I am more mature because I don’t
do the bad things I used to do. I choose
positive activities and play basketball to
stay active. I have been consistent with my
grades and going to school.
After high school, I want to go to
college and play basketball, possibly for
Nebraska or Creighton University. I want
go to the NBA and play basketball and be
as successful as I can be. I now believe
that I have a bright future ahead of me.
1
President’s
Corner
Y
Jeff Moran
President, Omaha Home for Boys
Scan these codes to LIKE
the Omaha Home for Boys
on Facebook and FOLLOW
us on Twitter!
ou’re invited. I hope you’ll come. We
would love to have you. You’re like
family to us. It wouldn’t be the same
without you.
These are some of the standard
invitations we receive when people want us
to attend an event or function.
They’re sincere and come with the
very best of intentions — and hopefully,
persuade us to make plans to be there.
That’s what this column is intending to
do — invite you to celebrate with us August
1-2 when we welcome former boys, staff,
donors and friends back Home.
You see, we’re celebrating our 95th
year of providing care and support for
youth, young adults and families in the
community this year — and we want you to
Be Our Guest!
We have a fun weekend planned for
everyone, including tours of our Inspiration
Hill and Jacobs’ Place Transitional Living
campuses along with a picnic/party at
our beautiful, scenic Pavilion at Cooper
Memorial Farm — and that’s just Saturday!
On Sunday, we have a worship service
planned on our campus in the Wurdeman
Learning Center auditorium, followed
by brunch in our Dining Hall and then
activites at our Recreation Center.
The intent of this, in addition to
celebrating our 95th birthday, is to make
stronger connections with Home alumni,
former staff and friends as well as the
community we serve. See Page 4 for more
details and contact information.
Since I arrived here in 2011, creating
strong relationships has been near the top
of my list of goals, and this is another great
way to accomplish that.
I anticipate a fun, welcoming time where
everyone gets the opportunity to reconnect
and remember with old friends as well as
create some new, lasting relationships —
ones that can be revisited regularly over
the next five years leading up to our 100th
anniversary in 2020. Hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Jeff Moran
President and CEO
Do You Enjoy Cooking?
The Twig is a publication of
the Omaha Home for Boys
4343 N. 52nd Street
Omaha, NE 68104
www.omahahomeforboys.org
The Omaha Home for Boys is a member of the
National Fellowship of Child Care Executives,
the Alliance for Children and Families and the
Nebraska Association of Homes and Services for
Children.
Founded in 1920, the Omaha Home for Boys
is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-sectarian
organization, licensed by the state of Nebraska and
nationally accredited by the Council on
Accreditation Services for Families and Children.
If you would like more information about the
Omaha Home for Boys, please call us at our toll-free
number, 800-408-4663, email us at
[email protected] or visit our website,
www.omahahomeforboys.org.
2
I
Include Your Favorite Recipes in our
95th Anniversary Cookbook!
n honor of our 95th Anniversary this year, we’re
updating our very popular cookbook — and we’d love to
include your recipes!
Please submit your favorite recipes to Michael Watkins,
c/o Omaha Home for Boys, 4343 N. 52nd Street, Omaha,
NE 68104 or [email protected] by
June 10th. Our new 95th Anniversary cookbook will be
available August 1. If we use your recipe, we’ll happily
send you an updated copy to add to your collection!
Thank you for your continued support of the Home and our youth.
Home Happenings
Anderson Cottage Wins Winter Olympics
T
he Cottage and individual winners for this year’s OHB Winter
Olympics were recognized for their athletic pursuits in February
during evening dinner. The guys from Anderson Cottage (pictured
right) prevailed over the rest of the field. Seven youth won gold
medals during the four weeks of Games, which featured events like
swimming and diving, ping pong, pool, basketball, volleyball and
track. We’re very proud of all of our youth who participated, and
especially of our Recreation staff, who ran the Olympics.
Home School Graduates First Students
M
onths after the Omaha Home for Boys introduced its first
Rule 18 School, youth, staff and families celebrated the
graduation of its first class in January. Each young man addressed
the audience with his own story of how his time at the Home
helped him realize the value of education in today’s world. Up next
for several of the young men is furthering their education at the
vocational and/or college levels. Bright futures are surely ahead for
each of them as they take the next steps toward productive futures.
Residential Youth Joins Selma Walk
R
esidential Care youth Terin enjoyed the experience of joining
thousands on March 7 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the
historic Selma to Montgomery March. The original march occurred in
1965 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Terin was chosen
through Omaha Public Schools based on an essay he wrote about how he
would promote kindness, advocate to stop bullying and increase voting
among people his age. He and his group crossed the Edmund Pettus
Bridge and marched about 10 miles of the 54-mile walk.
