Our Third Graduate of 1997

Jeff is another of our graduates this year. In May he finished four years at the U.S. Naval Academy.

Three of our staff members attended the graduation ceremony in Annapolis where Vice President Al Gore was the commencement speaker.

A reception was held for Jeff at a local restaurant with his family and friends.

For Jeff, the next year is a full one of more education in German language, codes, nuclear physics and reactors. In July of 1998 he will go to Connecticut for his assignment to a nuclear submarine.

Jeff’s Special Friends

Four years ago when Jeff was preparing to enter the United States Naval Academy, the Home wrote a special article in the Twig congratulating him.

Nancy and Fred Kacher – long time Boys’ Home supporters – read the article with great interest.

The Kachers – native Virginians – had a son graduate from the Academy in 1990 and they knew the physical, emotional and academic strain new students at the school would be put through.

So, communicating through the Academy, Nancy wrote Jeff a letter of encouragement. Jeff, of course, wrote back. Over the next four years Jeff and the entire Kacher Clan (Nancy, Fred and their three sons) became close friends spending time together at football games, talking on the phone, writing letters and visiting.

“I think of Jeff like he’s one of my own boys,” Nancy explains, “I am very, very proud of him.”

For over 17 years the Kachers have been good friends to The Omaha Home for Boys. Even so, meeting and getting to know Jeff took their relationship with the Home to a new level. According to Nancy, “Jeff made the Home ‘come alive’ to me!”

While the Home has many friends and supporters, we don’t meet people like the Kachers every day. They are very special people and we are grateful to them for being Jeff’s “surrogate” parents while he was so far away from Home.