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Basic Training for Life Personally Speaking ... Gratitude |
Guardian Angels of the Home |
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. |
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William is different from most boys his age. He has an air of maturity about him, a quiet confidence that immediately makes you pay special attention to his words.
Through The Omaha Home for Boys, William has learned life skills . . . discipline . . . confidence. This preparation helped him when he entered Basic Combat Training through the Army’s delayed entry program last summer as a high school junior. "Thanks to OHB, I had a big advantage over the other young men at boot camp," William says. "I knew how to look my drill sergeant in the eye without flinching. I could follow instructions and I knew how to clean!"
When he first came to the Home five years ago, William was having problems with respect—respect for his teachers, his mother, even himself. He was barely passing school and running wild at home. To make matters worse, his younger brother, Tim, was beginning to pattern his behavior after William’s.
Finally, the school suggested his mother bring him to The Omaha Home for Boys. At first, William rebelled against the Home’s program. "Tim adjusted better than I did—he caught on quicker," William recalls. "It took me a while to realize that in order to better my situation, I needed to change."
A life-changing decision
William’s
interest in the military began because he was tired of taking P.E. at
school. William was a freshman and had been at the Home, along with his
brother, for three years. The alternative to taking P.E. was joining
ROTC. "I wanted to try something new, and I didn’t want to take gym
class again," he says, grinning.
Little did he know how that decision would literally change the direction of his life!
William loved ROTC. He decided he would aim for a career in the armed forces—a pretty ambitious goal, especially considering how far he had come since he arrived at the Home at the age of 13.
William’s House Parents, Larkin and Racine, credit his turnaround to the consistency of the OHB program along with the close-knit family atmosphere the House Parents strive to provide. Racine says, "Security is very, very important to boys like William and Tim. They endured losses of significant people in their lives at a young age. They needed to know we would be there for them, no matter what."
As you might expect, William faced big challenges during boot camp. His day began at 4:00 a.m. and usually ended at 1:00 a.m. Although the official "lights out" was 9:00 p.m., William and the others in his squad spent hours cleaning their barracks each night in order to pass the critical inspection by their drill sergeant the next morning. He trained hard and pushed his physical abilities to the limit.
William’s teamwork and leadership abilities did not go unnoticed. Training alongside grown men in their 20s, William was chosen Squad Leader at the tender age of 17—the highest honor given at boot camp!
Even though William was grateful to be given such an honor, he feels his greatest accomplishment was passing his physical training test and graduating from boot camp on good terms.
William says keeping in contact with his House Parents and brother while he was in boot camp helped him succeed. "I missed the little things, like playing dominos or cards with my House Parents and the other boys. We’re just like a real family."
He added that he is grateful to the supporters of OHB. "I’m blessed to be able to have this kind of opportunity. I’m amazed that there are such nice people all over the country that don’t even know me or the other boys, and want to help us. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them."
Personally
Speaking Let’s Take a Moment to
Discuss . . . Gratitude
Thank you". . . a simple little phrase that means so much to so many. Here at The Omaha Home for Boys, we know the importance of showing gratitude, of saying thank you. As far as I’m concerned, saying thank you is the single most important thing I can do when talking with friends and donors. So let me say thank you to you again.
Sometimes, however, the thanks I share with donors are not spoken or written. Sometimes I want to share an emotion, a feeling—like seeing a child playing on the ball field or in the Rec Center; or seeing a boy laugh as he tries to manipulate a stubborn steer that outweighs him by 1,000 pounds; or seeing a boy fight to hold back tears when he finishes his stay with the Home.
A boy may feel enormous gratitude and appreciation, but he may not know exactly how to put it into words. I read once that "the word appreciation means to be thankful and express admiration, approval, or gratitude. It also means to grow or appreciate in value. As you appreciate life, you become more valuable—both to yourself and others." And that is what you are helping the Home do every day: making a valuable young life worth even more!
The skills we teach the boys, such as making eye contact and accepting criticism, are important tools they will use all their lives. But for me, the most important thing we teach our boys is how to say thank you.
I see the gratitude in the boys’ faces and I hear it in their voices, and when they say thank you, they mean it. And so do I.
Thank you—and God Bless you—for caring.
