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the
the
Supporting and Strengthening
Youth, Young Adults and Families
As the twig is bent, so grows the tree
Winter 2015
Vol. 36, No. 1
Milestone anniversary reflects
change in Home, youth served
T
Originally a home for
orphaned or homeless boys,
the Omaha Home for Boys
now serves young men and
women through multiple
programs in a continuum
of care.
he year 1920 witnessed
some important historical
happenings both at home
and abroad.
Women got the right to vote.
Prohibition, as per the 18th
Amendment to the Constitution,
outlawed the production, sale and
consumption of alcohol. Influenza
wreaked havoc worldwide, killing
thousands across the globe.
Back here in Omaha, Neb.,
there were many young boys
orphaned and homeless living
downtown on the
streets.
Recognizing the
need to house and
care for them, 12 men,
each representing a
different Masonic
organization from
the Omaha area,
convened to start
a home—and the
Nebraska Children’s
Homefinding
Association was born
October 12, 1920.
This organization
would later become known as the Masonic Home
for Children, then the Masonic Home for Boys
and, as you know it today, the Omaha Home for
Boys.
Mark Your Calendars: Home
Reunion Set for August 1 at OHB
The Omaha Home for Boys is inviting all
Home alumni to come back to campus
the weekend of August 1, 2015, for a big
Alumni Reunion. Watch your mailboxes,
e-mail, and Home Facebook and Twitter
for more information as plans come
together. Details coming soon!
A lot has happened since those early days,
and the Home hasn’t gone through history
without its share of ups and downs.
Fortunately, our ups have outweighed
our downs, and we are proud to still be
Supporting and Strengthening Youth, Young
Adults and Families.
And we intend to meet this need in our
community for another 95 years!
Now, as we eagerly anticipate our 95th
anniversary in October, we are gearing up for
a very celebratory year—and we want you to
help us say HAPPY BIRTHDAY OMAHA
HOME FOR BOYS!
We are currently planning a series of
events and opportunities for Home staff and
youth as well as Home alumni, former staff
and retirees to interact with and thank our
generous friends and community partners.
We know we wouldn’t still be a vital,
thriving organization serving an important
need without the support from friends like
you—and we want to celebrate that with you,
our family and friends.
1
President’s
Corner
Happy New Year Friends,
I
Jeff Moran
President, Omaha Home for Boys
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The Twig is a publication of
the Omaha Home for Boys
4343 N. 52nd Street
Omaha, NE 68104
www.omahahomeforboys.org
The Omaha Home for Boys is a member of the
National Fellowship of Child Care Executives,
the Alliance for Children and Families and the
Nebraska Association of Homes and Services for
Children.
Founded in 1920, the Omaha Home for Boys
is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit, non-sectarian
organization, licensed by the state of Nebraska and
nationally accredited by the Council on
Accreditation Services for Families and Children.
If you would like more information about the
Omaha Home for Boys, please call us at our toll-free
number, 800-408-4663, email us at
giving@omahahomeforboys.org or visit our website,
www.omahahomeforboys.org.
2
n 1920, a group of thoughtful masonic
leaders founded the Omaha Home for
Boys to address the needs of orphaned and
homeless boys.
Today under the direction of a diverse group of
community stakeholders, the Home provides care
to nearly 400 male and female youth each year.
Our mission statement is to “Support and
Strengthen Youth, Young adults, and Families
through services that inspire and equip them to
lead independent and productive lives.”
In short, we strive to leave their lives better than
they were when they entered our care. We have
been able to achieve this mission over the past nine
decades because of partnerships with you.
Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by
what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Throughout the years, you have demonstrated
care and concern for young lives through the gifts
you have given to the Home.
This year the Omaha Home for Boys will
observe its 95th Anniversary of giving to youth
and families.
As we head into this exciting new chapter, we
pause to reflect on our accomplishments and to
honor our rich past. You are an important part
of that. To this end, we hope you will mark your
calendars and consider joining the youth, staff
and alumni that will come together here on our
campus on August 1, 2015, to celebrate.
The challenges faced by our youth and their
families are best met through the collective help
and guidance of caring hearts.
