Lawn Crew - A Learning (Lawning) Experience for Boys

Working on the Lawn Crew is a job as old as the Home. The boys view it as a way to make some spending money, but it is more than just that . . . it is life experience.

Working, earning, seeing the satisfaction of a job done well. All experiences young people need to grow.

Before any of the boys begin their “membership” in the Lawn Crew, they receive an extensive training and safety class from Groundskeeper, Mike Heller.

Mike teaches them to safely handle a mower, how to maintain it and what to do when people approach the area they are mowing.

During the summer months, boys can work on the Lawn Crew from 8:30 am until 3:30 pm. Each boy has a time card that is initialed by Mike when they arrive. They then get their assignments for the day.

Rex (on the left) and Taber recently got some practical experience sharpening blades and greasing their mowers before they started their daily tasks.

Between six and twelve boys work each day. They mow about 25 acres of grounds twice a week, do trimming and other grounds maintainance.

The Omaha Home for Boys campus is a source of pride for everyone here, especially the young men who make it look sharp.