John C. Furstenberg
President
Lessons Learned around the Campfire
A
wallet, fat with cash, just lying on the floor with no one else around.
Adam had a decision to make. He didn’t think twice.
Everyone at The Omaha Home for Boys’ Bruner Cottage was dying for the weekend to arrive. A camping trip was on the agenda, and the whole crew was pitching in—loading backpacks, planning meals, and honing tent-pitching talents.
House Parents Larkin and Racine successfully harnessed the energy of their eight boys, loaded everyone in the van, and headed toward Iowa.
What kid does not love camping? The lake held more entertainment than a video game. They could swim, fish, boat, or just see who could throw a stone the farthest. There were woods to explore and people to meet, but Larkin and Racine knew the greater benefit might be in just being together—as a family.
Adam found the wallet in the community shower, and he didn’t think twice about it. He picked it up and hurried back to the family campsite, where the boys recognized the man in the picture ID found in the wallet. He was camped down by the big cottonwood tree.
The whole family went with Adam to return the wallet to its owner. Making good decisions is something they all work on together, and they were proud of Adam.
Sometimes the lesson learned while camping is about building the perfect fire, and sometimes the lesson is about a boy building character . . . and that lasts a lifetime.
Luckily, The Omaha Home for Boys offers both kinds of lessons.
OHB
Boys Featured on Sculpture
The Omaha Home for Boys unveiled "Kiddoe," a special J. Doe work of art inspired by two of the Home’s boys, during an ice cream social for more than 125 of the Home’s boys, staff, board of directors, and trustees.
A collection of local artists began the J. Doe Project in 2001 as a celebration of art for the citizens of Omaha, Nebraska. They created six-foot-tall, faceless, fiberglass sculptures, each with its own unique theme. The sculptures are then displayed citywide for everyone to enjoy.
The Home recruited local artist Kathy Jurek to paint portraits of the boys for her design, called "Kiddoe." The front side of Kiddoe (boy playing baseball) depicts 10-year-old Brandon, and the back side of Kiddoe (boy playing basketball) is his 14-year-old brother, Justin. Kiddoe will be permanently displayed in The Omaha Home for Boys courtyard.
Shrine Cottage Gives Thanks to Local Firefighters
After
the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, firefighters everywhere
were elevated to the status of national heroes.
We have learned that these rescue workers are special people who dedicate themselves to the preservation of human life, and continually experience danger. We all have much greater admiration for their dedication and sacrifice.
On September 11, 2002, the Shrine Cottage decided to commemorate the first anniversary of the tragedy by doing something nice for the local fire station. House Parents Amado and June Martinez had a special cake made that read, "Thank You—God Bless You."
They took the boys to the Ames Fire Station to deliver the cake that afternoon. What an exciting experience for all involved! Eleven-year-old Victor enjoyed talking to the firefighters and seeing the fire trucks up close. "The firemen were surprised when we brought them the cake," he says. "They were really grateful that we remembered them."
That evening, all of the boys attended a special September 11 church service. The pastor asked for an offering for the firefighters, and the boys dug into their own pockets to contribute. More than $6,000 was raised from the congregation that evening!
Victor says he would like to be a firefighter someday. "They save lives and they are very brave. When people are running out of a burning building, the firefighters are running into it."
Winning Ways
The
Omaha Home for Boys Valley View 4-H Club celebrated their winning show
season during the 4-H Awards Banquet held at the Home in November. Jamar
was announced as the "Most Improved 4-Her," and the prestigious "4-Her
of the Year" award went to Tim.
One of the highlights of the show season was the 2002 Douglas County Beef Show last September. Eleven boys from the Home competed both as a team and individually for honors. For the first time, the Valley View 4-H Club swept all the top honors at this year’s fair, winning every Grand and Reserve Champion award available and taking home 26 purple ribbon awards!
Pretty impressive considering that, according to Cooper Farm Manager and 4-H Leader Mike Pallas, 90 percent of the boys had never been around livestock prior to arriving at the Home. "The boys have worked hard to learn how to handle, groom, and show their animals. I’m really proud of their efforts." he says.
We’re proud of them too. Congratulations to the entire Valley View 4-H Club on a great show season!
Do
you believe in guardian angels? Some people believe that guardian angels
are assigned to each of us and are always with us. They intersect at
many junctures in our lives and help make our lives run smoothly.