National Speaker Visits Home Youth
N
ationally recognized motivational speaker André Norman
(left) stopped by the Omaha Home for Boys in March to
speak to our young men. His message and mission are simple
– to motivate others to make a change just as he did. After
a rough upbringing with an abusive father, he made some
destructive choices as an adolescent that resulted in his arrest and
imprisonment. After serving a 14-year sentence, he earned parole,
and from that moment, he has never looked back.
3
Come ‘Home’ and Celebrate
OHB’s 95th Birthday
CAMPUS TOURS, PICNIC AT COOPER FARM, OTHER
ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR WEEKEND OF AUGUST 1-2
Heroes of the Home:
Celebrating the Road to
100 Years of Service!
W
hen we were founded in 1920,
house mothers provided the
foundation of care and support for our
young boys.
They lived in the original Home at 22nd
and Davenport in downtown Omaha.
When we moved to a new location near
Hanscom Park in 1923 and again to our
current campus at 52nd and Ames in
1945, they came, too.
In 1959, we became one of the first child
care organizations in the United States
to adopt the family model — husbands
and wives as teaching families. We’ve had
house parents watching over our youth
ever since.
House parents, like Loita and Gordon
Fisher, pictured above with former boy
Rudy Reyes, are the lifeblood of our
organization.
They not only teach our youth and hold
them accountable for their choices and
behaviors, but they provide the structure
and discipline they need to grow and
mature into responsible young adults.
Their job is not an easy one. They keep
youth on task when it comes to school,
therapy and activities on and off campus.
They revel in our young men’s successes
and console them in their failures. They
care for them when they are sick and
celebrate with them when they are well.
At their core, they are the parents of our
youth when they are in our care — and we
thank these Heroes of the Home.
4
H
ave you heard the news? The
Omaha Home for Boys is
throwing a weekend Party August 1-2
to celebrate our 95th Birthday — AND
YOU’RE INVITED!
We are excited to welcome back
Home alumni and their families,
retirees and former staff and
their families and friends in the
community to celebrate with us as
we commemorate more than nine
decades of caring for and supporting
young people.
The Omaha Home for Boys was
founded in 1920 to fill a need to house
and care for orphaned and homeless
boys. We now serve young men and
women ages 12-24 through three
programs: residential, transitional
living and independent living.
See the Weekend Agenda at right for
details of what’s happening each day.
Invitations went out to everyone
we have an active address for — so
if you didn’t receive one and would
like to JOIN US, please contact Kelley
at 402-457-7165 or reunion95@
omahahomeforboys.org. We hope you
Weekend Agenda
Saturday, August 1
9 a.m. - Noon
Guided campus tours
1-4 p.m.
Picnic and fun festival at Cooper
Memorial Farm Pavilion
Sunday, August 2
10 a.m.
Worship service at Wurdeman
Learning Center Auditorium
11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Brunch in the Dining Hall
1 p.m.
Recreational activities and a
chance to visit with old friends
and family at the Recreation
Building
can COME HOME and join us for a
fun-filled weekend of memories and
create some new ones in the process!
Alumni, staff and youth enjoyed
activities at the 90th Reunion.
Branching Out Feature
P
A
roud to be an
P
merican
al Chol has been living in the
United States for more than 10
years now, but he just recently became
a citizen.
He and his family emigrated to the
states from a refugee camp in Uganda
in 2004 when he was nine.
They had fled their home in the
South Sudan during the civil war that
tore apart families, villages and the
country after many years of fighting
and bloodshed.
While most of his extended family
moved to Australia at the time, Pal,
his father and younger brother, Tony,
relocated to America — and they
landed in Omaha.
They’ve called it home ever
since (his father has since moved to
Tennessee). Pal attended school in
Papillion before doing what he calls
“irresponsible behavior” that landed
him at Boys Town several years ago.
And then a light went on that’s
carried forward through his life so far.
“I had a tough time with my dad,
and when I realized that he wasn’t
always going to be there for me, I
realized I had to let go and grow
up,” said Pal, whose birth name is
Emmanuel but was changed to Pal
when he arrived in the United States.
He also wanted to be a good role
model for Tony, four years his junior.
He turned his life around, becoming
Prom King and a peer mentor, joining
the student council, playing football
and soccer and generally becoming
the outstanding young man he always
knew he could be.
He enrolled in Iowa
Western in 2012, and
quickly excelled in class
and even played JV
soccer.
It was about this
same time Pal learned
about the Omaha Home
for Boys’ Branching
Out program that helps Pal recently
graduated from
independent men and
women (ages 14-24) in Iowa Western
Community
various ways.
College (pictured
He’s been active in
the program ever since, above with
Independent
keeping close ties with
his Independent Living Living Specialist
Specialist, Jim Hubbard, Jim Hubbard) and
and learning new ways gained his U.S.
citizenship (right).
to live independently
and be successful.