HOME SCHOOLED—I’m incredibly proud to
announce to you that the Home’s Educational
Services program opened a year-round
school with six students this past August. The
development and implementation of the Omaha
Home for Boys School had been a goal for the
Home and the rest of the Education staff for
many years. According to Jeff Hallstrom, Program
Manager for Educational Services, the school is a
boon for the Home and for our youth.
The OHB School’s education goals are to
provide educational programming that enhances
learning and leads to school success, graduation,
employment and/or higher education. It also
strives to develop character traits using the Pillars
of Character, which include Responsibility,
Respect, Trustworthiness, Caring, Citizenship and
Fairness. Miranda Kreulen and Malakhi Eason
oversee the day-to-day teaching responsibilities
of the school, conducting class and holding the
students accountable for attendance, participation,
homework and tests—all the same expectations in
a community school classroom setting.
Having this school is a great opportunity and
another avenue for our young men to learn and
earn credits, and is a big step for the Home toward
ensuring our young men get the education they
need to succeed.
SECOND ANNUAL RESTORING
HEARTS EVENT ANOTHER SUCCESS—
Congratulations to Beverly VanArsdel who
had the winning raffle ticket for Ole Black Rose
—the 1987 Harley-Davidson FXR motorcycle
rebuilt and customized by our youth earlier
this year. A guest of Home board member Tom
Eyman, VanArsdel’s name was called by Omaha
Mayor Jean Stothert and Miss Nebraska Megan
Swanson to great applause at the conclusion of
our Restoring Hearts with Bike Parts fundraising
celebration September 25.
We welcomed over 300 friends of the Home
to the evening fundraising dinner, and it was
fantastic seeing former “Home boy” and current
actor and producer Rudy Reyes back as our
featured speaker. The night before the event, Rudy
spent a couple of hours with current youth at the
Home, talking about his own past experiences
and memories of his time at the Home. Rudy’s
younger brother, Ceasar, who now lives in Kansas
City and was a youth at the Home in the mid-to
late-80s, drove up to reunite with former and
current staff. It was a fantastic evening filled with
laughter, hugs and lots of smiles—all to benefit
our youth and the programs that support and care
for them. You can read more about this on page 4
Here’s to a great 2015! As always, thank you
for your continued support for the Omaha
Home for Boys!
Sincerely,
Jeff Moran
Home Happenings
Youth, Staff and Families Celebrate Fall
The Omaha Home for Boys celebrated the changing of the seasons and the
winterization of our Pavilion at Cooper Memorial Farm with a Fall Fling
October 15. Staff, youth and their families enjoyed seasonal treats, rode on
a hayrack and even roasted some s’mores over the fire. They also enjoyed
some football, cool temps and beautiful fall colors.
Home Welcomes Community Volunteers
Staff from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska and the Omaha Community
Foundation visited our 52nd and Ames campus in October as part of the
United Way’s Day of Caring. They pulled weeds and spread mulch around
several buildings, had lunch with some of our youth and learned more
about the Home. Thank you for being our community partners.
Senator Johanns Visits Home
U.S. Senator Mike Johanns stopped by the Home Friday,
September 19, for a quick visit to meet some of our staff
and youth and learn a bit about the Home and its history.
The senator toured a cottage, stopped by Youth Mart,
learned about our Education Center and ended his visit
with cookies in our Dining Hall. Johanns visited our
Jacobs’ Place Transitional Living campus last fall.
OHB Youth Join ‘Team Crawford’
Numerous youth from the Home had the honor of
attending the weigh-in Friday, November 28, for Omaha
native Terrence Crawford’s November 29th boxing
match with Raymundo Beltran of Mexico. In his 25th
professional fight (and victory), Crawford beat Beltran
in 12 rounds by unanimous decision to retain his WBO
Lightweight title at Omaha’s CenturyLink Center.
Front Entrance Gets a Facelift
After more than 50 years of beating from the elements, the front
entrance markers that have greeted staff, visitors and youth since
the 1960s were torn down and rebuilt in August and September. The
original Omaha Home for Boys stone was stored for safe keeping
while the original bricks were torn down and hauled away. Once the
foundations were rebuilt, the stones were put back into place for the
next 50-plus years.
