Boys Town Nebraska

Father Boes Praises Grand Island Shelter

On Tuesday, Father Boes made his first visit to the Boys Town Shelter in Grand Island.

“There’s great spirit here,” said Father Boes. “It’s a family environment. Even though it’s short term, it’s family.”

The family atmosphere is created through the youths’ daily interactions with their peers and the staff. “Constant interaction between the youth and staff is key,” said Dave Reed, Program Director of the shelter. “We spend a lot of time together in the great room. Kids don’t go to their bedrooms except to sleep.”

Since most of the youth at the shelter stay for an average of only five to 30 days, keeping them current in their schoolwork is at times difficult. But, thanks to teacher Colleen Friesen, youth staying at the shelter are able to keep on with their studies. She runs the alternative school program at the shelter. Youths at the shelter are required to attend classes for four hours each morning, with scheduled time in the afternoons and evenings for homework and peer-to-peer tutoring.

“If I have had an impact, it is worth it,” said Friesen, who is authorized by the state to give credits for the state curriculum she teaches.

The Boys Town Shelter in Grand Island is home to an average of 14 teenagers every week. For youth like Steven, staying at the shelter has opened new doors for the future.

“This place has changed my outlook on education and my life,” he said. “I am going to enroll in school and make something out of my life.”