We’d like to think that some guardian angels are right here on earth, in the form of humans, to provide help and support. The Omaha Home for Boys’ four Consultants, Darryl Summers, Pat Garcia, Eric Syphers, and Becky Klooz, are the "guardian angels" of the boys at the Home.
The position of Consultant has several aspects crucial to the program used at the Home. First, the Consultants begin by working with the parents or guardians, social workers or psychologists to help determine the treatment plan for each boy. Then, the Consultants work closely with the House Parents to make sure each boy is progressing as he should. Quarterly reviews are held to assess the youth’s progress and personal goals.
The Consultants also act as a liaison between the public schools and the Home. In addition, they work closely with the Home’s Learning Center staff to keep each boy on track academically.
The most demanding aspect of the Consultants’ position is their availability to help House Parents with mediation. They are on call 24 hours a day, five days a week with rotating weekends.
Success stories abound
Darryl
Summers has been a Consultant with the Home since 1999. He says he had a
strong calling to the Home. "I was working with another youth
organization, and I was trying to get a young man placed at The Omaha
Home for Boys," Darryl recalls. "I was very impressed with the Home. One
day, I was praying to God and I said the Home would be an awesome place
to work. Two weeks later I was offered a position here!"
Darryl believes it is an honor to work with those less fortunate. "Watching these boys transform and achieve success when their families, once torn apart, are brought together again—that’s the most rewarding part of my job."
Pat Garcia agrees. "I had a kid that was predestined to fail. He had a violent background and was involved with gangs. He was so resistant that I wondered if we would be able to get through to him. He did his best to push us away, but we wouldn’t give up on him. Now he is graduated, he’s married, and has a baby—we still hear from him. Stories like that make everything worthwhile."
Pat has a special connection to The Omaha Home for Boys. "I actually grew up in a boys’ home myself," he says. "That’s why I want to help troubled youth. I can understand where they’re coming from."
Eric Syphers arrived at the Home two years ago. He received his master’s degree in human development from the University of Kansas. He worked with youth at an organization in Kansas before coming back home to Nebraska.
Periodically, Eric likes to look back over the previous three to six months of a boy’s stay to see how far each boy has progressed. "You realize how far they’ve come, especially in May when they graduate from the program. You remember how they struggled and how they overcame their challenges. I’m inspired by their perseverance," Eric says.
Becky Klooz has found inspiration through the boys as well. During her four years here at the Home, one boy in particular stands out in her mind.
"This
boy was very angry and very feisty when he first came to the Home. I
would have to pick him up from school every day, because he would get
kicked out. He would not look you in the eye, and was always talking
back. He seemed like he didn’t care about anything.
"But there was something about him that made me want to keep going with him. There was a period of a few weeks when I was gone from the Home, helping my sister with her newborn. When I returned, this boy asked me where I’d been. I told him my little niece was very, very ill. He looked at me and told me he was sorry. I knew then that he cared, and that we could not give up on him. He graduated from the program successfully and now is a freshman in high school. He’s doing very well."
Are there such things as guardian angels? You bet. If you look it up in the dictionary, a guardian angel is defined as "a person who looks after or is concerned with the welfare of another." The Omaha Home for Boys is lucky to have four Consultants who fit this description to a T!
Cherished Memories: Alumni Visit OHB
We
love to hear from our alumni and catch up on how they—and the Home—have
grown and changed over the years.
In 1950, Hopalong Cassidy was at the peak of his popularity, the Korean War was beginning, and 10-year-old Gus Petersen was a scared little boy with a suitcase in his hand, standing on the steps of the Neef Cottage—his new home for the next year.
Little Gus soon discovered that the Home was a great place to be! Of course, there was schoolwork and chores to be done, but there was always time for play. A kind neighbor supplied a pony and small wagon for the boys. The pony spent many hours pulling Gus and other delighted boys up and down the grass hills behind Buck Cottage.
As Gus and the other boys played football, they would hear the ring of the dinner bell resonating across the playing field, signaling time for supper. They would race each other to the dining hall, yelling and bragging about how much they would eat.
In the winter months, Gus spent many enjoyable hours learning to ice skate—as many as his House Mother, Mrs. Smith, would allow—gliding across the ice covering the tennis courts.