Restoring Hearts Sponsors
A huge Thank You to our 2014 Restoring Hearts with Bike Parts™
Sponsors. We’re proud to call you friends!
Premiere Event
Woodmen of the World
Life Insurance Society
VIP Reception
Diamond Marketing Solutions
Silent Auction
Gregg Young Chevrolet
Rev Up with Horsepower
MetroQuarterly Magazine
Pb&j Design
Wells Fargo
Second Annual Restoring Hearts Event ‘A Great Success’
T
he Home celebrated its
second annual Restoring
Hearts with Bike Parts™
fundraising event September
25 in downtown Omaha.
This year’s guest speaker was
former Home boy and current
actor and mixed martial arts
champion Rudy Reyes (front
center). Rudy and his younger
brothers Ceasar and Michael
were at the Home for several
years in the 1980s. Ceasar and
4
Rudy had a joyous
time reuniting with
former house parents
and staff. In all, the
event, motorcycle
raffle, and silent
auction raised more
than $83,000 for the
home and brought
members of the
community together
for a great evening.
Pictured (left to right) are: Chessa Hall, Ceaser Reyes,
Beverly Hall (Cesar’s former house mother), Mike Pallas,
Cindy Pallas, Rudy Reyes, John Carter, Loita Fisher and
Gordon Fisher (Rudy’s former house parents).
Heroes of the Home: Celebrating the Road to 100 Years of Service!
B
ob Cooper was a no-nonsense,
“let’s get it done” type of man.
He was first introduced to the
Omaha Home for Boys in 1948 when
his barber at the Livestock Exchange
Building told him about it.
He visited the Home on a Sunday a
few weeks later and he chuckled when
Cal Reichart guessed the organization
could handle as many as seven calves
in the rabbit hutch. Seven calves were
donated to the Home shortly thereafter
for the start of the 4-H program.
But a rabbit hutch wouldn’t do it
for what Bob Cooper had in mind. In
1950, he donated his 80-acre stock farm
located on Mormon Bridge Road to the
Home for its second campus.
And beginning in 1951,
hundreds and hundreds of boys
came to enjoy the advantages of
life on the farm, doing daily chores
and working with animals.
Bob Cooper, cattleman, bank
owner and friend of the boys,
died in an auto accident in
early 1957.
Today, Cooper Memorial Farm
continues to house the Home’s
Cooper Memorial Farm from the air.
Valley View 4-H program as well as
residential facilities and a beautiful,
secluded pavilion available for use
by the public.
5
A Place to Call Home
G
rowing up, Seneca Walker never
really had anywhere she could
call home.
Taken into the foster care system at
age 8, Seneca, now 21, was in and out of
more than 13 homes between the ages
of 12 and 18.
Moving around so often, she never
had the chance to enjoy the stability of
having a home or family, often running
away from her life when things got too
tough or bad.
“My first instinct has always been to
run first without thinking it through,
and that is something I still struggle
with, even with two small children,”
said Seneca, who moved to the Seattle,
Wash., area to be near her grandmother
and aunt in 2013 before returning to
Omaha last year.
“Now, when I get that urge, I
remember my little boy and little girl,
and think about how my decisions
affect them. It’s not just me running
any more.”
Now a mother of 3-year-old
Quency and 4-month-old Allana,
Seneca said she is working toward
breaking those habits of old by setting
down roots in Omaha—although she
admits it hasn’t been easy.
Having recently lost her job, she said,
in the past, a setback like this would
have caused her to react and think
immediately about running.
Raising her kids as a single parent—
and knowing she wants a different life
for them than the one she had as a
child—has given her new perspective
and a drive to succeed.
And thanks to the Omaha Home
for Boys’ Branching Out program, as
well as another local organization that
assists her with housing, Seneca said
she finally feels like her nomadic days
are behind her.
“First Courtney and now Keenan
at the Omaha Home for Boys have
been a great help to me, especially
6
helping me find
community resources
and services when I
need them,” Seneca
said. “Keenan helped
me find employment,
daycare services for my
kids and even provided
transportation to and
from work for me when
I’ve needed it.
