Sarah is the first to admit her life thus far has been anything but a fairytale. She’s also the first to admit some of the poor choices she made along the way didn’t exactly help.

From his first day at the Omaha Home for Boys, Koran decided he wanted to change his life and make the most of his future.

The first time Natasha’s father hurt her, he left marks on her arm and neck. But having been conditioned most of her life to accept abuse as the norm, she put up with it. The second time, he left no visible signs of his abuse despite throwing her down a flight of stairs — but

By the age of 4, Jeff Landholt had been subjected to treatment and circumstances unfit for most adults. With their dad passed out on the couch and mom most likely strung out or dealing, he and his three sisters were often forced to find ways to make adult decisions to survive and take care of one another.

Pal Chol has been living in the United States for more than 10 years now, but he just recently became a citizen. Since 2012, he’s been participating in our Branching Out program that helps independent men and women in various ways. He’s been active in the program ever since, keeping close ties with his Independent Living Specialist, Jim Hubbard, and learning new ways to live independently and be successful.

Having recently lost both of her parents, she was living with her older sister, Dianna, and other family in small-town Georgia— all the while coping with personal issues she saw as too big to overcome.

Like many of the youth who come through the doors at the Omaha Home for Boys, Cedric arrived with some baggage. Along with his duffle bag filled with clothes and other personal items, he also brought his own history of poor choices that he made while living and going to school in Lincoln.

That wasn’t necessarily the case for the 17-year-old budding artist who recently graduated from Omaha Home for Boys residential program. In fact, drawing and art became what he did when he was withdrawing.