USA
Kevin Orr acknowledged his career path at the Omaha Home for Boys had humble beginnings.
I started off helping out with wrestling, said Orr, now the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the home.
Orrs career at the home spans 35 years, but long before he ever earned a paycheck on the north Omaha campus, Orr knew the home from the inside out.
My mother found herself a single mother, and in those days, there wasnt a lot of support financially, Orr said.
Orr was 7 years old when he and his young brothers went to live at the facility, which was set up to help orphaned, troubled and neglected boys. He stayed at the Omaha Home for Boys until he graduated from Benson High School.
It was the concept of: Come and let us raise you. And it certainly has changed now, Orr said.
Now, boys spend an average of 13 to 15 months on campus sorting out behavior issues, finding independence and learning to make the right choices. The goal is to return home to their families in short order.
The other big difference from my day was the youth came here, we served the youth and the family gets out of the way. Now, its more family-driven care, said Orr.
Parents attend classes to learn about ways to encourage positive behavior to support their children.
The home is best known for its residential care program, which puts 64 boys in safe and structured home settings with married couples as their mentors on campus. Children ages 10 to 18 attend nearby public schools, and their behavior is constantly monitored and measured.
These kids are struggling in school. Theyre one or two grade levels behind. There are a number of behavioral issues and mental health issues, Orr said.
Orr attended college while working at the home and he become a teacher. He later earned a Masters degree in human services.
On one recent afternoon, Orr caught up with some young men washing their house parents van.
A 16-year-old named Lane told Orr he goes home almost every weekend to see his family.
I like this place. Its fun, the boy told Orr.
Its made me a better person as far as the way I treat other people and how I treat myself, the teen said.
The home also serves young men with serious psychological issues at a residential treatment facility at Cooper Village Farms. In addition, they have a substance abuse program and an independent living program for young adults who need life skills training and help keeping a job.
It means a possible different life for them and a chance for a future for them, said Orr.
The home helped Orr create his own future, and in turn, hes made the home his lifes work.
Its a past. Its a future. Its the present for me, said Orr.
To learn more about the Omaha Home for Boys, go to OmahaHomeForBoys.org
Julie Cornell
20 July 2009