“I went through a lot
with my mom when I
was a kid, me and my
younger brother did,
Seneca has
and I don’t want my kids some fun with
to go through the same
3-year-old
things. I want to do
son Quency
everything I can to make and 4-monthsure they stay with me,
old daughter
and we remain a family.” Allana.
Because of her mom’s
addiction to alcohol,
Seneca and her brother,
Micah, entered foster
care as youngsters.
They were able to stay together for
several years until they were separated
when she was a teenager.
Time and distance—and differing
parenting philosophies from their
respective foster families—kept them
largely apart most of their lives.
And when they did see each other
on the rare occasion, Seneca said their
relationship felt strained.
Seneca said she hopes when Micah,
now 17, graduates high school and
moves on from the foster care system,
they can become close again—especially
with their mom now clean and sober and
ready to reunite their family.
“I’m so grateful for Branching Out
and the Omaha Home for Boys
because without their help, I might be
living on the streets right now with two
little kids,” said Seneca, who went to
Northwest High School and earned her
GED a couple of years ago.
Thoughts from the Archives
I
“It wasn’t long ago that we (she and
her son) were living in shelters at Lydia
House and then the Stephen Center. It’s
tough enough to live that way when it’s
just you, but it’s even worse when you
have a child.”
Seneca added that her connection to
Branching Out and the Omaha Home
for Boys has given her a new outlook
on life and what the future holds for her
and her family. She’s taken advantage of
the Home’s Youth Mart to help furnish
her apartment, and she said she now
feels like she has a home.
“I feel like I have roots now, a
foundation to build from,” Seneca said.
“I haven’t felt that way in the past, which
made it easy for me to run. I know that
I have people and organizations in the
community who care about me and
want the best for me, and that makes
staying and staying strong easier.”
like to think of a certain group of
Omaha Home for Boys residents
as a fraternity of sorts—like winners
of each year’s Heisman Trophy for
football excellence.
But the members of our “fraternity”
have probably never heard of each
other, and won’t ever (in all probability)
be famous on the national scene.
What each will carry, we hope, is
the knowledge that he once excelled
here at the Home and had his
moment to shine.
I am thinking of the annual winners Past Wayne B. Decker recipients include (from left) John Liike,
of our prestigious Wayne B. Decker
Tim Mangiameli and Jason Medina.
Award for the outstanding member of
our 8th grade class. It all started 45 years ago when some
and making sure a check was written for the winner. By
donor friends sought to establish an annual award in the
happenstance, I strolled down to the Anderson Cottage a
memory of their father, Wayne B. Decker, also a friend of
little before dinner to make sure Jason was going to be on
the Home.
hand at dinner. There he came, bounding down the steps
From one day, the donors made it clear the award is
in full baseball attire, ready to be picked up for a justnot necessarily for athletic prominence or for outstanding scheduled practice!! Oops.
educational achievement, but rather for friendship and
I tried to whisper to Mrs. Mathiesen why it was
concern for his fellow residents and for being a solid
important for Jason to be at dinner, but as I whispered to
contributor to our community.
her, his keen ear caught just enough of the message. Like a
The first winner was 13 year old John Liike in 1970, and
flash, and with the speed that helped him on the diamond,
the picture here shows he was called to the office to pose in
he bound up the stairs to change clothes to be ready for
his “Sunday best” with his certificate and monetary award.
the presentation.
He graduated in 1974, joined the Navy, and attended a
Since those days, the Home has gone to an All-Home
community college in Virginia on a Home scholarship. He
Picnic each May, where awards are presented, and the
resides in that state yet, but we have welcomed him back
Wayne B. Decker honor is kept alive. The most recent
from time to time during our Reunions.
recipient, Frankie Diaz Lopez, was added to our list of
By the 1980s, we held the awards night after dinner,
winners at our last picnic.
and when Tim Mangiameli’s name was called out in 1981
I hope you’ll join me for a moment to think about these
for the Decker Award, out he stepped from the kitchen
Wayne B. Decker Award winners, representing as they
where he was on the dish crew. A great practical joker
do some of the best and brightest residents in the 94-year
with a droll sense of humor, Tim graduated in 1985 and
history of the Home.
made the Air Force his career. (Faithful readers of THE
They couldn’t have done it without you, and you should
TWIG—and there are more than you might think—read
be proud of that.
about Tim’s return visit to the Inspiration Hill campus in
2009, bringing his family to show them where he grew
up and to tour the campus with former Dean of Boys
Kevin Orr.)