Gus left the Home when he was 11. He grew into a fine young man and graduated from high school. At the age of 33, he met the woman who would become his wife, and they had three wonderful daughters. He has worked hard for the Corps of Engineers for 20 years.
A
trip down memory lane
As an adult, Gus stayed in Omaha and often would drive by the Home and reminisce about his time there. He’d note the new additions that popped up over the years, and wonder about the changes occurring. Did his old room look the same? Did the boys still ice skate on the tennis courts during the winter? Did they still ring the old dinner bell?
Finally, his curiosity got the best of him. He contacted the Home and asked if he could come visit. We welcomed him back with open arms!
Gus was awed by the many changes that had taken place all over campus. So many buildings were new or different from his days as a youth!
Gus met the current House Parents of the Neef Cottage, Dick and Phyllis Mendenhall. They showed him his old room, and he smiled as he thought about the laughter and pranks he had shared with his three roommates.
During his tour, Gus really enjoyed spending time in the Visitor Center and Museum. He reviewed several pictures from 1949–1951, looking for old friends. He was thrilled to pick out several boys whom he knew during his time at the Home. And there, proudly displayed on a wooden stand, was the old dinner bell!
A foundation for life
Scott Carroll paid the Home a visit in September as well. He came to live at the Home when he was about 12 years old. He lived at the Home for six years and graduated from school in 1977.
Scott
remembers that during his time at the Home, the Eppley Recreation Center
was being constructed. The boys were very excited about the
project—especially the indoor pool!
Finally the project was complete, and Scott was so eager to be the first boy in the pool that he jumped in with his street clothes on!
Not surprisingly, Scott was a successful swimmer during high school. He also played football at Benson with Bill Auxier, who later became The Omaha Home for Boys Recreation Director. Scott was happy to be reunited with Bill during his tour of the Home. They shared memories and laughter as Scott walked around the swimming pool that he had inaugurated!
Scott went to Wyoming University on a swimming scholarship and was a walk-on football player. He is currently a fishing guide on the Missouri River.
Scott says that the Home has been a major influence in his life. "When you’re young you don’t realize how important the structure is. It’s the foundation for the rest of your life."
Retirement Income You Can Depend On
Is it the right time for your gift annuity with the Home?
With all the ups and downs in the financial markets, many of our older friends are turning to The Omaha Home for Boys’ gift annuity program to create a steady, dependable stream of lifetime income. They like knowing that every fiscal quarter they will receive the same amount, year in and year out.
They like the other benefits too. Things like a good payment rate and income that is partially tax-free. They like the income tax charitable deduction they receive and, of course, the fact that they are helping the boys here at the Home.
Here’s how it works
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are both 75 years old. They give $50,000 to The Omaha Home for Boys in exchange for a charitable gift annuity. The Home’s payment rate for their combined ages happens to be 6.5%, which means they will receive $3,250 every year, or $812.50 every quarter. (Note: The rates will vary, depending on one’s age and whatever is currently being recommended by the American Council on Gift Annuities.)
The Smiths will receive fixed payments for the rest of their lives. And even when one of them dies, the surviving spouse will continue to receive the same fixed payments for the rest of his or her life. Because the full assets of The Omaha Home for Boys back the payments, the Smiths can have confidence that their annuity checks will always be there for them.
You don’t have to be married to obtain a gift annuity. In fact, single-life annuities pay a higher rate. Also, the older a person or couple is, the higher the payment rate is. It’s easy to do
To learn more, fill out the annuity portion of the reply form that came with this newsletter (no gift is necessary) and drop it in the postage-paid envelope. Once I know your age and the amount of the gift you want to make, and whether it will be cash or stock, I can prepare an easy-to-read gift illustration that answers questions such as:
Why not take a moment to fill out and send in the annuity portion of the reply slip? This will allow me to provide a tailor-made illustration that will show you just how well a charitable gift annuity can work for you. Of course, you are under no obligation to proceed with a gift.
Thank you for caring!
R. Todd Simpson, CFRE
Director of Development
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Director of Development Todd Simpson loves to share the Home’s story with visitors. If you find yourself in Omaha, let us give you a tour of the campus — and thank you in person for your support.
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.