Omaha, majoring in criminal justice.
He said he was honored to be
His goal is to work for the FBI.
chosen by his classmates as the
“There have been several people in
only student to speak at his recent
my life who saw a spark in me when
graduation.
I was having trouble, and I am very
In April, Pal left for a four-month
grateful,” Pal said. “I’ve been given a
trip to Australia to reconnect with
second chance, and Branching Out
family he hasn’t seen since he left
and Jim have been a big part of that. I
Uganda. When he returns, he’ll start
owe a lot to the program and to Jim.”
classes at the University of Nebraska
About Branching Out The Home’s Branching Out® Independent Living program
helps current and former foster care and some private placement youth transition from
dependent living to becoming self-sufficient adults. Funded in part by the Nebraska
Children and Families Foundation (NCFF), Branching Out offers unique service
options to young men and women ages 14-24. It fills service gaps, creating much-needed
structure and skill development as well as increasing success rates for foster care and
former foster care youth.
5
Alumni Feature
HOME
Is Where His
Heart Is
Kelly, who was
a boy at the
Home in the
1980s (right,
middle, arms
crossed),
is now the
assistant farm
manager
at Cooper
Memorial
Farm and
helps run the
4-H program.
K
elly Armbrust is an Omaha Home
for Boys’ alum who is happy to give
back at every possible opportunity.
That could entail walking in a parade
or helping set up for a fundraising event
or keeping the campus and Cooper
Memorial Farm looking good and
running like clockwork.
For him, each opportunity to do
something to benefit the Home — the
place he attributes as having helped save
and shape his life as a young man — is a
gift he is happy to give.
“I made some bad choices as a kid and
the courts placed me at the Home when
I was 13,” Kelly said. “I ran away three
times in the first year, but when I realized
how much everyone here cared about
me and wanted me to be successful, I
changed my attitude and saw the good.”
Part of that change happened when
he visited Cooper Memorial Farm. He
knew right away that he wanted to live
at Cooper Village and work with Farm
Manager Mike Pallas and be part of the
Valley View 4-H Club.
It didn’t take long for Kelly to discover
his strong work ethic, and he quickly
found a place where he belonged. After
he graduated high school in 1987, he
stayed on at the farm as an employee,
and he’s been there ever since, continuing
to work with kids in the 4-H program.
Kelly said he really enjoys working
with the boys and girls who are part of
the Home’s 4-H program and farm crew
because he sees a bit of himself in them.
“I was just like a lot of them; I didn’t
have a father figure in my life, and my
mom had passed away, so I found my
own heroes at the Home, Kevin Orr and
Mike Pallas,” he said.
“I looked up to them, and I want to do
the same now for kids — be a role model
and mentor as much as I can.”
Home Extends Partnership with NCTA
T
6
o meet the growing demand for knowledge and hands-on
learning in local food production, the Omaha Home for Boys
recently announced an expanded partnership with the Nebraska
College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) and the Omaha
University of Nebraska Extension. The three groups, along with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, unveiled a new program where
aspiring agricultural entrepreneurs and urban participants can
become successful in careers focusing on local food production
through the Urban Agricultural Education program.
Thoughts
I
from the Archives
t is good the Home is holding a
national reunion this year.
We are celebrating our 95th year of
service to thousands of young people
and families, and planning a huge event
in 2020 to note our 100th anniversary.
There were small, local get-togethers
in the 1950s and 60s, but the first
nationwide reunion was held in 1984.
It all started a year earlier, actually,
when 10 former residents of the Megeath
House now living on the West Coast
met at the Davis, Calif., home of Richard
Marks (a resident from 1942 to 1944).
They asked current Home officials to
send a representative to their meeting to
Pictured (from left) are George Bigelow, Shane Jager
sparkplug a national event in 1984.
and Margaret Staska; Paul “Speedy” Burmeister and
And sparkplug, she did. Margaret
Dominique Tisdale; and Truman Armell.
Staska, administrative secretary in the
Youth Care department from 1949 to
yikes, our Berry
1985, returned from her Calfornia trip
Find out more about plans for
brothers are
with a zeal for the task at hand...and it
this summer’s 95th Anniversary
nearing 50
was contagious.
Weekend on Page 4.
years of age
Several hundred former residents and
right now!).
staff returned in 1984 to meet old friends
Megeath House) got together with
They couldn’t attend the 1984 event
and to make new ones.
Dominique Tisdale (1985 to 1991), who because they lived several hundred miles
We recognized the oldest returning
had played one of the chief roles in our
away, but each one dutifully filled out his
alum, George Bigelow, a retired judge
first
video,
“A
Time
to
Care.
