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The Omaha Home for Boys...
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2001
September Twig Newsletter
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THE TWIG is a publication of :
The Omaha Home for Boys
4343 North 52nd Street
Omaha, NE 68104
The Omaha Home for Boys is a member of the National Fellowship of Child Care Executives and the National Association of Homes and Services for Children.
Founded in 1920, The Omaha Home for Boys is licensed by the State of Nebraska and is governed by 70 Trustees and our Board of Directors of 30 who serve as volunteers without financial remuneration. Annual operating and financial statements are prepared by certified public accountants and filed as public information with the Nebraska Department of Social Services.
The Omaha Home for Boys 75th Anniversary History
Books are available. To receive your copy contact Marsha Cussen at
1-800-408-4663 today! To read the Home's complete history, click on
the history book to your right. Also available is the Home's new
video -- "A Vision of Caring".
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOME? If you have a question about the Home, would like to receive our financial statements, or we can help in any way, call us at our new toll free number 1-800-408-4663.
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The OHB Video - "A Vision of Caring" |
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The Home's video, "A vision of Caring," is avaialable for viewing in your home of presenting before clubs or groups. If you would like to borrow a copy please let us know at 800/408/4663 and we will make sure you receive the tape. | ||||
Thank
you . . . words that are so easy to say yet sometimes so easily forgotten. This
year the "thank yous" were plentiful as graduates Matt and D. J. came to the
podium.
Matt’s mothers eyes beamed with pride as she watched her son, dressed in his graduation cap and gown, stand before the crowd and say "thank you."
Matt entered The Omaha Home for Boys, not by choice, after getting into trouble with the law and being entrenched in the court system. His relationship with his mother was deteriorating to the point that they weren’t even able to talk to one another.
Matt was also failing in school and it appeared he would not graduate when he was supposed to. In August 2000 Matt entered the Home—mad at his mom, mad at school officials, and ready to buck the system.
After a few weeks of sliding by, Matt decided to give it a real try. Along with his House Parents and staff from the Home, he became determined to graduate in May 2001. Considering his earned credits from school were that of a sophomore, the graduation date seemed to be a lofty goal!
But Matt persevered. He went to the Home’s Education Center and worked hard each day to make up his credits. At the start of the second semester in January, Matt was on track to graduate!
His story gets better. Matt graduated, he has rebuilt his relationship with
his mother, and he plans to further his
education in the field of auto
mechanics.
Matt has some helpful advice for other young people, "Give it a try, do your best and get it done. Anything is possible." In one word he sums up his experience with The Omaha Home for Boys as "helpful."
Considering what Matt has overcome and the goals he’s met, you can understand why his mom is beaming! Thank you for your part in helping Matt realize his goals.
A Turn for the Better
When you meet Darnell (D. J.), the thing you notice first is his smile. The other thing that stands out is his spirit of determination and sincerity.
Judging from the entourage of family and friends that showed up at the graduation dinner, it’s obvious that D. J. comes equipped with his own cheering section. That’s not hard to understand as you listen to him share his thanks at what the Home has helped him accomplish.
After one month at the Home, D. J.’s dad said "he hardly recognized his son." This young man who was headed down the wrong path made a turn for the better and he’s kept going at full speed.
Before coming to the Home, D. J. didn’t care much about school. He said his
attitude was "hum buggish"; he was also hanging out with the wrong crowd. D.
J.’s House Parents and all who know him say he has made awesome progress and is
a wonderful role model.
After a year at the Home, D. J. graduated from the program. Upon returning home, he then made a decision that will most likely affect the rest of his life. On his own, after one day in school, he knew that if he was ever going to make it and graduate he needed to return to The Omaha Home for Boys. As you can imagine, this was a very difficult decision for him and his family.
As D. J. steps to the podium during the graduation dinner, emotions run high. He smiles—that characteristic smile and begins to say "thank you." Before too long the room is quiet as he struggles through tears to say thank you to the people who have meant so much to him.
Talking with D. J. and House Parent Larkin Birdow, you realize that emotions and thankfulness run deep. Larkin shares that Bill Auxier, Athletic Recreation Program Manager, has had a lot to do with D. J.’s success. D. J. continues, "I’d like to thank Bill for everything. He’s one of the main reasons I’m still here."
D. J. had several things to say about his time at the Home. "I appreciate all the Home has done," he says. "I don’t take it lightly. I thank them for everything, especially my education. I’m also thankful for the renewed relationship between me and my dad and mom."
D. J. also has a few words of advice for young men who will follow him at the Home. He encourages each to "use the Home as a resource; make the time worth it."