John E. Carter
I played a small but important role in the Decker
presentation a few years after Tim won. By this time, I
was charged with preparing the plaque and certificate
7
Guests Come ‘Home’ for the Holidays
M
(Top) The tree in Cottage Circle
lights up the sky.
(Bottom) Volunteers from
Cox Communications helped
decorate Home Cottages for
the holidays.
Did You Receive Your
2015 Home Calendar?
If you haven’t received your
2015 Omaha Home for Boys
calendar, please give us a call!
We would love to send a
calendar to you, complete
with tasty recipes, nostalgic
and current photos, Home
facts and information and
important dates, of course.
Call toll-free, 1-800408-4663, or email Tani at
tbaker@omahahomeforboys.
org for more information.
Thank you for celebrating
2015 with all of us at the
Omaha Home for Boys.
88
any guests from the Omaha
community came “Home”
for the Holidays Thursday and
Friday, December 4 and 5 for the
Omaha Home for Boys’ secondannual “Open Home.”
Holiday festivities kick-started
Thursday with a meet-and-greet at
the Home’s Jacobs’ Place Transitional
Living campus on 48th and Cuming
Streets. Friends and staff had a
chance to meet Jacobs’ Place staff as
well as residents, tour an apartment
decorated for the holidays and enjoy
food and drinks.
Friday afternoon, friends and
guests visited the Home’s Inspiration
Hill Residential Care campus located
at 52nd and Ames for more food and fun.
Festivities included hayrack rides through
campus, cottage tours and the lighting of the
tree in Cottage Circle. Earlier in the week,
volunteers from Cox Communications
helped decorate the grounds and cottages.
President & CEO Jeff Moran gave a short
message of hope for the season and the
coming new year before Miss Nebraska Megan
Swanson hit the switch to light the tree.
Friends and guests graciously brought
gifts and gift cards for Home youth at both
locations or took ornaments from Angel
trees to buy gifts for youth.
In all, the event was a great opportunity
for the public to connect with and learn
more about the Omaha Home for Boys.
Thank you to everyone who came “Home”
for the Holidays.
OHB Golf Classic: New Date, Venue for 2015 Event
T
he Omaha Home for Boys is mixing it up
this time at the 2015 OHB Golf Classic—
and the changes will be fantastic.
For the first time in several years, the golf
classic is moving venues to Indian Creek
Golf Course.
The course is Omaha’s premiere 27-hole
public golf course with 37 acres of fairway, 65plus well-placed bunkers and 15 holes with the
threat of water.
Past and new foursomes are welcome to
register, and if you register before January 31,
2015, you can qualify for early-bird special
pricing. Sponsorships are currently available.
Contact Travis at 402-457-7005 or
tpayne@omahahomeforboys.org for more
information. Register directly online at
www.omahahomeforboys.org.
Honoring and Remembering Friends and Family
O
ver the years, many donors have wanted
to make gifts in lasting memory or
tribute to friends and loved ones or to
memorialize their own heartfelt support of
youth in need.
In 1995, the Omaha Home for Boys
responded to this need by establishing the
Heritage Courtyard. The Courtyard adjoins
our Youth & Family Services building. It is
a wonderful place for quiet reflection
and contemplation.
A great number of friends and donors have
memorialized their support or that of a loved
one by having a brick engraved and placed in
their honor in the Courtyard. Gifts of $100 or
more have this option.
You can immortalize a name, message,
birthday, etc., and leave a legacy for all time by
placing a brick in our Heritage Courtyard.
If you wish to participate, please mention
the Heritage Courtyard when you send in
your gift. Feel free to contact us with any
questions at 402-457-7015 (1-800-408-4663).
Thank you for your support of the Home!