”
information form and returned it so we
from western Nebraska who was with us
Speaking
of
these
early
nationwide
from 1924 to 1929 ... and the youngest
could keep up with them.
reunion attendees gets me thinking of all
alum to return, 14-year-old Shane Jager,
Today, they all live in or near the
of our alumni, residents and staff alike.
who had been with us from 1981 to
Nashville, Tenn., area, but who knows?
You are being contacted by the U.S.
1982. (They are shown above with our
Maybe we’ll see a Tennessee car or two
mail with an announcement, via social
sparkplug, Margaret Staska.)
chugging up Inspiration Hill in August.
media like Facebook and Twitter and
A few years later, Truman Armell
Come Home, Berrys!
possibly even by phone.
(1985 to 1989) was our youngest
You, too, should come back Home
For us to update our alumni list, we
returning alum, and he is shown above
ask that you respond — whether you can and see what the Archives has for you
right enjoying the picture board.
from your past!
attend or not — so we can keep up on
At the next nationwide event, Paul
Come Home.
what is going on in your lives.
Burmeister (1929 to 1935, and with the
Be like the four Berry brothers (Rollie,
nickname “Speedy” because he liked to
John, Mike and Mark). They left the
race the streetcars up and down 32nd
— John E. Carter
Avenue when he was a resident at the
Home in 1983, still teenagers. (And,
7
Honor and
Remember
Friends and
Family with a
Brick in our
Heritage
Courtyard
OHB ‘Tanks’ for Omaha Gives! May 20
T
he Omaha Home
for Boys is taking
fundraising activities for
this year’s Omaha Gives!
day of giving to new heights
— and depths.
From 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, May 20, the
Home will host a DUNK
TANK at Stinson Park in
Aksarben Village to raise
money during Omaha
Gives! All proceeds raised
will go toward supporting
our youth and youth programs.
“We reached out to leaders in the
Omaha community to sit in our dunk
tank and raise money,” said Home
Development Director Tami Soper. “We
have assembled a distinguished group —
and once they hit their $1,000 pledge for
the hour they sit, they will be dunked!
How much fun is that?”
To help raise awareness
and make things even
more fun, locally-owned
and run Boomer1490
AM will broadcast live
from the tank ALL DAY,
and there will be live
music at the Stinson Park
Pavilion.
Special thanks to Shawn
M. Ilg of Nebraska Realty
for signing on as our official
Dunk Tank Sponsor.
Visit www.omahahomeforboys.org
to see the full list of dunkees and times.
The link for online giving to the Home
during Omaha Gives! will be available on
our website, Facebook and Twitter in midApril as will daily updates and videos!
As always, Tanks for your Support!
Mark Your Calendar for Imagine Our Youth Sept. 10
T
he Omaha Home for Boys proudly
announces nationally-known speaker
Aaron Davis – a wingback on Nebraska’s
1994 National Championship football
team – as the featured speaker at its
Imagine Our Youth celebration Thursday,
September 10, at the Ralston Arena.
Imagine Our Youth is an event that
recognizes the regular contributions,
accomplishments and achievements of
youth in the Residential, Transitional
and Independent Living programs at
the Omaha Home for Boys, which is
celebrating its 95th anniversary in 2015.
Davis has
shared his
message of
determination
and inspiration
with over a
million people
across the
United States
and abroad.
Learn more about Aaron and this
special event and/or buy tickets at
www.omahahomeforboys.org. Tickets can
also be purchased at 402-457-7165.
Sponsorships, Foursomes Still Available for Golf Classic
A
limited number of sponsorships and
foursomes are still available for the
2015 Omaha Home for Boys Golf Classic
Wednesday, June 3, at Indian Creek Golf
Course.
Indian Creek is Omaha’s premiere 27hole public golf course with 37 acres of
fairway, 65-plus well-placed bunkers
8 and 15 holes with the threat of water.
Foursomes are $600, and individuals
can play for $150. Varying levels of
sponsorships, most of which include
foursomes, are still available. The deadline
to register your foursome or sponsorship is
Monday, May 18.
Register directly online at
www.omahahomeforboys.org or by
contacting Kelley at 402-457-7165.
S
pring is a great time to
make gifts in lasting
memory or tribute to friends
and loved ones.
One great way to do this
is to support the Home’s
Heritage Courtyard.
Establised in 1995, the
Courtyard adjoins to our
Youth and Family Services
building and is a wonderful
place for quiet reflection and
contemplation.
A great number of
friends and donors have
memorialized their support
or that of a loved one by
having a brick engraved and
placed in their honor in the
Courtyard. Gifts of $100 or
more have this option.
You can immortalize a
name, message, birthday,
etc., and leave a legacy for all
time by placing a brick in our
Heritage Courtyard.
If you wish to participate,
please mention the Heritage
Courtyard when you send in
your gift. Feel free to contact
us with any questions at 402457-7015 (1-800-408-4663).
Thank you for your continued
support of the Home.