D. J. enters college this fall. He’s not too far away from Omaha, so we hope to continue to see that smile!
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
Personally Speaking
Let’s take a moment to discuss . . . SELF-EXPRESSION
The Board members and Trustees had a treat at a meeting a while back. In
addition to our regular agenda this
summer reports and requests, the boys
displayed artwork from a recent arts and craft contest.
Now I am no expert, but you should know we have some real artists here at the Home. I must admit, a few of the boys’ works were captivating. Essays and poems that make you look deep inside yourself from boys as young as 11. Drawings so vibrant you feel you can reach out and touch the subject. Paintings and photographs with such clarity and content I found it hard to look away.
And underneath it all, an expression of hope and faith.
I once heard that a true artist draws from his life experience when creating. When I first heard of the art contest, I just assumed that, drawing from their life experience, the boys’ work might be sad … lonely.
But although there was strong emotion in the pieces the boys displayed, a feeling of hope prevailed. I felt the artists were expressing not only their experiences, but also their purpose—that they felt they had a purpose—in life.
That’s a very important feeling for a youngster who has been neglected or abused or just needs direction.
I know that not all the boys here at the Home have that feeling of hope and purpose. Some feel other things, like fear and anger and shame.
With your help we will reach them. And then their paintings and their lives can be expressed with hope and purpose too!
Thank you for helping these boys express themselves. And thank you for helping make that expression one of optimism!
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
Creativity Blossoms on "Inspiration Hill"
This spring while most of us were preparing to plant our gardens, the boys at the Home were busy preparing for the First Annual Art and Creative Writing Competition. Awards for the competition were presented at the biannual Board of Trustees meeting held in July. A number of pieces of the artwork are currently displayed in the Dining Hall and offices throughout the campus. They include digital photos, ink/pencil sketches, and watercolor paintings on homemade paper.
Boys taking part in the creative writing essay were asked, "How I have progressed since my arrival at The Omaha Home for Boys?"
Steven writes, "They (House Parents, Larkin and Racine Birdow) have helped me learn a lot by teaching me how to become a very well mannered young man, how to respect other people, and to cooperate with my adults and peers. They have also tried to help me have a stronger relationship with my family."
Michael describes "his place" as he sees it. "The Pit’s bedding has big boulders crushing the ground beneath them. The rocks start out at the bottom in a way that the water would not be able to penetrate—the pebbles are arranged in such a way so that when you step on them with bare feet it is like walking on fresh mud, without the mess."
Curriculum/Technology Coordinator Ruth Roose, along with Art Instructor Sharon Reiners, offered inspiration and support throughout the entire project but admit that the boys’ motivation and talent blossomed from inside. Special thanks to all involved at the Home. Opportunities like this provide the nourishment for perpetual development and their expression to continue growing. It will be enjoyable to watch the boys use their gift of self-expression as they continue to develop and blossom throughout their lives.
| There are unsung heroes in any workplace. Those people behind the scenes,
doing what they do with pride and care, but not usually the ones you see in
front of the podium, sharing a stage, taking the spotlight. Fortunately for the rest of us, they do their work so well that they often go unnoticed. Unfortunately, we rarely take time—to hear the rest of their story. Mike Heller is one such hero. Mike is the Outside Maintenance Technician at The Omaha Home for Boys, but to him his job is more than work—it’s a calling. Mike has worked at the Home since 1988, and in that time he has been boss to
thousands of boys. Each young man at the Home has a job "on campus" that he is One look at the grounds of The Omaha Home for Boys and you know someone with a great deal of pride and love of his work is in charge. After talking to Mike Heller, you can tell that the love of what he does goes far beyond the grounds and is anything but work. |
A visit with Mike is a humbling experience. You quickley realize that he’s made up of is much more than meets the eye. You couldn’t ask for a better teacher, counselor, friend, and boss. Mike knows the kids; he listens to them, laughs with them, cares about them. His work doesn’t stop with the weeding and watering of the grounds—Mike cultivates young lives too. The first thing Mike will say about working at the Home is "It doesn’t feel like work." He says boys whom he has worked with through the years stay in touch. "Usually they bring their cars or their kids to show off. I can’t describe how good it felt when one young man came back to show me his son whom he had named after me," Mike says. Whether it’s working side-by-side on a project, taking the boys canoeing or hunting, playing volleyball with them—whatever the task—Mike loves these kids. As a dad, Mike realizes just how important communication and care is. Mike and his wife, Margie, have three children of their own. Stacy just graduated from high school, David will be a sophomore, and Sara a fifth-grader. Part of Mike’s hopes and wishes for the boys of the Home is that in the future they will enjoy even half as much success as he feels he and his family have been blessed with.
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One of Mike’s favorite times with the boys is mid-afternoon, a time when
everyone on the crew is together in the shop and the boys share what has
happened during the day. They share their feelings, fears, and joys. Mike says,
"The most enjoyable thing for me is when we’re all working and talking together.
