Kelly came to our 4-H program as a resident of Uta Halee Girls’ Village. The Home’s Valley View 4-H Club is open to various other youth groups in the Omaha area.

For Kelly, it was an opportunity to develop herself. As she put it, “It taught me self control, the ability to do things on my own and to work with other people of different ages. It made me feel good about myself and that I was important.”

In her three years of involvement with 4-H, Kelly won many ribbons for her cattle projects. Among them Reserve Grand Champion for Showmanship and Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef.

After graduating from high school she moved to Jacobs’ Place, our Transitional Living Program. She was a resident there for ten months before deciding to enlist in the military.

She hopes to become a transportation management coordinator - regulating the movement of inventory and materials in and out of a military base.

Kelly reported to boot camp in early June.

Dick Mathiesen, Resident Manager of the Transitional Living Program talked with her recently and said she was naturally feeling lonely, but she was very positive about her course.

He told her she had chosen a mission that would require all of her internal strength, but when she finished she would be a woman who knows herself well.

We look forward to a visit from this young lady when she finishes boot camp in September.