The hardest thing for me is when the boys go home. I’m happy for them, but I
worry about them and I miss them." Asking Mike to name one boy who has made an impression on him is asking the impossible. Stories of several different boys flow as he shares about his more than 10 years in working with the youth. He remembers the boy who was preparing to go on a trip with him. Mike offered to pick him up at his home close to Omaha. The boy reluctantly agreed to let Mike pick him up at his home and meet his mother. When Mike arrived he understood the young man’s hesitancy. "I was going to meet the parents and was met by a horrible smell as I pulled up to a run-down trailer with no windows." The compassion that Mike has for the youth shows as he continues with his stories. "Sometimes I don’t realize until later that what I’ve said has had an impact. Just recently a young man told me that something I told him seven years ago, before a wrestling match, meant so much to him." For this outdoorsman with the quick smile, bright eyes, and comfortable demeanor, ninety percent of his job, he says, is "counselor." It’s a safe bet to say that for several years to come boys will continue to bring their cars and their babies to show Mike. And from now on, the rest of us will know that Mike Heller is truly an unsung hero at The Omaha Home for Boys. Thank you, Mike! |
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
The Omaha Home for Boys hosted the National Fellowship of Child Care Executives 2001 Convention. Executive Directors, Administrators, and family members of youth care homes all across the United States, attending the week long convention in Omaha, rated the overall convention the best in 10 years.
The Wayne E. Decker Award, given each year to the outstanding 8th grader, was
presented to Aaron. Aaron entered the
Home in July 1999 and was reunited with his mother in May
2001. Initially Aaron would argue with everyone, had poor behavior in school,
which led to poor academic progress, and thought he was always right and
everybody else was wrong. Aaron also had difficulty trusting other people. Bob Rugg, Aaron’s House Parent says, "Eighth grade has been a complete turnaround. I
wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it!" Aaron is on the honor role, has
not had one suspension, and feels good because he’s in school and actually
learning something. Aaron has been a lead worker on the Lawn Crew and is proud
of his accomplishments in and out of school. Aaron has built a strong foundation
for himself as he enters high school next year. Mom was beaming as the award was
presented. We’re pretty proud of Aaron, too, and we wish him the best during his
high school years.
The
Fred Bromley Award was presented to Mark. This award is given to an
individual who has exhibited a great deal of difficulty and who came from a
background void of nurturing and guidance. Mark certainly epitomized this. He
was able to overcome a number of obstacles with the help of his House Parents
and Consultant in order to become a productive member of his home. The look on
his face, as his name was called, let us know just how deserving this young man
is. Mark, we’re proud of you and wish you the best that life has to offer. You
deserve it!
The Collins Award, presented for top athletic achievement, was awarded to D. J. This award isn’t meant simply for the best athlete, but a person who exhibits a strong work ethic toward the sport and gives his all. D. J. has been a tremendous role model, not only for his Cottage, but also for the entire Home. Not only did he receive the Collins Award from the Home, he also recieved a special award from the high school track coach. As D. J. accepted his award, his coach commented, "He runs as hard as he can, for as long as he can. I have never seen anyone with as much heart as DJ has." Quite a tribute to a young man that never ran track until his senior year! D. J. we are so proud of you. Keep smiling!
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House Parents’ Corner
Making a Difference: Dick and Phyllis Mendenhall
| A positive mental attitude is crucial to so
many things in life—even more so if you are destined to serve as House
Parents for The Omaha Home for Boys. Phyllis and Dick Mendenhall have that
positive attitude … times 10! As you might imagine, the stresses and pressures of working with eight adolescents can be pretty great. But through it all, Phyllis and Dick remain upbeat, fun, and balanced because they are doing a job they love!
Even so, their initial decision to move to Omaha seemed doomed from the start. After deciding to make the change from banking to House Parenting, the Mendenhalls experienced a series of setbacks. One car "died" and another was totaled just days before their scheduled move. To top it off, Dick was contacted by a former supervisor who said, "I’ll double whatever your salary is going to be, plus commission, if you’ll join my team." That would have been a very difficult choice for most folks. "I’ll call you if it doesn’t work out," Dick replied. They had already committed themselves to the Home! Dick and Phyllis met in Michigan. After being married in 1980, they moved to Ohio and started a family. They have two daughters: Antigone (whom they call "Tig") is 20 and Daphne is 16. Both girls came with their parents when they moved from Ohio to Nebraska about 16 months ago. |
“Seeing a boy grow, seeing him go from a sad or angry youngster to a confident, mature teenager, that makes all the late nights and missed sleep worthwhile! "The girls had the toughest adjustment to make," says Dick, "but they know how happy we are at the Home." Like most House Parents, the Mendenhalls are fulfilling a long-time wish to serve needy youth. You can see in their eyes and their smiles that they are doing a job they love. When asked why they became House Parents, Phyllis replied, "Faith. The belief that I can make a difference is what keeps me going." And the difference they make is dramatic. They say the best part of the job is seeing growth in the boys. According to Dick, "Seeing a boy grow, seeing him go from a sad or angry youngster to a confident, mature teenager, that makes all the late nights and missed sleep worthwhile!"
Dick and Phyllis Mendenhall are just one reason The Omaha Home for Boys is able to help so many needy youth. You are another. On behalf of Phyllis, Dick, and the boys here at the Home, thank you for all you do. |
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
Don’t Be Surprised If … I Say Thank You
You might get a phone call from me the next time I’m in your town.
Last summer I spent a wonderful visit in Newport News and Williamsburg, Virginia, and enjoyed San Antonio, Texas, and the Alamo very much. But more important than the meetings I was attending were the meetings I had with donors and friends of the Home while I was there!
One of my favorite aspects of working with the Home is sharing our successes with friends and donors. Talking about the turnaround I have seen in Steve; discussing the various programs that will be offered through the new Wurdeman Education Center; sharing William’s interpersonal growth. The list goes on. I get revitalized every time I sit down with a donor and talk about the difference they are making ... you are making ... in the lives of needy youth.
Even so, sometimes folks are apprehensive. They probably ask themselves, Why does he want to visit meet with me?"
Well, ultimately I want to say, "Thank you!"
Certainly I want to talk about the boys. And I definitely want to share
what’s new and exciting at the Home. And if you have questions about giving
through wills or planned gifts, I will do my best to answer those, too. I will
also ask that, when you make your will (or the next time you revise it), after
you have taken care of everyone else—spouse, children, grandchildren and so
on,—you consider the Home, too.
But ultimately, I want to say thanks. I want you to know how important you are in the lives of these boys. I want you to know that you are changing—maybe even saving, young lives.
So don’t be surprised if you get a phone call or note from me asking for a visit or inviting you to a reception. Because saying thank you is one of the first things we teach here at The Omaha Home for Boys!
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
Giving Away the Farm … Real Estate Gifts Can Make Sense
Watching your land appreciate has always been a favorite pastime of many property owners. What to do with your land when you want to sell it is another question. Selling appreciated property incurs capital gains taxes.
Most of us live on the land we own. One way to continue to live on the land and gift it at the same time is through a charitable life estate arrangement.
You can make a gift of a home or other real estate while retaining the use of the property for as long as you live. By using the life estate arrangement, you make a gift of your home or farm now and retain the security of knowing you may live there as long as you wish.
The satisfaction of giving, as well as receiving an income tax deduction, is enjoyed now rather than later.
You continue to take care of the property, pay the taxes, and even receive any income it generates. But, because you have made a gift of the property by deed, it does not pass through probate estate at death, possibly saving unnecessary expenses and delays.
For example, Gertrude Adams, 71, lives in the family home left to her by her parents. She has two sisters who live out of state. Ms. Adams plans to leave most of her property to her sisters and their children, but she would like to make substantial charitable gifts as well.
After reviewing all of her assets, Ms. Adams decides to make a gift of her home now while retaining the right to live in her house for the remainder of her life. In so doing, she gains the satisfaction of knowing she has made a meaningful gift while also saving federal taxes on her income now and on her estate later.
For more information about charitable gifts, contact your estate planning professional or Todd Simpson at (800)408-4663.
Return to September 2001 Twig Table of Contents
GIFT
ANNUITY RATE CHART
The following chart is based on a
gift of $5,000:
(NOTE - Annuity Rates as recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities are changing as of July 1, 2001.)
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Age |
Annual Return |
Charitable Deduction |
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65 |
7.0% - $350 |
$1,940 |
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70 |
7.5% - $375 |
$2,105 |
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75 |
8.2% - $410 |
$2,275 |
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80 |
9.2% - $460 |
$2,475 |
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85 |
10.5% - $525 |
$2,730 |
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90 |
12.0% - $600 |
$2,955 |
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American Council Gift Annuity Rates as of July 1, 1999
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOME? If you have questions about the Home, would like to receive our financial statements, or we can help in any way, please call us at our toll free number 1-800-408-HOME.
"We
were called to the Home," Phyllis explains. "There’s just no other way to
put it." The Mendenhalls had both been in mortgage banking prior to coming
to the Home, Dick for 19 years and Phyllis for nine. And although the
stresses of being a House Parent can sometimes be overwhelming, they are
both much happier now. "The rewards are so much more meaningful here," she
says.